GRE Power Vocab - M

Question 1

Magnanimity

Answer 1

n. the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart in forgiving

Question 2

Malevolent

Answer 2

Adj. having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred

Words beginning with mal- mean bad things - Malevolent, malignant, malfunction…
Words beginning with ben- tend to have a positive meaning (benign)

Question 3

Malfeasance

Answer 3

n. the performance of a public official of an act that is harmful or illegal

Question 4

Malinger

Answer 4

v. to feign illness so as to avoid work

Question 5

Malleable

Answer 5

adj. capable of being shaped or formed, easily influenced

Question 6

Martial

Answer 6

adj. associated with war and the armed forces

Question 7

Martinet

Answer 7

n. rigid disciplinarian

the adjective form of martinet is martinetish

The word martinet is named for Jean Martinet, 17th century drillmaster who insisted on abosulte adherence to the rules

Question 8

Maunder

Answer 8

v. to talk or move aimlessly, mutter

Question 9

Maverick

Answer 9

n. an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

Maverick can also be an adjective

Technically a maverick is an unbranded animal

Question 10

Melancholy

Answer 10

adj. tending toward sadness

Question 11

Mellifluous

Answer 11

adj. sweetly flowing, usually used to describe words or sounds

Question 12

Mendacity

Answer 12

n. the condition of being untruthful, dishonesty

Mendacious means false, untruthful

Question 13

Mendicant

Answer 13

n. beggar, supplicant

Question 14

Mercural

Answer 14

adj. characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

Things that change rapidly or move quickly are often named after the Greek god Mercury. The metal used in thermometers and the closes planet to the sun are prime examples

Question 15

Meretricious

Answer 15

adj. tawdry, pretentious, attractive but false, showy, having to do with prostitution

Question 16

Meticulous

Answer 16

adj. characterized by extreme care and precision, attentive to detail

Question 17

Mettlesome

Answer 17

adj. courgeous, high-spirited

Be careful word has two subtely different meanings but do not confuse with similar words such as meddlesome (inclined to interfere) and nettlesome (prickly or difficult)

mettle means courage or stamina

Question 18

Militate

Answer 18

v. to have weight or bearing on, to argue (against)

occasionally militate is used to mean arguing for, though it usually used to mean arguing against

Question 19

Milk

Answer 19

v. to exploit, to squeeze every last ounce of

Question 20

Minatory

Answer 20

adj. menacing, threatening

Question 21

Mince

Answer 21

v. pronounce or speak affectedly or too carefully, euphemized, take tiny steps, tiptoe

Question 22

Misanthrope

Answer 22

n. one who hates humankind

Misanthropic is an adjective that means “hating humankind”

Antonym: philanthropic

Question 23

Misogynist

Answer 23

n. one who hates women

Misogynist and misogynistic are both regarded as acceptable form for the adjective

Question 24

Mitigate

Answer 24

v. to make or become less severe or intense, moderate

A mitigating circumstance doesn’t change wheather a person is guilty or not, but it may lessen the severity of the punishment (it mitigates the severity). Unmitigated means absolute or unrelieved

Question 25

Mollify

Answer 25

v. to calm or soothe, reduce in emotional intensity

Emollient is a related word that can either be an adjective or a noun, and you may well recognize it from advertisements for body lotion; see the entry under emollient for more details

Question 26

Monotony

Answer 26

n. tedious lack of variety or change

word comes from monotone meaning one sound. Monotonous is the adjective form

Question 27

Morose

Answer 27

adj. sad, sullen, melancholy

Question 28

Multifaceted

Answer 28

adj. having many aspects

literally, multifaceted means having many facets or faces. Figuratively, it can also mean versatile

Question 29

Multifarious

Answer 29

adj. varied, motley, greatly diversified

Question 30

Mundane

Answer 30

adj. of the world, typical of or conerned with the ordinary