M words Flashcards
majordomo
the chief steward of a large household.
maladroit
ineffective or bungling; clumsy.
malaprop
the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect, as in, for example, “dance a flamingo “ (instead of flamenco).
malice aforethought
the intention to kill or harm, which is held to distinguish unlawful killing from murder
mammon
wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion. It was taken by medieval writers as the name of the devil of covetousness, and revived in this sense by Milton.
manacle
a metal band, chain, or shackle for fastening someone’s hands or ankles.
manitou
(among certain Algonquian Indians) a good or evil spirit as an object of reverence
marina
a specially designed harbor with moorings for pleasure craft and small boats.
marm
variant spelling of ma’am
marmoreal
made of or likened to marble
matinee
a performance in a theater or a showing of a movie that takes place in the daytime
matrifocal
focused or centered on the mother
maverick
an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
mawkish
sentimental in a feeble or sickly way.
maxim
a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct
meager
(of something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality.
meander
to wander aimlessly
measles
an infectious viral disease causing fever and a red rash on the skin, typically occurring in childhood.
meek
spineless, giving in easily
melancholy
sad, depressed, morose, despondent
mélange
a mixture; a medley.
meme
an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.
mercurial
(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
meticulous
extremely careful and precise
metrosexual
a young, urban, heterosexual male with liberal political views, an interest in fashion, and a refined sense of taste
midriff
the region of the front of the body between the chest and the waist.
mien
a person’s look or manner, esp. one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood
minutiae
the small, precise, or trivial details of something.
misanthrope
a person who hates mankind
miser
a person who saves money excessively, someone who is parsimonious or frugal
mitigate
to relieve, lessen, alleviate, assuage
mo
a short period of time
moderate
to make less intense or severe
moiety
each of two parts into which a thing is or can be divided.
mollify
to calm, comfort, appease
monarch
a ruler (such as a king or queen)
monotony
lack of variety and interest; tedious repetition and routine.
moribund
(of a person) at the point of death.
morose
sad, sorrowful, melancholy, despondent
mu
the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet
multitudinous
very numerous
mundane
ordinary; common place
munificent
(of a gift or sum of money) larger or more generous than is usual or necessary.
mush
A soft, wet, pulpy mass; or feeble sentimentality
mutable
liable to change
myriad
A countless or extremely great number
