 | Term | Definition |
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n macabre |
gruesome; grisly; ghastly; CF. of death |
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s morgue |
mortuary; place where bodies are kept before burial or cremation |
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s cremate |
incinerate (a corpse); N. crematory, crematorium |
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n mace |
ceremonial staff used as a symbol of authority; clublike medieval weapon |
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n macerate |
soften by soaking in liquid; waste away; Ex. macerate powdered wood to make paper |
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n Machiavellian |
crafty; double-dealing; of the political doctrine of Machiavelli, which holds that craft and deceit are justified in pursuing political power |
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n machinations |
evil schemes or plots; schemes or plots to achieve an evil end; V. machinate |
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n maculated |
spotted; stained; CF. immaculate |
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n madrigal |
pastoral song; song for several singers without instruments |
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n maelstrom |
violent whirlpool; violent or tublent situation; CF. stream |
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n magisterial |
authoritative; imperious; commanding; of a magistrate; Ex. magisterial study of Roman law; Ex. magisterial manner |
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s magistrate |
official with power to administer the law |
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magnanimity |
generosity; ADJ. magnanimous: generous |
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n magnate |
person of prominence or influence; powerful or influential person (in business or industry); Ex. oil magnate |
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magniloquent |
boastful; pompous |
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magnitude |
greatness (in size or extent); extent |
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n maim |
mutilate; injure lastingly; disable; cripple; Ex. maimed for life |
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s mangle |
tear or cut to pieces; mutilate or disfigure; Ex. badly mangled bodies |
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maladroit |
clumsy; not skillful; awkward; bungling |
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malady |
illness |
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n malaise |
uneasiness; vague feeling of ill health (without any particular pain or appearance of disease) |
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n malapropism |
comic misuse of a word; CF. Mrs. Malaprop |
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s malapropos |
inappropriate; ADV. |
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malcontent |
person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs; discontented person; ADJ: discontented |
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malediction |
curse |
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malefactor |
evildoer; criminal |
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s maleficient |
doing evil; N. maleficience |
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malevolent |
wishing evil; exhibiting ill will; N. malevolence |
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n malfeasance |
wrongdoing; misconduct (by a public official) |
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malicious |
hateful; spiteful; expressing malice; N. malice: desire to harm others; spite |
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malign |
speak evil of; bad-mouth(criticize spitefully); defame; ADJ: harmful; Ex. malign influence |
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malignant |
tending to cause death; highly injurious; aggressively malevolent; Ex. malignant tumor |
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malingerer |
one who feigns illness to escape duty; V. malinger: feign illness to avoid work |
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n malleable |
(of a metal) capable of being shaped by pounding(beating); pliable; (of someone) impressionable(easily influenced); easily controlled; tractable |
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malodorous |
foul-smelling |
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s compost |
mixture of decaying organic matter used as fertilizer; V: put or make compost |
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mammal |
vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young |
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s vertebrate |
having a backbone or spinal column; N: group of animals having a segmented spinal column |
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s suckle |
give or take milk at the breast or udder |
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s nurse |
suckle; take care of (as a nurse); bear in mind; Ex. nursing mother; Ex. nurse a hope/grudge against someone |
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mammoth |
gigantic; enormous |
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manacle |
restrain; handcuff; N. |
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n mandate |
order; charge; authoritative command; power to govern another country; power to given to a government; region under administration; V: give a mandate to; place under a mandate; Ex. mandated territory |
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mandatory |
obligatory; compulsory; of a mandate |
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n mangy |
shabby; wretched; suffering from mange; of bad appearance |
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s mange |
skin disease (esp. of domestic animals) marked by loss of hair |
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maniacal |
raging mad; insane; N. maniac: insane person; CF. mania: disorder of the mind; intense enthusiasm |
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manifest |
evident; visible; obvious; V: show plainly |
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n manifestation |
outward demonstration; manifesting; indication of the presence of something; Ex. manifestation of his pronounced musical bent |
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s pronounced |
distinct; very noticeable; Ex. pronounced limp |
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manifesto |
public declaration of principles; statement of policy |
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n manifold |
many in number or kind; numerous; varied |
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n manipulate |
operate with one's hands; control or play upon (people, forces, etc.) artfully; maneuver; Ex. how to manipulate publicity and men; ADJ. manipulative |
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n mannered |
affected; not natural; Ex. mannered way of speech |
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s mannerism |
distinctive behavioral trait; affected style in art (according to a set of styles) |
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n manumit |
emancipate; free from slavery or bondage |
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marital |
pertaining to marriage |
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n maritime |
bordering on(adjacent to) the sea; nautical; of the ships or the sea; Ex. Maritime Provinces |
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marked |
noticeable; targeted for vengeance or attack; Ex. marked improvement/man |
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n marred |
damaged; disfigured; V. mar: spoil; disfigure |
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n marshal |
put in order; guide ceremoniously to the correct place; Ex. marshal the children into the museum; N: military officer; official |
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s enlist |
(cause to) join the armed forces; obtain (help, sympathy, or support) |
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n marsupial |
one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch(pocket of skin or leather); CF. kangaroo, opossum, wombat |
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martial |
warlike; of war; Ex. martial art/law |
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s cadet |
student at a military school |
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n martinet |
strict disciplinarian; person who demands total obedience to rules and orders; CF. Jean Martinet |
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martyr |
one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer; Ex. martyr to his rheumatism |
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masochist |
person who enjoys his own pain; CF. masochism |
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n masticate |
chew |
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materialism |
preoccupation with physical comforts and things; excessive regard for worldly concerns (rather than spiritual matters) |
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maternal |
motherly; N. maternity: motherhood |
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matriarch |
woman who rules a family or larger social group |
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n matriculate |
enroll (in college or graduate school); CF. matrix |
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n matrix |
point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die; Ex. the matrix of Western civilization |
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n maudlin |
effusively sentimental |
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s sentimental |
swayed by sentiment; appealing to the sentiments |
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n maul |
handle roughly; batter; injure by beating; Ex. mauled by his overexcited fans; N: heavy long-handled hammer |
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n mausoleum |
monumental tomb; large stately tomb; CF. Mausolos |
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n mauve |
pale purple |
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n maverick |
rebel; nonconformist (in a group) |
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n mawkish |
mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental |
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maxim |
proverb; truth pithily stated |
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n mayhem |
injury to body; crime of willfully maiming or crippling a person; violent disorder; Ex. mayhem in the zoo; CF. maim |
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meager |
scanty; inadequate |
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n mealymouthed |
indirect in speech (when something unpleasant must be said); hypocritical; evasive |
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n meander |
wind or turn in its course; follow a winding or turning course; move aimlessly and idly |
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n meddlesome |
interfering; V. meddle: interfere |
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mediate |
settle a dispute through the services of an outsider; act as an intermediary; produce by mediating; Ex. mediate a cease-fire |
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s intermediary |
intermediate; acting as a mediator; N: mediator; go-between |
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mediocre |
ordinary; commonplace; neither good nor bad |
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meditation |
reflection; thought; V. meditate |
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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 |
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n medley |
mixture |
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n meek |
submissive; patient and long-suffering |
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s suitor |
man who is courting a woman |
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n megalomania |
mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance |
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melancholy |
gloomy; morose; blue; N. ADJ. melancholic; CF. melancholia |
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s blue |
gloomy; depressed |
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melee |
fight |
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n mellifluous |
(of words or a voice) sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious; having a pleasant tune |
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n memento |
token; reminder of the past; keepsake; Ex. memento of your visit |
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memorialize |
commemorate |
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s memorial |
something, such as a monument or holiday, intended to honor the memory of a person or event; ADJ: commemorative |
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n menagerie |
collection of wild animals on exhibition; zoo |
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n mendacious |
lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity |
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n mendicant |
beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar |
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s alms |
money or goods given to the poor |
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n menial |
suitable for servants; lowly; mean; N: someone who does menial work (esp. servant in a house) |
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n mentor |
counselor; teacher |
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n mercantile |
concerning trade or merchants |
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mercenary |
motivated solely by money or gain; N. |
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n mercurial |
capricious; quick and changing; fickle; containing the element mercury; Ex. mercurial temper; CF. mood |
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s quicksilver |
mercury |
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n meretricious |
flashy; tawdry; attractive on the surface but of no real value; Ex. metericious argument/jewel; CF. prostitute |
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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 |
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n merger |
combination (of two business corporations); act of merging |
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n mesmerize |
hypnotize; N. mesmerism; CF. Franz Mesmer |
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n metallurgical |
pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores; N. metallurgy: science that deals with extracting metals from ores |
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metamorphosis |
change of form; Ex. metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly; V. metamorphose: change by metamorphosis |
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metaphor |
implied comparison; CF. simile |
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s soar |
rise or fly high in the air; Ex. The rocket soared into the sky. |
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metaphysical |
pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality |
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n mete |
measure; distribute; administer; Ex. mete out justice/punishment |
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meteoric |
like a meteor; swift; momentarily brilliant; Ex. meteoric rise to fame; N. meteor |
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methodical |
systematic; N. method: systematic method of procedure |
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meticulous |
excessively careful (with great attention to detail); painstaking; scrupulous |
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metropolis |
large city |
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n mettle |
courage (to continue bravely in spite of difficulties); spirit; ADJ. mettlesome |
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n miasma |
swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence |
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s swamp |
wetland; marsh; V: flood; overwhelm; drench in with liquid |
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microcosm |
small representative world; world in miniature; Ex. microcosm of English society |
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s miniature |
small model; small painting; ADJ: small |
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migrant |
changing its habitat; wandering; Ex. migrant birds/workers; N: one that migrates |
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migratory |
wandering; V. migrate: move from one region and settle in another; move periodically from one region to another |
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n milieu |
social environment; means of expression; Ex. feel out of one's milieu; Ex. His proper milieu is watercolor. |
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militant |
combative; bellicose; N. |
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n militate |
work against; Ex. militate against the chances of promotion; CF. serve as a soldier |
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s militia |
army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers |
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millennium |
thousand-year period (as in the New Testament); hoped-for period of happiness and prosperity |
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mimicry |
imitation |
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s mime |
pantomime(act without dialogue); mimicry; mimer; V: mimic; pantomime |
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n minatory |
menacing; threatening |
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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 |
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s dainty |
delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress |
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s exquisite |
delicate; very finely made; extremely beautiful; Ex. exquisite piece of jewelry |
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s choice |
delicate; of very fine quality |
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n minion |
servile dependent; obsequious follower |
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n minuscule(miniscule) |
extremely small |
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minute |
extremely small; CF. minutes: official record of the proceedings at a meeting |
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n minutiae |
petty or trivial details; CF. minutia |
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mirage |
unreal reflection; optical illusion |
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n mire |
entangle; stick in swampy ground; stick or sink in mire; N: bog; deep mud; Ex. sucked deeper into the mire |
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n mirth |
merriment; laughter |
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n misadventure |
mischance; ill luck; Ex. death by misadventure |
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misanthrope |
one who hates mankind; misanthropist |
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s vile |
despicable; unpleasant; disgusting; Ex. vile slander |
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misapprehension |
error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend |
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miscellany |
mixture of writings on various subjects; collection of various items |
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s miscellaneous |
made up of a variety of parts |
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n mischance |
ill luck |
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misconstrue |
interpret incorrectly; misinterpret; misjudge |
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n miscreant |
wretch; wrongdoer; villain; Ex. kindness to the miscreant; CF. believe |
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s wretch |
miserable person; bad or despicable person; ADJ. wretched: miserable; bad; contemptible; vile |
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misdemeanor |
minor crime; misdeed; wrongdoing |
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s misconduct |
immoral behavior; bad management; V. |
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miserly |
stingy; mean |
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n misgivings |
doubts |
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n mishap |
unfortunate accident |
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n misnomer |
wrong or improper name; incorrect designation |
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misogamy |
hatred of marriage |
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misogynist |
hater of woman; CF. misogyny |
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missile |
object to be thrown or projected |
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n missive |
letter; written statement; CF. sent |
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n mite |
very small object or insect-like creature; small coin |
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mitigate |
appease; moderate; make or become less in force or intensity |
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n mnemonic |
pertaining to memory; assisting the memory; N: device, such as as formula or rhyme, used as a mnemonic aid |
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mobile |
movable; not fixed; N. mobility |
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n mock |
ridicule; deride; imitate often in derision |
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mode |
prevailing style; current fashion; manner; way of doing something; Ex. in the latest mode; Ex. simple mode of life |
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n modicum |
limited quantity; small amount; Ex. He does not have a modicum of sense; CF. moderate |
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n modish |
fashionable; conforming to the current fashion |
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n modulate |
tone down in intensity; change the intensity or tone of; regulate; change from one musical key to another; Ex. modulate from E to G |
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n mogul |
powerful person; Ex. oil moguls; CF. Mogol, Moghul; CF. Mongolian |
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molecule |
the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance |
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n mollify |
soothe an angry person |
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n mollycoddle |
pamper; coddle; baby; indulge excessively |
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n molt(moult) |
periodically shed or cast off hairs or feathers (for replacement by a new growth) |
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n molten |
melted; Ex. molten lava |
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momentous |
very important; N. moment; CF. momentary |
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momentum |
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force |
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monarchy |
government under a single ruler |
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monastic |
related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns |
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monetary |
pertaining to money |
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monochromatic |
having only one color |
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s monochrome |
painting in only one color; ADJ. |
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s monogram |
design composed of one or more initials of a name; V. |
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s monograph |
scholarly article |
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n monolithic |
solidly uniform; unchangeable; unyielding; N. monolith: large block of stone |
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monotheism |
belief in one God |
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monotony |
sameness leading to boredom; monotonousness; ADJ. monotonous; CF. monotone |
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n monumental |
massive; impressively large; built as a monument |
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n moodiness |
fits of depression or gloom; ADJ. moody: given to changeable moods; subject to periods of depression; gloomy CF. mood: state of mind or emotion |
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n moratorium |
legal delay of payment or action; Ex. declare moratorium on the building of new houses |
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n morbid |
given to unwholesome or unhealthy thought; moody; characteristic of disease; Ex. morbid curiosity; N. morbidity; CF. disease |
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n mordant |
biting; sarcastic; stinging; (apprec.) incisive; cutting; Ex. mordant pen/wit |
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n mores |
conventions; moral standards; moral customs |
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n moribund |
dying; at the point of death; CF. death |
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n morose |
ill-humored; sullen; sullenly melancholy |
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n mortician |
undertaker; CF. death |
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s undertaker |
funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials |
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n mortify |
humiliate by embarassing excessively; shame; punish the flesh; discipline (one's body) by self-denial; Ex. mortified by her blunder; Ex. mortify the flesh; CF. cause to die |
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mosaic |
picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ. |
| |
n mote |
small speck (esp. of dust) |
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s speck |
small piece or mark; Ex. speck of dust in the eye |
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n motif |
theme; recurrent thematic element in a musical or literary work; single or repeated pattern; figure |
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n motility |
ability to move spontaneously; ADJ. motile: moving spontaneously |
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n motley |
multi-colored (as of a garment worn by a jester); mixed; heterogeneous; CF. jester: one who jests (as a paid fool at medieval courts) |
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s motto |
brief statement used to express a principle |
| |
n mottled |
blotched in coloring; spotted; Ex. mottled face; V. mottle: mark with blotches of different colors |
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s blotch |
spot; blot; CF. blot+botch |
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s blemish |
mar; spoil the beauty or perfection of; N: flaw or defect (that spoils perfection); Ex. blemishes in the crystal; CF. unblemished |
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n mountebank |
charlatan; boastful pretender |
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s peddle |
travel about selling (wares); CF. foot |
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n muddle |
confuse; mix up confusedly; N: state of confusion |
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n muggy |
(of weather) warm and damp |
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n mulct |
defraud a person of something; swindle; Ex. mulct the boy of his legacy |
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n multifarious |
varied; greatly diversified; Ex. multifarious activities |
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multiform |
having many forms |
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multilingual |
having many languages; fluent in several languages |
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multiplicity |
state of being numerous or multiple; large number; Ex. multiplicity of details; ADJ. multiple: of more than one element |
| |
n mundane |
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday; of the ordinary; Ex. mundane existence; CF. world |
| |
n munificent |
very generous in giving; Ex. munificent benefactor; N. munificience |
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n mural |
wall painting |
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n murky |
dark and gloomy; thick with fog; vague; Ex. murky night/fog; N. murk: partial or complete darkness; gloom |
| |
n muse |
ponder at length; N: source of inspiration (esp. of a poet) |
| |
n musky |
having the odor of musk; N. musk: odorous substance secreted by an Asian deer |
| |
n muster |
gather; assemble (troops); Ex. muster up one's strength for the ordeal; N. |
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n musty |
stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; CF. moist |
| |
mutablility |
ability to change in form; fickleness; ADJ. mutable: able to change; fickle; CF. mutate; CF. mutant |
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muted |
silent; muffled; toned down; Ex. muted traffic noise |
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s mute |
silent; without speech; not pronounced; unable to speak; N: one who is incapable of speech; V: soften the sound, color, shade of |
| |
n mutilate |
maim; injure lastingly; deprive of a limb or an essential part |
| |
n mutinous |
unruly; rebellious; Ex. mutinous teenagers; N. mutiny: open rebellion; CF. mutineer |
| |
n myopic |
nearsighted; lacking foresight; N. myopia |
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n myriad |
very large number; ADJ. CF. ten thousand |
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