M/Q/R-3

mercurial

adjective: (of a person) prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood Synonyms : erratic , fickle , quicksilver The fact that Ella's moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships - it didn't help that she lived in Chicago.

moribund

adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress Synonyms : stagnant Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is moribund at best, possibly already dead.

mordant

adjective: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style Synonyms : caustic , corrosive , erosive , vitriolic,black , grim While Phil frequently made mordant remarks about company policy overall, he always was considerably gentler in discussing any person in particular.

malleable

adjective: capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out Synonyms : ductile , pliable , pliant , tensile , tractile The clay became malleable and easy to work with after a little water was added. adjective: easily influenced Synonyms : ductile My little brother is so malleable that I can convince him to sneak cookies from the cupboard for me.

maladroit

adjective: clumsy Syn: bumbling, gauche, unskillful As a child she was quite maladroit, but as an adult, she has become an adept dancer. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

mettlesome

adjective: filled with courage or valor Synonyms : game , gamey , gamy , gritty , spirited , spunky For its raid on the Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.

malodorous

adjective: having an unpleasant smell Synonyms : ill-smelling , malodourous , stinky , unpleasant-smelling Some thermally active fountains spew sulfur fumes--the air around them is sometimes so malodorous that many have to plug their noses.

morose

adjective: ill-tempered and not inclined to talk; gloomy Synonyms : dark , dour , glowering , glum , moody , saturnine , sour , sullen After Stanley found out he was no longer able to go on vacation with his friends, he sat in his room morosely.

malingerer

noun: someone shirking their duty by pretending to be sick or incapacitated Synonyms : shammer , skulker At one time, our country was full of hardworking respectful people, but now it seems that everyone is a malingerer with little inclination to work.

maverick

noun: someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action Synonyms : rebel Officer Kelly was a maverick, rarely following police protocols or adopting the conventions for speech common among his fellow officers.

malapropism

noun: the confusion of a word with another word that sounds similar Synonyms : malaprop Whenever I looked glum, my mother would offer to share "an amusing antidote" with me - an endearing malapropism of "anecdote" that never failed to cheer me up.

mendacity

noun: the tendency to be untruthful. I can forgive her for her mendacity but only because she is a child and is seeing what she can get away with.

qualm

noun: uneasiness about the fitness of an action Synonyms : misgiving , scruple While he could articulate no clear reason why Harkner's plan would fail, he neverless felt qualms about committing any resources to it.

malingerer

one who feigns illness to escape duty - রোগভানকারী Mnemonic: Ma (Mom) + Linger (গড়িমসি)

misanthrope

one who hates mankind - মানুষ্যবিদ্বেষী

maverick

rebel; nonconformist - প্রচলিত মতের বিরুদ্ধে লোক

misattribute

verb: To erroneously attribute; to falsely ascribe; used especially of authorship. I made a mistake; I misattributed "Crime and Punishment" to Leo Tolstoy when it was actually written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

morph

verb: To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion. The earnestness of the daytime talk shows of the 1970's has morphed into something far more sensational and vulgar: today guests actually standup and threaten to take swings at one another.

quail

verb: draw back, as with fear or pain Synonyms : cringe , flinch , funk , recoil , shrink , squinch , wince Craig always claimed to be a fearless outdoorsman, but when the thunderstorm engulfed the valley, he quailed at the thought of leaving the safety of his cabin. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

machinate

verb: engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together Synonyms : cabal , complot , conjure , conspire The rebels met at night in an abandoned barn to machinate.

misconstrue

verb: interpret in the wrong way Synonyms : be amiss , misapprehend , misconceive , misinterpret , misunderstand The politician never trusted journalists because he though that they misconstrue his words and misrepresent his positions.

mollify

Soothe - শান্ত করা

mundane

Worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday - জাগতিক

meticulous

Excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous - অতিসতর্ক Mnemonic: Math + Calculas? Be careful.

magnanimity

generosity - মহানুভবতা

morose

ill-humored; sullen; melancholy - বিমর্ষ

qualified

limited; restricted - নিয়ন্ত্রিত

mendacious

lying; habitually dishonest - মিথ্যাবাদী

melancholy

noun: a deep, long-lasting sadness Hamlet is a figure of tremendous melancholy: he doesn't have a truly cheerful scene throughout the entire play.

malady

noun: a disease or sickness Synonyms : illness , sickness , unwellness The town was struck by a malady throughout the winter that left most people sick in bed for two weeks.

misanthrope

noun: a hater of mankind Synonyms : misanthropist Kevin is such a misanthrope that he refused to attend the Christmas party, claiming that everyone's happiness was "fake" and "annoying."

myriad

noun: a large indefinite number Synonyms : countless , infinite , innumerable , innumerous , multitudinous , numberless , uncounted , unnumberable , unnumbered , unnumerable There are a myriad of internet sites hawking pills that claim to boost energy for hours on end.

mendicant

noun: a pauper who lives by begging Synonyms : beggar Tolstoy was an aristocrat, but he strove to understand the Christianity of the Russian peasants by wandering among them as a mendicant.

miscreant

noun: a person who breaks the law Synonyms : reprobate "Come back you miscreant!" yelled the woman who just had her purse stolen.

misogynist

noun: a person who dislikes women in particular Synonyms : woman hater Many have accused Hemingway of being a quiet misogynist, but recently unearthed letters argue against this belief.

miser

noun: a person who doesn't like to spend money (because they are greedy) Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.

maxim

noun: a short saying expressing a general truth Synonyms : axiom Johnson initially suggests that the secret to business can be summarized in a single maxim but then requires a 300-page book to explain exactly what he means.

modicum

noun: a small or moderate or token amount If my sister had even a modicum of sense, she wouldn't be engaged to that barbarian.

martinet

noun: a strict disciplinarian Synonyms : disciplinarian , moralist The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total martinet; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize - and inevitably criticize - every little detail of the work Rebecca had done.

melee

noun: a wild, confusing fight or struggle Synonyms : battle royal , scrimmage After enduring daily taunts about my name, I became enraged and pummeled the schoolyard bully and his sycophantic friends in a brutal melee.

moment

noun: significant and important value Synonyms : consequence , import Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton's writing career, and within a few years the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

MAGNANIMITY

MAGNANIMITY (mag nuh NIM i tee) n the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving • Her magnanimity in forgiving all those who had opposed her ensured that she would be well liked even by her former enemies. • He was magnanimous to a fault; he would give his last penny to anyone who asked for it.

MALEVOLENT

MALEVOLENT (muh LE voh lent) ad] having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred • The malevolent villain was so mean that she didn't even like puppies or flowers; now that's mean! • It's a good thing that his malevolence was only matched by his inability to plan things; a lot more of his evil plots would have worked out if he hadn't gotten the timing wrong. Have you ever noticed how many words beginning with mal- mean bad things? Malevolent, malignant, malfunction... the list goes on. Words beginning with ben-, on the other hand, tend to have positive meanings. Refer to the entry for benign for some examples.

MALINGER

MALINGER (muh LING ur) v to feign illness so as to avoid work • Her boss suspected her of malingering until she brought a note from her doctor. • If I were you, I'd take "expert malingerer" off my resume.

MALLEABLE

MALLEABLE (MAL ee uh bul) ad] capable of being shaped or formed, easily influenced • I wouldn't put too much importance on his agreement with your argument; he's so malleable that he's likely to agree with the next person he meets as well. • Gold's malleability makes it a useful metal for jewelry, since it is so easy to shape.

MARTIAL

MARTIAL (MAR shul) ad] associated with war and the armed forces • When civil war broke out, the military imposed martial law for the duration of the conflict. • Sparta was known for its martial culture, in which almost every aspect of life was tied into preparing for battle.

MARTINET

MARTINET (marti NET) n a rigid disciplinarian • Sister Paul Marie is a sweet and generous person, but she is a martinet when it comes to teaching grammar, and few people passed her class on the first try. The adjective form of martinet is martinetish. • My martinetish study hall teacher didn't make my sixth period very relaxing, but boy did I get my homework done! The word martinet is named for Jean Martinet, a seventeenth-century French drillmaster who insisted on absolute adherence to the rules.

MAUNDER

MAUNDER (MAHN dur) v to talk or move aimlessly, mutter • After we maundered about for over three hours I started to suspect that our guide didn't have the slightest idea where he was going. • His endless maundering on about nothing started to get on my nerves until I wanted to shout, "Get to the point!"

MAVERICK

MAVERICK (MAV rik) n an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party • Always the maverick, Lola insisted on going right whenever everyone else went left. Maverick can also be an adjective. • The maverick politician refused to seek safety in numbers by following the consensus; instead, she stuck to her principles regardless of the consequences to her popularity. Technically, a maverick is an unbranded animal such as a cow.

MELANCHOLY

MELANCHOLY (MEL un kahl ee) adj tending toward sadness • Hamlet is the epitome of a melancholy character: he dresses in black, talks to skulls, and rambles on at length about whether to kill himself. According to Aristotle, too much liver bile caused melancholy personalities. This book contains vocabulary words based on three other personality types that he identified based on bodily fluids.. .can you find the rest?

MELLIFLUOUS

MELLIFLUOUS (mel I floo us) adj sweetly flowing, usually used to describe words or sounds • The mellifluous sound of her voice lulled me to sleep, though this wasn't what she had in mind since she was trying to chastise me. • The mellifluous tones of the quartet's performance made the audience smile.

MENDACITY

MENDACITY (men DAS uh tee) n the condition of being untruthful, dishonesty • Pinocchio was never able to hide his mendacity; whenever he lied his nose grew longer. Mendacious means false, untruthful. • I have never met a more mendacious child; imagine him telling me that the teapot on my head is silly, when everyone knows it is the height of fashion!

MENDICANT

MENDICANT (MEN dih kunt) n a beggar, supplicant • The tourist was horrified to see the number of mendicants begging on the streets, not realizing that there were millions of homeless people reduced to mendicancy on the streets of his own country as well. • Mendicant orders are religious organizations, such as the Franciscans, that have renounced all material wealth and survive by begging.

MERCURIAL

MERCURIAL (mur KYOOR ee ul) adj characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood • The mercurial weather went from sunshine to hail and back in less than an hour. • Mercutio from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example of a mercurial personality; his moods flit from one extreme to the other in the short time he is on stage. Things that change rapidly or move quickly are often named after the Greek god Mercury. The metal used in thermometers and the closest planet to the sun are prime examples.

MERETRICIOUS

MERETRICIOUS (mer uh TRI shus) ad] tawdry, pretentious, attractive but false, showy, having to do with prostitution • His meretricious argument had all the false allure of a low-rent Vegas nightclub: showy on the outside, but seedy and desperate on the inside.

METICULOUS

METICULOUS (muh TIK yoo lus) adj characterized by extreme care and precision, attentive to detail • Her desk was so meticulous that every pen was lined up exactly the same distance apart. • His meticulous planning of every aspect of the conference paid off when the whole week went exactly as it was supposed to.

METTLESOME

METTLESOME (MET ul sum) adj courageous, high-spirited • The mettlesome doctor risked his own life to try to save the wounded soldiers on both sides. • She was a mettlesome child, always proud and unruly. Be careful. Not only does this word have the two subtly different meanings of "courageous" and "high-spirited," but also it is also very easy to confuse it with other, similar words. Watch out for meddlesome, meaning inclined to interfere, and nettlesome, meaning prickly or difficult. Remembering that mettle means courage and stamina will help.

MILITATE

MILITATE (MIL i tayt) v to have weight or bearing on, to argue (against) • The president's advisors warned him that the volatility of the situation militated against any rash action. • The presence of polite company militates against my telling you exactly what I think of your underhanded scheming, but as soon as we're alone you'd better watch out. Occasionally militate is used to mean arguing for, though it usually used to mean arguing against. • His phenomenal record militates in favor of his consideration for the job.

MILK

MILK (milk) v to exploit, to squeeze every last ounce of • I milked my sprained ankle for as much sympathy as I could; pretty soon I had people cooking me dinner and cleaning my house. • My big plans for milking my parents' absence for all the fun I could get out of it were thwarted when they returned home before the party even started.

MINATORY

MINATORY (MIN uh tor ee) adj menacing, threatening • Disregarding the minatory signs, we opened the door and discovered that the ferocious dog that the sign had warned us about was a dachshund—a fairly assertive dachshund, but only a 20-pound dog nonetheless. According to an ancient Greek myth, the Minotaur was a creature that guarded the Labyrinth, eating all who dared come inside. Athenian youths were sacrificed to the Minotaur before Theseus killed it, leaving the word minatory in its place.

MINCE

MINCE (mints) v pronounce or speak affectedly or too carefully, euphemize, take tiny steps, tiptoe • Don't mince words with me; just come right out and tell me exactly what you think. • The five-inch heels and straitjacket she wore for Halloween forced her to take little mincing steps to keep from falling over.

MISANTHROPE

MISANTHROPE (MIS un throhp) n one who hates humankind • Kate was surprised to discover that she had a reputation as a misanthrope, because really she was just very shy. Misanthropic is an adjective that means "hating humankind." • Traffic jams tend to bring out the misanthropic worst in people, since everyone just starts hating everyone else. For an antonym, see philanthropic.

MISOGYNIST

MISOGYNIST (mis AH jin 1st) n one who hates women • The professor had a reputation for being a misogynist, which explained why not only none of the female grad students, but also most of the male students didn't want to work with him, despite his supposed brilliance, • The song's misogynist lyrics sparked massive protests by feminists. Misogynist and misogynistic are both regarded as acceptable forms for the adjective.

MITIGATE

MITIGATE (MIT uh gayt) v to make or become less severe or intense, moderate • Discovering that I had the date wrong mitigated some of the pain of having no one show up to my birthday party. • Turning on the heater mitigated the extreme cold in the living room; why didn't we think of that earlier? A mitigating circumstance doesn't change whether a person is guilty or not, but it may lessen the severity of the punishment (it mitigates the severity). Unmitigated means absolute or unrelieved. • My attempt to tango was an unmitigated disaster.

MOLLIFY

MOLLIFY (MAH luh fy) v to calm or soothe, reduce in emotional intensity • After stepping on her tail, I tried to mollify the cat by scratching her head and giving her some milk. • He seemed somewhat mollified by my promise to buy him two scoops of ice cream to replace the one that fell on the ground; at least he stopped crying long enough to agree. Emollient is a related word that can either be an adjective or a noun, and you may well recognize it from advertisements for body lotion; see the entry under emollient for more details.

MONOTONY

MONOTONY (muh NAHT un ee) n tedious lack of variety or change • One would think that life on a desert island would be filled with monotony, but in fact, foraging and hunting for food makes one's days quite exciting. This word comes from monotone, which means one sound. If you think about someone's voice droning on with no change in the pitch, you'll get a pretty good idea of the meaning of monotony. The adjective form of this word is monotonous.

MOROSE

MOROSE (muh ROHS) adj sad, sullen, melancholy • I knew from the morose expression on his face that it would be a bad idea to ask Kent how he did in the competition. • Although it is easy to be morose during the long, cold, wet, gloomy winter in Seattle, it is much more difficult to be sad during the summer when it is sunny and everyone else is happy.

MULTIFACETED

MULTIFACETED (mul ty FAS it id) adj having many aspects • It seemed at first to be an open-and-shut robbery case, but soon detectives uncovered so many twists and turns that it seems as multifaceted as a dodecahedron. Literally, multifaceted means having many facets or faces, like a diamond. Figuratively, it can mean versatile.

MULTIFARIOUS

MULTIFARIOUS (mul tuh FER ee us) adj varied, motley, greatly diversified • The objects of his multifarious crushes ranged from Katherine Hepburn to the cashier at the grocery store. • I love to sit and watch the multifarious activity at any train station—the variety of people and places they are going is endlessly fascinating.

MUNDANE

MUNDANE (mun DAYN) adj of the world, typical of or concerned with the ordinary • Todd was always complaining that he shouldn't have to deal with all the mundane details of life, because he was going to be a famous rock star very soon. • Some people may prefer the lofty philosophical questions about angels dancing on the heads of pins, but I'm more concerned with the mundane questions, like where are we going to eat lunch?

QUAFF

QUAFF (kwahf) v to drink deeply • Brett was planning to meet his friends at the pub after work to quaff a few pints before heading home. • The medicine tasted so foul that I had to hold my nose and quaff it all in one gulp. $ https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3326/3231297993_29e76949ab_m.jpg

QUAIL

QUAIL (kwayl) v to shrink back in fear, lose courage • The puppy quailed at the angry tone in Alicia's voice and put his tail between his legs. • I quailed at the thought of jumping out of a plane as soon as I looked down, which was probably a little late to be having second thoughts.

QUALIFY

QUALIFY (KWAH Ii fy) v to limit • Although she was careful to qualify any claims she made about the implications of her discovery, it was clear her research signaled a major breakthrough in the search for a cure. • He qualified the harshness of his criticism by smiling warmly at the students as he delivered it.

myopic

adjective: lacking foresight or imagination Synonyms : short , shortsighted , unforesightful The company ultimately went out of business because the myopic managers couldn't predict the changes in their industry. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

meteoric

adjective: like a meteor in speed or brilliance or transience The early spectacular successes propelled the pitcher to meteoric stardom, but a terribly injury tragically cut short his career.

meticulous

adjective: marked by extreme care in treatment of details The Japanese noodle maker was meticulous in making his noodles and would never let another person take over the task.

malfeasance

adjective: misconduct or wrongdoing (especially by a public official) Not even the mayor's trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he'd been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.

magnanimous

adjective: noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful Synonyms : greathearted He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complementary and in victory he was magnanimous.

magisterial

adjective: offensively self-assured or given to exercising unwarranted power Synonyms : autocratic , bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , peremptory Though she was only a third grade teacher, Ms. Martinet was magisterial in dealing with her class, lording over them like a queen. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

moot

adjective: open to argument or debate; undecidable in a meaningless or irrelevant way Synonyms : arguable , debatable , disputable Since the Board just terminated Steve as the CEO, what the finance committe might have thought of his proposed marketing plan for next year is now a moot point. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

maudlin

adjective: overly emotional and sad Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , mawkish , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , sentimental , slushy , soppy , soupy Just as those who were alive during the 70's are mortified that they once cavorted about in bellbottoms, many who lived during the 80's are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy - really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?

mawkish

adjective: overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , maudlin , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , sentimental , slushy , soppy , soupy The film was incredibly mawkish, introducing highly likeable characters only to have them succumb to a devastating illnesses by the end of the movie.

mundane

adjective: repetitive and boring; not spiritual Nancy found doing dishes a thorougly mundane task, although Peter found a kind of Zen pleasure in the chore. adjective: relating to the ordinary world Synonyms : terrene Though we think of the pope as someone always dealing in holy matters, he is also concerned with mundane events, such as deciding when to set his alarm each morning.

mellifluous

adjective: smooth and sweet-sounding Synonyms : dulcet , honeyed , mellisonant , sweet Chelsea's grandmother thought Franz Schubert's music to be the most mellifluous ever written; Chelsea demurred, and to her grandmother's chagrin, would blast Rihanna on the home stereo speakers.

muted

adjective: softened, subdued Synonyms : hushed , quiet , subdued Helen preferred muted earth colors, such as green and brown, to the bright pinks and red her sister liked. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

macabre

adjective: suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome Synonyms : ghastly , grim , grisly ,sick Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the macabre; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to - and often those moments after - a grisly death.

martial

adjective: suggesting war or military life Synonyms : warlike,soldierlike , soldierly , warriorlike Americans tend to remember Abraham Lincoln as kindly and wise, not at all martial, despite the fact that he was involved in the fiercest war America has even fought.

munificent

adjective: very generous Synonyms : lavish , overgenerous , too-generous , unsparing , unstinted , unstinting Uncle Charley was known for his munificence, giving all seven of his nephews lavish Christmas presents each year.

malevolent

adjective: wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred Synonyms : evil , malefic , malign Villians are known for their malevolent nature, oftentimes inflicting cruetly on others just for enjoyment.

mitigate

appease; moderate - উপশম করা

malleable

capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable - ঘাতসহ

metamorphosis

change of form - রুপান্তর

mitigate

verb: make less severe or harsh Synonyms : extenuate , palliate I can only spend so much time mitigating your disagreements with your wife, and at certain point, you need to do it on your own. verb: lessen the severity of an offense If it weren't for the mitigating circumstances, he would have certainly lost his job.

maintain

verb: to assert Synonyms : defend The scientist maintained that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

qualify

verb: to be eligible for a role, status, or benefit by meeting specific requirements Synonyms : measure up If James had made more than $50,000 last year, then he wouldn't have qualified for the low-income scholarship. verb: to make less severe; to limit (a statement) Synonyms : restrict Chris qualified his love for San Francisco, adding that he didn't like the weather as much as the weather in Los Angeles.

mulct

verb: to defraud or swindle Synonyms : bunco , con , defraud , diddle , gip , goldbrick , gyp , hornswoggle , nobble , rook , scam , short-change , swindle , victimize The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up mulcting Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but did nothing for her weight.

mollify

verb: to make someone angry less angry; placate Synonyms : season , temper In the morning, Harriat was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he had his cup of coffee.

mesmerize

verb: to spellbind or enthrall Synonyms : bewitch , magnetise , magnetize , mesmerise The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second.

meander

verb: to wander aimlessly Synonyms : thread , wander , weave , wind A casual observer might have thought that Peter was meandering through the city, but that day he was actually seeking out those places where he and his long lost love had once visited.

maunder

verb: wander aimlessly Max liked to maunder down by the seaside and pick up whatever sea shells he would stumble upon. verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly Synonyms : blab , blabber , chatter , clack , gabble , gibber , palaver , piffle , prate , prattle , tattle , tittle-tattle , twaddle After drinking two espressos each, the animated couple would maunder loudly, annoying the other patrons in the coffee shop.