#58 microcosm ~ myriad Flashcards
microcosm
/ˈmaɪkrəˌkɒzəm/
n. the world in miniature
The cosmos is the heavens, cosmopolitan means worldly, and a microcosm is a miniature version of the world. All three words are related.
- Our community, which holds so many different communities, institutions, businesses, and types of people, is a microcosm of the larger world.
macrocosm
/ˈmækrəˌkɒzəm/
n. a large-scale representation of sth., or the universe at large
milieu
/mɪlˈyʊ, mil-; French miˈlyœ/
n. environment; surroundings
- A caring and involved community is the proper milieu for raising a family.
- The farmer on vacation in the big city felt out of his milieu.
minuscule
/ˈmɪnəˌskyul, mɪˈnʌskyul/
adj. very tiny
- Hank’s salary was minuscule, but the benefits were pretty good: He got to sit next to the refrigerator and eat all day long.
Minute is a synonym for minuscule.
minutia
/mɪˈnuʃiə, -ʃə, -ˈnyu-/
plural: minutiae
/mɪˈnuʃiˌi, -ˈnyu-/
n. the small details of sth.
misanthropic
/ˌmɪsənˈθrɒpɪk, ˌmɪz-/
adj. hating mankind
A misogynist gates women. A misanthropic person doesn’t make distinctions; he or she hates everyone. The opposite of a misanthrope is a philanthropist. Curiously, there is no word for someone who hates men only.
mitigate
/ˈmɪtɪˌgeɪt/
v. to moderate the effect of sth.
- The sense of imminent disaster was mitigated by the guide’s calm behavior and easy smile.
- The effects of the disease were mitigated by the experimental drug treatment.
- Nothing Joel said could mitigate the enormity of forgetting his mother-in-law’s birthday.
unmitigated
/ʌnˈmɪtɪˌgeɪtɪd/
adj. absolute; unmoderated; not made less intense or severe
mollify
/ˈmɒləˌfaɪ/
v. to soften; to soothe; to pacify
- Lucy mollified the angry police officer by kissing his hand.
- My father was not mollified by my promise never to crash his car into a brick wall again.
- The baby-sitter was unable to mollify the cranky child, who cried all night.
monolithic
/ˌmɒnəˈlɪθɪk/
adj. massive, solid, uniform, and unyielding
A monolith is a huge stone shaft or column. Many other things can be said to be monolithic.
A huge corporation is often said to be monolithic, esp. if it is enormous and powerful and all its parts are dedicated to the same purpose.
If the opposition to a plan were said to be monolithic, it would probably consist of a large group of people who all felt the same way.
moribund
/ˈmɔrəˌbʌnd, ˈmɒr-/
adj. dying
- The steel industry in this country was moribund a few years ago, but now it seems to be reviving somewhat.
- The senator’s political ideas were moribund; no one thinks that way any more.
A dying creature could be said to be moribund, too, although this word is usually used in connection with things that die only figuratively.
morose
/məˈroʊs/
adj. gloomy; sullen
- Louise was always so morose about everything that she was never any fun to be with.
- New Yorkers always seemed morose to the writer who lived in the country; he thought they seemed beaten down by the city.
mortify
/ˈmɔrtəˌfaɪ/
adj. to humiliate
- I was mortified when my father asked my girlfriend whether she thought I was a dumb, pathetic wimp.
- We had a mortifying experience at the opera; when Stanley’s cell phone rang, the entire orchestra stopped playing and stared at him for several minutes.
mundane
/mʌnˈdeɪn, ˈmʌndeɪn/
adj. ordinary; pretty boring; not heavenly and eternal
- My day was filled with mundane chores: I mowed the lawn, did the laundry, and fed the dog.
- Dee’s job was so mundane she sometimes had trouble remembering whether she was at work or asleep.
- The monk’s thoughts were far removed from mundane concerns; he was contemplating all the fun he was going to have in heaven.
munificent
/myuˈnɪfəsənt/
adj. very generous; lavish
- The munificent millionaire gave lots of money to any charity that came to him with a request.
- Mrs. Bigelow was a munificent hostess; there was so much wonderful food and wine at her dinner parties that the guests had to rest between courses. She was known for her munificence.
