M

Question 1

malediction

Answer 1

(noun) curse.

In the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty,” the princess is trapped in a death-like sleep because of the malediction uttered by an angry witch.

Question 2

malevolence

Answer 2

(noun) hatred, ill will.

Critics say that Iago, the villain in Shakespeare’s Othello, seems to exhibit malevolence with no real cause.

malevolent (adjective)

Question 3

malinger

Answer 3

(verb) to pretend incapacity or illness to avoid a duty or work.

During the labor dispute, hundreds of employees malingered, forcing the company to slow production and costing it millions in profits.

Question 4

malleable

Answer 4

(adjective) able to be changed, shaped, or formed by outside pressures.

Gold is a very useful metal because it is so malleable. A child’s personality is malleable and deeply influenced by the things his or her parents say and do.

malleability (noun)

Question 5

mandate

Answer 5

(noun) order, command.

The new policy of using only organic produce in the restaurant went into effect as soon as the manager issued his mandate about it.

mandate (verb)
mandatory (adjective)

Question 6

maturation

Answer 6

(noun) the process of becoming fully grown or developed.

Free markets in the former Communist nations are likely to operate smoothly only after a long period of maturation.

mature (adjective and verb)
maturity (noun)

Question 7

mediate

Answer 7

(verb) to act to reconcile differences between two parties.

During the baseball strike, both the players and the club owners were willing to have the president mediate the dispute.

mediation (noun)

Question 8

mediocrity

Answer 8

(noun) the state of being middling or poor in quality.

The New York Mets finished in ninth place in 1968 but won the world’s championship in 1969, going from horrible to great in a single year and skipping mediocrity.

mediocre (adjective)

Question 9

mercurial

Answer 9

(adjective) changing quickly and unpredictably.

The mercurial personality of Robin Williams, with his many voices and styles, made him perfect for the role of the ever-changing genie in Aladdin.

Question 10

meticulous

Answer 10

(adjective) very careful with details.

Repairing watches calls for a craftsperson who is patient and meticulous.

Question 11

mimicry

Answer 11

(noun) imitation, aping.

The continued popularity of Elvis Presley has given rise to a class of entertainers who make a living through mimicry of “The King.”

mimic (noun and verb)

Question 12

misconception

Answer 12

(noun) a mistaken idea.

Columbus sailed west with the misconception that he would reach the shores of Asia.

misconceive (verb)

Question 13

mitigate

Answer 13

(verb) to make less severe; to relieve.

Wallace certainly committed the assault, but the verbal abuse he’d received helps to explain his behavior and somewhat mitigates his guilt.

mitigation (noun)

Question 14

modicum

Answer 14

(noun) a small amount.

The plan for your new business is well designed; with a modicum of luck, you should be successful.

Question 15

mollify

Answer 15

(verb) to soothe or calm; to appease.

Samantha tried to mollify the angry customer by promising him a full refund.

Question 16

morose

Answer 16

(adjective) gloomy, sullen.

After Chuck’s girlfriend dumped him, he lay around the house for a couple of days, feeling morose.

Question 17

mundane

Answer 17

(adjective) everyday, ordinary, commonplace.

Moviegoers in the 1930s liked the glamorous films of Fred Astaire because they provided an escape from the mundane problems of life during the Great Depression.

Question 18

munificent

Answer 18

(adjective) very generous; lavish.

Ted Turner’s billion-dollar donation to the United Nations was one of the most munificent acts of charity in history.

munificence (noun)

Question 19

mutable

Answer 19

(adjective) likely to change.

A politician’s reputation can be highly mutable, as seen in the case of Harry Truman - mocked during his lifetime, revered afterward.