Day 18

Question 1

malediction

Answer 1

A curse

I taunted him, ridiculed him, and loaded him with maledictions

Question 2

malinger

Answer 2

Pretend to be sick, esp. to get out of work,
duties, etc.

His boss suspected him of malingering because of his frequent absences from work.

Question 3

manifest

Answer 3

Obvious, apparent, perceptible to the eye
(adj); to show, make clear, or prove (verb)

Their sadness was manifest in their faces.

Question 4

mar

Answer 4

Damage, spoil, ruin

Question 5

mannered

Answer 5

Having a particular manner, esp. an
artificial one

passages … so mannered as to be unintelligible

Question 6

martinet

Answer 6

Person who adheres to rules extremely
closely; strict disciplinarian

The prison’s warden was a cruel martinet.

Question 7

maudlin

Answer 7

Excessively sentimental, showing sadness
or some other emotion in a foolish or silly
way

Question 8

maxim

Answer 8

A general truth or fundamental principle,

esp. expressed as a proverb or saying

Question 9

mercurial

Answer 9

flighty

an actress who specializes in playing silly, flighty women

you have to be quiet while the deer are grazing, as they are flighty animals and will run if they hear you

Question 10

meretricious

Answer 10

Attractive in a vulgar or flashy way,
tawdry; deceptive

the paradise they found was a piece of meretricious trash

Question 11

metamorphosis

Answer 11

A complete change or transformation (in
biology, a change such as a caterpillar
becoming a pupa and then a butterfly)

Question 12

metaphysical

Answer 12

Concerned with abstract thought, related
to metaphysics (branch of philosophy
concerned with explaining the nature of
being and of the world); very subtle or
abstruse

Malick’s movie is deeply open-hearted, metaphysical and ruminative.

Question 13

milieu

Answer 13

Environment, atmosphere; the
environmental setting in which something
happens or develops

Theirs was a bohemian milieu in which people often played romantic musical chairs.

Question 14

militate

Answer 14

Have a great effect, weigh heavily (often as
militate against)

New infectious diseases come out of the blue, each with its own idiosyncrasies that militate against detailed advance planning.

Question 15

mired

Answer 15

Stuck, entangled (in something, like a
swamp or muddy area), soiled

found themselves in a mire of debt

Puerto Rico is mired in a 13-year recession,

Question 16

mirth

Answer 16

Jollity, merriment; amusement or laughter

His clumsy attempt at dancing caused much mirth.

Question 17

missive

Answer 17

Letter, written message

She received yet another lengthy missive from her father.

the two old friends like to fire off missives filled with good-natured teasing and mock insults

Question 18

modest

Answer 18

Humble; simple rather than showy; decent
(esp. “covering up” in terms of dress);
small, limited

Question 19

modicum

Answer 19

A little bit or limited quantity

Madoff humbly asks this court for a modicum of compassion.

only a modicum of skill is necessary to put the kit together

Question 20

modish

Answer 20

Stylish, contemporary

The modish decor includes brightly colored furniture, vaulted glass ceilings, and meeting rooms named for the Millennium Falcon and Hogwarts Express.

Question 21

molt

Answer 21

Shed or cast off, esp. to regularly shed skin,
feathers, etc. (as a snake)

a spider, like a lobster, molts its covering as it grows

Question 22

monastic

Answer 22

Relating to or resembling a monastery
(where monks or nuns live), esp. by being
quiet, secluded, contemplative, strict,
and/or lacking luxuries

He shows a monastic dedication to his job.

But where these actresses took a monastic approach, covering themselves up (albeit artfully), Gerber went for a more sultry vibe.

Question 23

mores

Answer 23

: the fixed morally binding customs, morals and manners of a particular group

have tended to withdraw and develop a self-sufficient society of their own, with distinct and rigid mores

Question 24

morose

Answer 24

Gloomy, sullen

Billie poured herself into the emotions of every syllable, doing her best to let the morose piano track swell and fill the arena.