| Term | Definition |
|---|
| n mausoleum | monumental tomb; large stately tomb; CF. Mausolos |
| n mauve | pale purple |
| n maverick | rebel; nonconformist (in a group) |
| n mawkish | mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental |
| maxim | proverb; truth pithily stated |
| n mayhem | injury to body; crime of willfully maiming or crippling a person; violent disorder; Ex. mayhem in the zoo; CF. maim |
| meager | scanty; inadequate |
| n mealymouthed | indirect in speech (when something unpleasant must be said); hypocritical; evasive |
| n meander | wind or turn in its course; follow a winding or turning course; move aimlessly and idly |
| n meddlesome | interfering; V. meddle: interfere |
| mediate | settle a dispute through the services of an outsider; act as an intermediary; produce by mediating; Ex. mediate a cease-fire |
| s intermediary | intermediate; acting as a mediator; N: mediator; go-between |
| mediocre | ordinary; commonplace; neither good nor bad |
| meditation | reflection; thought; V. meditate |
| medium | element that is a creature's natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are cultivated; appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise; middle position between extremes; intervening substance through which something else is transmitted |
| n medley | mixture |
| n meek | submissive; patient and long-suffering |
| s suitor | man who is courting a woman |
| n megalomania | mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance |
| melancholy | gloomy; morose; blue; N. ADJ. melancholic; CF. melancholia |
| s blue | gloomy; depressed |
| melee | fight |
| n mellifluous | (of words or a voice) sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious; having a pleasant tune |
| n memento | token; reminder of the past; keepsake; Ex. memento of your visit |
| memorialize | commemorate |
| s memorial | something, such as a monument or holiday, intended to honor the memory of a person or event; ADJ: commemorative |
| n menagerie | collection of wild animals on exhibition; zoo |
| n mendacious | lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity |
| n mendicant | beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar |
| s alms | money or goods given to the poor |
| n menial | suitable for servants; lowly; mean; N: someone who does menial work (esp. servant in a house) |
| n mentor | counselor; teacher |
| n mercantile | concerning trade or merchants |
| mercenary | motivated solely by money or gain; N. |
| n mercurial | capricious; quick and changing; fickle; containing the element mercury; Ex. mercurial temper; CF. mood |
| s quicksilver | mercury |
| n meretricious | flashy; tawdry; attractive on the surface but of no real value; Ex. metericious argument/jewel; CF. prostitute |
| s vulgar | of the common people; deficient in refinement; not refined; coarse; Ex. vulgar display of wealth; N. vulgarism: vulgarity; crudely indecent word; CF. vulgarian: vulgar person; boor; lout |
| n merger | combination (of two business corporations); act of merging |
| n mesmerize | hypnotize; N. mesmerism; CF. Franz Mesmer |
| n metallurgical | pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores; N. metallurgy: science that deals with extracting metals from ores |
| metamorphosis | change of form; Ex. metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly; V. metamorphose: change by metamorphosis |
| metaphor | implied comparison; CF. simile |
| s soar | rise or fly high in the air; Ex. The rocket soared into the sky. |
| metaphysical | pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality |
| n mete | measure; distribute; administer; Ex. mete out justice/punishment |
| meteoric | like a meteor; swift; momentarily brilliant; Ex. meteoric rise to fame; N. meteor . brief and sudden |
| methodical | systematic; N. method: systematic method of procedure |
| meticulous | excessively careful (with great attention to detail); painstaking; scrupulous |
| metropolis | large city |
| n mettle | courage (to continue bravely in spite of difficulties); spirit; ADJ. mettlesome |
| n miasma | swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence |
| s swamp | wetland; marsh; V: flood; overwhelm; drench in with liquid |
| microcosm | small representative world; world in miniature; Ex. microcosm of English society |
| s miniature | small model; small painting; ADJ: small |
| migrant | changing its habitat; wandering; Ex. migrant birds/workers; N: one that migrates |
| migratory | wandering; V. migrate: move from one region and settle in another; move periodically from one region to another |
| n milieu | social environment; means of expression; Ex. feel out of one's milieu; Ex. His proper milieu is watercolor. |
| militant | combative; bellicose; N. |
| n militate | work against; Ex. militate against the chances of promotion; CF. serve as a soldier |
| s militia | army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers |
| millennium | thousand-year period (as in the New Testament); hoped-for period of happiness and prosperity |
| mimicry | imitation |
| s mime | pantomime(act without dialogue); mimicry; mimer; V: mimic; pantomime |
| n minatory | menacing; threatening |
| n mincing | affectedly dainty(delicate); V. mince: cut (esp. meat) into very small pieces; walk with exaggerated primness; walk in an unnatural way, taking little short steps; Ex. The actor minced across the stage; CF. mincemeat; CF. mincer |
| s dainty | delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress |
| s exquisite | delicate; very finely made; extremely beautiful; Ex. exquisite piece of jewelry |
| s choice | delicate; of very fine quality |
| n minion | servile dependent; obsequious follower |
| n minuscule(miniscule) | extremely small |
| minute | extremely small; CF. minutes: official record of the proceedings at a meeting |
| n minutiae | petty or trivial details; CF. minutia |
| mirage | unreal reflection; optical illusion |
| n mire | entangle; stick in swampy ground; stick or sink in mire; N: bog; deep mud; Ex. sucked deeper into the mire |
| n mirth | merriment; laughter |
| n misadventure | mischance; ill luck; Ex. death by misadventure |
| misanthrope | one who hates mankind; misanthropist |
| s vile | despicable; unpleasant; disgusting; Ex. vile slander |
| misapprehension | error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend |
| miscellany | mixture of writings on various subjects; collection of various items |
| s miscellaneous | made up of a variety of parts |
| n mischance | ill luck |
| misconstrue | interpret incorrectly; misinterpret; misjudge |
| n miscreant | wretch; wrongdoer; villain; Ex. kindness to the miscreant; CF. believe |
| s wretch | miserable person; bad or despicable person; ADJ. wretched: miserable; bad; contemptible; vile |
| misdemeanor | minor crime; misdeed; wrongdoing |
| s misconduct | immoral behavior; bad management; V. |
| miserly | stingy; mean |
| n misgivings | doubts |
| n mishap | unfortunate accident |
| n misnomer | wrong or improper name; incorrect designation |
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