GRE words begin with M

Question 1

macabre

adjective
UK /məˈkɑː.brə/ US /məˈkɑː.brə/

Answer 1

(a.) > gruesome; distressing
> used to describe something that is very strange and unpleasant because it is connected with death or violence:

น่าขยะแขยง น่าสยดสยอง น่าเขย่าขวัญ

• Even the police were horrified at the macabre nature of the killings.
• She has a pretty macabre sense of humour.

Question 2

magnate

noun [ C ]
UK /ˈmæɡ.nət/ US /ˈmæɡ.nət/

Answer 2

(n.) > a powerful business-person
> a person who is very rich and successful in business or industry:

คนมั่งมี,พ่อค้าใหญ่,เจ้าสัว,ผู้มีอิทธิพล, นักธุรกิจรายใหญ่

a well-known shipping magnate
/Synonyms
mogul, tycoon

Question 3

mainstay

noun
UK /ˈmeɪn.steɪ/ US /ˈmeɪn.steɪ/
the mainstay of sth

Answer 3

(n.) > somebody or something that plays an important role
> the most important part of something, providing support for everything else:

หัวเรี่ยวหัวแรง,หลักสำคัญ

-Cattle farming is the mainstay of the country’s economy.
The white blouse will be the mainstay of your wardrobe this summer.

Question 4

malinger

verb [ I ] disapproving
UK /məˈlɪŋ.ɡər/ US /məˈlɪŋ.ɡɚ/

Answer 4

(v.) > to pretend to be ill in order to avoid a responsibility
> to pretend to be ill in order to avoid having to work:

แกล้งป่วย แกล้งเจ็บ (ป่วยการเมือง)

And is he really ill or just malingering?

Question 5

mandate

verb [ T ]
UK /ˈmæn.deɪt/ US /ˈmæn.deɪt/

Answer 5

(v.) > to order something officially
> to give official permission for something to happen:

The UN rush to mandate war totally ruled out any alternatives.

Question 6

martinet

noun [ C ] formal disapproving
UK /ˌmɑː.tɪˈnet/ US /ˌmɑːr.t̬ənˈet/

Answer 6

(n.) > somebody who demands exact conformity to rules
> someone who demands that rules and orders always be obeyed, even when it is unnecessary or unreasonable to do so

• He has been described as at the best of times very much a martinet and a difficult man to work with.

Synonym
disciplinarian

Question 7

maudlin

adjective
UK /ˈmɔːd.lɪn/ US /ˈmɑːd.lɪn/

Answer 7

(a.) >silly and overly sentimental
> something that brings tears to your eyes, or makes you feel very emotional. Tearjerkers like “Forrest Gump” and “Titanic” can be described as maudlin.

“the drink made her maudlin”

Question 8

mendacity

noun [ U ] formal
UK /menˈdæs.ə.ti/ US /menˈdæs.ə.t̬i/

Answer 8

(n.) > the tendency to be untruthful
> the act of not telling the truth:

การโกหก

Politicians are often accused of mendacity.

Opposite
veracity formal

Question 9

mendicant

noun [ C ] formal
UK /ˈmen.dɪ.kənt/ US /ˈmen.dɪ.kənt/

Answer 9

(n.) a beggar
> someone, especially a member of a religious group, who lives by asking people they do not know for money:

คนขอทาน

She abandoned her job and her career, and lived as a homeless mendicant on the streets of Philadelphia.

Question 10

mercenary

adjective disapproving
UK /ˈmɜː.sən.ri/ US /ˈmɝː.sən.ri/

Answer 10

(n.) > a hired soldier; someone motivated only by money
> interested only in the amount of money that you can get from a situation:

คนเห็นแก่เงิน

He had some mercenary scheme to marry a wealthy widow.

Question 11

mercurial

adjective
UK /mɜːˈkjʊə.ri.əl/ US /mɝːˈkjʊr.i.əl/

Answer 11

(a.) tending to change mood or behavior suddenly and unpredictably
literary
> changing suddenly and often:

เปลี่ยนใจง่าย (ที่เราเดาทางไม่ถูก)

a mercurial temperament
She was entertaining but unpredictable, with mercurial mood swings.”

Question 12

meretricious

adjective formal
US /ˌmer.əˈtrɪʃ.əs/ UK /ˌmer.ɪˈtrɪʃ.əs/

Answer 12

(a.) > attractive in a superficial manner but without real value
> seeming attractive but really false or of little value:

ไร้ราคา ดูดีแค่เปลือกนอก

He claims that a lot of journalism is meretricious and superficial.
Synonyms
flash UK
gimcrack

Question 13

mettle

“noun [ U ]
US /ˈmet̬.əl/ UK /ˈmet.əl/

Answer 13

(n.) > strength of character, determination
> ability and determination when competing or doing something difficult:

ความกล้าหาญ, ความมุ่งมั่นตั้งใจ

The team showed/proved its mettle in the final round.
The real test of her political mettle came in the primary elections.

Question 14

monolithic

adjective disapproving
US /ˌmɑː.nəˈlɪθ.ɪk/ UK /ˌmɒn.əˈlɪθ.ɪk/

Answer 14

(a.) massive and uniform

too large, too regular, or without interesting differences, and unwilling or unable to be changed:
monolithic state-run organizations

Question 15

moot

verb [ T ] formal
US /muːt/ UK /muːt/

Answer 15

(a.) > open to argument; irrelevant
> to suggest something for discussion:

ถกเถียง เปิดอภิปราย

• The idea was first mooted as long ago as the 1840s.
• His name was mooted as a possible successor.

Question 16

moribund

adjective formal disapproving
US /ˈmɔːr.ɪ.bʌnd/ UK /ˈmɒr.ɪ.bʌnd/

Answer 16

(a.) > dying, on the way out
> (especially of an organization or business) not active or successful:

ซึ่งอยู่ในภาวะย่ำแย่ ร่อแร่

How can the department be revived*ฟื้นฟู from its present moribund state?