GRE Vocabulary Cartoons: M Words

macabre

(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

(adj.) horrible; gruesome

macerate

(verb) soften or break up by soaking; weaken

machination

a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end

(noun) a crafty scheme

maelstrom

(n.) a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

magisterial

having or showing great authority

(adj.) having strong authority; kingly

magnanimous

(adj.) generous

magnate

(noun) a powerful or influential person

makeshift

(n) a temporary substitute for something else; (adj) crude, flimsy, or temporary

(adj.) serving as a temporary substitute

malevolent

(adj.) evil; malicious

malfeasance

misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official

(noun) wrongdoing especially by a public official

malign

(v.) to speak evil of, slander; (adj.) evil

malinger

(v.) to pretend illness to avoid duty or work, lie down on the job

(verb) to fake sickness to avoid working

malleable

capable of being changed; easily shaped

(adj.) able to be shaped

manacle

(n., usually pl.) a handcuff, anything that chains or confines; (v.) to chain or restrain (as with handcuffs)

(verb) to restrain

mandate

(n.) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v.) to issue such an order

(noun) an order or command

manifold

(adj.) diverse, varied

marginal

in, at, or near the edge or margin; only barely good, large, or important enough for the purpose

(adj.) very limited

marshal

(verb) to gather together

(verb) to gather and organize

maudlin

(adj.) overly sentimental

mawkish

(adj.) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor

(adj.) overly sentimental

meager

a small amount

(adj.) very small

meddle

to involve oneself in other people's affairs without being asked

(verb) to become involved with another’s affairs

meld

blend, combine

(verb) to merge; to blend

mellifluous

(adj.) Sweetly flowing or sounding

(adj.) having a sweet, smooth, rich flow

melodramatic

(adj.) - exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental; histrionic

(adj.) overly dramatic

mendacity

(noun) dishonesty

mendicant

(noun) a beggar

menial

(adj.) lowly, humble, lacking importance or dignity; (n.) a person who does the humble and unpleasant tasks

(adj.) a task suitable to a servant

mercenary

(noun) a professional soldier hired by a foreign army

(adj.) motivated by money

mercurial

characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

(adj.) having rapidly changing moods

meretricious

apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity

(adj.) falsely attractive

meteorological

concerned with the weather

(adj.) pertaining to the weather patterns

meticulous

(adj.) extremely detail conscious

(adj.) extremely careful; particular about details

mettle

(noun) courage; endurance

miasma

a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere.

(noun) an unhealthy atmosphere

microcosm

A miniature world; something that resembles something else on a very small scale

(noun) a small thing representing a larger thing

milieu

(n.) the setting, surroundings, environment

Milquetoast

a person who is timid or submissive

(noun) a timid person

mimetic

mimic, copy

(adj.) something that imitates or mimics

minatory

Menacing; threatening

(adj.) thretening

minion

a submissive, servile follower

(noun) a servant; a follower

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

(noun) one who hates people

miscreant

(noun) a person who behaves badly or in a way that breaks the law

(noun) villain; criminal

miserly

(adj.) stingy or cheap with money

(adj.) stingy

misnomer

(noun) an incorrect or inappropriate name

(noun) a wrong or inappropriate name

mitigate

(verb) to make less severe

modicum

(noun) a small amount

modish

(adj.) fashionable

monastic

(adj.) strict; secluded; austere

(adj.) extremely plain or secluded

morass

(n.) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand

(noun) a situation that makes you stuck

morbid

(adj.) in an unhealthy mental state, extremely gloomy; caused by or related to disease, unwholesome

(adj.) obsessed with death

mordant

(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

(adj.) bitingly harsh, often in a funny way

Mores

(noun) accepted standards and customs of a social group

(noun) customary rules and standards

moribund

(adj.) dying

morose

(adj.) gloomy

motile

(adj.) able to move

(adj.) having the ability to move

motley

many colored; made up of many parts

(adj.) made up of several different parts

multifaceted

having many facets or aspects

(adj.) having many aspects

mundane

(adj.) ordinary, commonplace

munificent

very generous

(adj.) generous or giving

myopic

(adj.) short-sighted

myriad

(adj.) in very great numbers; (n.) a very great number

(noun) a large number