vocabulary m-o Flashcards
1
Q
machination
A
plot or scheme
2
Q
macrobiotics
A
art of prolonging life by special diet of organic non-meat substances
3
Q
macrocosm
A
system regarded as an entity with subsystems
4
Q
maelstrom
A
whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind
5
Q
magnanimous
A
generous, noble in spirit
6
Q
magnate
A
powerful or influential person
7
Q
magnitude
A
extent, greatness of size
8
Q
maladroit
A
clumsy, tactless
9
Q
malady
A
illness
10
Q
malapropism
A
humorous misuse of a word
11
Q
malcontent
A
discontented person, one who holds a grudge
12
Q
malediction
A
curse
13
Q
malefactor
A
evil-doer; culprit
14
Q
malevolent
A
ill-willed; causing evil or harm to others
15
Q
malfunction (v)
A
to fail to work
16
Q
malfunction (n)
A
breakdown, failure
17
Q
malice
A
animosity, spite, hatred
18
Q
malinger
A
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
19
Q
malnutrition
A
under-nourishment
20
Q
malodorous
A
foul-smelling
21
Q
mandatory
A
necessary, required
22
Q
manifest (adj)
A
obvious
23
Q
manifold
A
diverse, varied, comprised of many parts
24
Q
mannered
A
artificial or stilted in character
25
manual (adj)
hand-operated; physical
26
mar
to damage, deface; spoil
27
marginal
barely sufficient
28
maritime
relating to the sea or sailing
29
martial
war-like, pertaining to the military
30
martinet
strict disciplinarian, one who rigidly follows rules
31
martyr
person dying for his/her beliefs
32
masochist
one who enjoys pain or humiliation
33
masquerade
disguise; action that conceals the truth
34
materialism
preoccupation with material things
35
matriculate
to enroll as a member of a college or university
36
matrilineal
tracing ancestry through mother's line rather than father's
37
maudlin
overly sentimental
38
mawkish
sickeningly sentimental
39
meddler
person interfering in others' affairs
40
medieval
relating to the Middle Ages
41
megalith
huge stone used in prehistoric structures
42
megalomania
mental state with delusions of wealth and power
43
melancholy
sadness, depression
44
melody
pleasing musical sounds; tune
45
menagerie
various animals kept together for exhibition
46
mendacious
dishonest
47
mendicant
beggar
48
mentor
experienced teacher and wise adviser
49
mercenary (n)
soldier for hire in foreign countries
50
mercenary (adj)
motivated only by greed
51
mercurial
quick, shrewd, and unpredictable
52
meretricious
gaudy, falsely attractive
53
meridian
circle passing through the two poles of the earth
54
meritorious
deserving reward or praise
55
metamorphosis
change, transformation
56
metaphor
figure of speech comparing two different things
57
meticulous
extremely careful, fastidious, painstaking
58
metronome
time-keeping device used in music
59
mettle
courageousness; endurance
60
microbe
microorganism
61
microcosm
tiny system used as analogy for larger system
62
migratory
wandering from place to place with the seasons
63
militate
to operate against, work against
64
minimal
smallest in amount, least possible
65
minuscule
very small
66
mirth
frivolity, gaiety, laughter
67
misanthrope
person who hates human beings
68
misapprehend
to misunderstand, fail to know
69
misconstrue
to misunderstand, fail to discover
70
miserliness
extreme stinginess
71
misgiving
apprehension, doubt, sense of foreboding
72
mishap
accident; misfortune
73
misnomer
an incorrect name or designation
74
missive
note or letter
75
mitigate
to soften, or make milder
76
mnemonic
relating to memory; designed to assist memory
77
mobility
ease of movement
78
mock (v)
to deride, ridicule
79
moderate (adj)
reasonable, not extreme
80
moderate (v)
to make less excessive, retrain; regulate
81
mollify
to calm or make less severe
82
mollusk
sea animal with soft body
83
molt (v)
to shed hair, skin, or an outer layer periodically
84
monastic
extremely plain or secluded, as in a monastery
85
monochromatic
having one color
86
monogamy
custom of marriage to one person at a time
87
monolith
large block of stone
88
monologue
dramatic speech performed by one actor
89
montage
composite picture
90
moot
debatable; previously decided
91
morbid
gruesome; relating to disease; abnormally gloomy
92
mores
customs or manners
93
moribund
dying, decaying
94
morose
gloomy, sullen, or surly
95
morsel
small bit of food
96
mote
small particle, speck
97
motley
many-colored; composed of diverse parts
98
mottle
to mark with spots
99
multifaceted
having many parts, many- sided
100
multifarious
diverse
101
mundane
worldly; commonplace
102
munificent
generous
103
munitions
ammunition
104
mutability
changeability
105
myopic
near-sighted
106
myriad
immense number, multitude
107
nadir
lowest point
108
narrative
account, story
109
nascent
starting to develop, coming into existence
110
natal
relating to birth
111
nebulous
vague, cloudy
112
necromancy
black magic
113
nefarious
vicious, evil
114
negligent
careless, inattentive
115
negligible
not worth considering
116
neologism
new word or expression
117
neonate
newborn child
118
neophyte
novice, beginner
119
nether
located under or below
120
nettle (v)
to irritate
121
neutrality
disinterest, impartiality
122
neutralize
to balance, offset
123
nicety
elegant or delicate feature; minute distinction
124
niche
recess in a wall; best position for something
125
nihilism
belief that existence and all traditional values are meaningless
126
nocturnal
pertaining to night; active at night
127
noisome
stinking, putrid
128
nomadic
moving from place to place
129
nomenclature
term used in a particular science or discipline
130
nominal
existing in name only; negligible
131
non sequitur
conclusion not following from apparent evidence
132
nondescript
lacking interesting or distinctive qualities; dull
133
notoriety
fame; unfavorable fame
134
novice
apprentice, beginner
135
novitiate
beginner or novice
136
noxious
harmful, unwholesome
137
nuance
shade of meaning
138
nullify
to make legally invalid; to counteract the effect of
139
numismatics
coin collecting
140
nuptial
relating to marriage
141
nutritive
relating to nutrition or health
142
obdurate
stubborn
143
obfuscate
to confuse, obscure
144
oblique
indirect, evasive; misleading, devious
145
obliterate
demolish completely, wipe out
146
oblivious
unaware, inattentive
147
obscure (adj)
dim, unclear; not well-known
148
obscurity
place or thing that's hard to percieve
149
obsequious
overly submissive, brown nosing
150
obsequy
funeral ceremony
151
obsessive
preoccupying, all-consuming
152
obsolete
no longer in use
153
obstinate
stubborn
154
obstreperous
troublesome, boisterous, unruly
155
obtrusive
pushy, too conspicuous
156
obtuse
insensitive, stupid, dull
157
obviate
to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent
158
occlude
to shut, block
159
odious
hateful, contemptible
160
officious
too helpful, meddlesome
161
offshoot
branch
162
ominous
menacing, threatening, indicating misfortune
163
omnipotent
having unlimited power
164
omniscient
having infinite knowledge
165
omnivorous
eating everything; absorbing everything
166
onerous
burdensome
167
ontology
theory about the nature of existence
168
opalescent
iridescent, displaying colors
169
opaque
impervious to light; difficult to understand
170
operative
functioning, working
171
opine
to express an opinion
172
opportune
appropriate, fitting
173
opportunist
one who takes advantage of circumstances
174
opprobrious
disgraceful, contemptuous
175
opulence
wealth
176
oracle
person who forsees the future and gives advice
177
oration
lecture, formal speech
178
orator
lecturer, speaker
179
orb
spherical body; eye
180
orchestrate
to arrange music for performance; to coordinate, organize
181
ordain
to make someone a priest or minister; to order
182
ornithologist
scientist who studies birds
183
oscillate
to move back and forth
184
ossify
to turn to bone; to become rigid
185
ostensible
apparent
186
ostentatious
showy
187
ostracism
exclusion, temporary banishment
188
ouster
expulsion, ejection
189
overstate
to embellish, exaggerate
190
overture
musical introduction; proposal, offer
191
overwrought
agitated, overdone
