vocabulary m-o Flashcards
machination
plot or scheme
macrobiotics
art of prolonging life by special diet of organic non-meat substances
macrocosm
system regarded as an entity with subsystems
maelstrom
whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind
magnanimous
generous, noble in spirit
magnate
powerful or influential person
magnitude
extent, greatness of size
maladroit
clumsy, tactless
malady
illness
malapropism
humorous misuse of a word
malcontent
discontented person, one who holds a grudge
malediction
curse
malefactor
evil-doer; culprit
malevolent
ill-willed; causing evil or harm to others
malfunction (v)
to fail to work
malfunction (n)
breakdown, failure
malice
animosity, spite, hatred
malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
malnutrition
under-nourishment
malodorous
foul-smelling
mandatory
necessary, required
manifest (adj)
obvious
manifold
diverse, varied, comprised of many parts
mannered
artificial or stilted in character
manual (adj)
hand-operated; physical
mar
to damage, deface; spoil
marginal
barely sufficient
maritime
relating to the sea or sailing
martial
war-like, pertaining to the military
martinet
strict disciplinarian, one who rigidly follows rules
martyr
person dying for his/her beliefs
masochist
one who enjoys pain or humiliation
masquerade
disguise; action that conceals the truth
materialism
preoccupation with material things
matriculate
to enroll as a member of a college or university
matrilineal
tracing ancestry through mother’s line rather than father’s
maudlin
overly sentimental
mawkish
sickeningly sentimental
meddler
person interfering in others’ affairs
medieval
relating to the Middle Ages
megalith
huge stone used in prehistoric structures
megalomania
mental state with delusions of wealth and power
melancholy
sadness, depression
melody
pleasing musical sounds; tune
menagerie
various animals kept together for exhibition
mendacious
dishonest
mendicant
beggar
mentor
experienced teacher and wise adviser
mercenary (n)
soldier for hire in foreign countries
mercenary (adj)
motivated only by greed
mercurial
quick, shrewd, and unpredictable
meretricious
gaudy, falsely attractive
meridian
circle passing through the two poles of the earth
meritorious
deserving reward or praise
metamorphosis
change, transformation
metaphor
figure of speech comparing two different things
meticulous
extremely careful, fastidious, painstaking
metronome
time-keeping device used in music
mettle
courageousness; endurance
microbe
microorganism
microcosm
tiny system used as analogy for larger system
migratory
wandering from place to place with the seasons
militate
to operate against, work against
minimal
smallest in amount, least possible
minuscule
very small
mirth
frivolity, gaiety, laughter
misanthrope
person who hates human beings
misapprehend
to misunderstand, fail to know
misconstrue
to misunderstand, fail to discover
miserliness
extreme stinginess
misgiving
apprehension, doubt, sense of foreboding
mishap
accident; misfortune
misnomer
an incorrect name or designation
missive
note or letter
mitigate
to soften, or make milder
mnemonic
relating to memory; designed to assist memory
mobility
ease of movement
mock (v)
to deride, ridicule
moderate (adj)
reasonable, not extreme
moderate (v)
to make less excessive, retrain; regulate
mollify
to calm or make less severe
mollusk
sea animal with soft body
molt (v)
to shed hair, skin, or an outer layer periodically
monastic
extremely plain or secluded, as in a monastery
monochromatic
having one color
monogamy
custom of marriage to one person at a time
monolith
large block of stone
monologue
dramatic speech performed by one actor
montage
composite picture
moot
debatable; previously decided
morbid
gruesome; relating to disease; abnormally gloomy
mores
customs or manners
moribund
dying, decaying
morose
gloomy, sullen, or surly
morsel
small bit of food
mote
small particle, speck
motley
many-colored; composed of diverse parts
mottle
to mark with spots
multifaceted
having many parts, many- sided
multifarious
diverse
mundane
worldly; commonplace
munificent
generous
munitions
ammunition
mutability
changeability
myopic
near-sighted
myriad
immense number, multitude
nadir
lowest point
narrative
account, story
nascent
starting to develop, coming into existence
natal
relating to birth
nebulous
vague, cloudy
necromancy
black magic
nefarious
vicious, evil
negligent
careless, inattentive
negligible
not worth considering
neologism
new word or expression
neonate
newborn child
neophyte
novice, beginner
nether
located under or below
nettle (v)
to irritate
neutrality
disinterest, impartiality
neutralize
to balance, offset
nicety
elegant or delicate feature; minute distinction
niche
recess in a wall; best position for something
nihilism
belief that existence and all traditional values are meaningless
nocturnal
pertaining to night; active at night
noisome
stinking, putrid
nomadic
moving from place to place
nomenclature
term used in a particular science or discipline
nominal
existing in name only; negligible
non sequitur
conclusion not following from apparent evidence
nondescript
lacking interesting or distinctive qualities; dull
notoriety
fame; unfavorable fame
novice
apprentice, beginner
novitiate
beginner or novice
noxious
harmful, unwholesome
nuance
shade of meaning
nullify
to make legally invalid; to counteract the effect of
numismatics
coin collecting
nuptial
relating to marriage
nutritive
relating to nutrition or health
obdurate
stubborn
obfuscate
to confuse, obscure
oblique
indirect, evasive; misleading, devious
obliterate
demolish completely, wipe out
oblivious
unaware, inattentive
obscure (adj)
dim, unclear; not well-known
obscurity
place or thing that’s hard to percieve
obsequious
overly submissive, brown nosing
obsequy
funeral ceremony
obsessive
preoccupying, all-consuming
obsolete
no longer in use
obstinate
stubborn
obstreperous
troublesome, boisterous, unruly
obtrusive
pushy, too conspicuous
obtuse
insensitive, stupid, dull
obviate
to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent
occlude
to shut, block
odious
hateful, contemptible
officious
too helpful, meddlesome
offshoot
branch
ominous
menacing, threatening, indicating misfortune
omnipotent
having unlimited power
omniscient
having infinite knowledge
omnivorous
eating everything; absorbing everything
onerous
burdensome
ontology
theory about the nature of existence
opalescent
iridescent, displaying colors
opaque
impervious to light; difficult to understand
operative
functioning, working
opine
to express an opinion
opportune
appropriate, fitting
opportunist
one who takes advantage of circumstances
opprobrious
disgraceful, contemptuous
opulence
wealth
oracle
person who forsees the future and gives advice
oration
lecture, formal speech
orator
lecturer, speaker
orb
spherical body; eye
orchestrate
to arrange music for performance; to coordinate, organize
ordain
to make someone a priest or minister; to order
ornithologist
scientist who studies birds
oscillate
to move back and forth
ossify
to turn to bone; to become rigid
ostensible
apparent
ostentatious
showy
ostracism
exclusion, temporary banishment
ouster
expulsion, ejection
overstate
to embellish, exaggerate
overture
musical introduction; proposal, offer
overwrought
agitated, overdone
