M

Question 1

Myriad

Answer 1

Adj

Countless or extremely great in numbers:

The myriad lights of the city brighten the night.

Synonym: infinite; boundless

Question 2

Mercurial

Answer 2

Adj

(Of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind:

His mercurial temperament caused him to lose yet another job.

Synonym: capricious; volatile

Question 3

Mien

Answer 3

Noun

A person’s look or manner, especially one of particular kind indicating their character or mood:

He had a cautious, academic mien.

Synonym: aura, demeanor

Question 4

Mollify

Answer 4

Verb

Appease the anger or anxiety of someone:

Regulator often force government backed firms to shrink to mollify rivals.

Synonym: placate; conciliate

Question 5

Machination

Answer 5

Noun

Plot or scheme:

Tired of his enemies’ endless machinations to remove him from the throne, the king had them executed.

Synonym: collusion; conspiracy

Question 6

Maelstrom

Answer 6

Noun

Whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind:

The transportation system of the city had collapsed on the maelstrom of war.

Synonym: turbulence

Question 7

Magnate

Answer 7

Noun

Powerful or influential person:

The entertainment magnate bought two cable TV stations to add to his collection of magazine and publishing houses.

Synonym: potentate; tycoon; luminary

Question 8

Malediction

Answer 8

Noun

A curse, a wish of evil upon another:

The frog prince looked for a princess to kiss him and put an end to the witch’s malediction.

Synonym: anathema; imprecation

Question 9

Malinger

Answer 9

Verb

To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill:

A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering.

Question 10

Malleable

Answer 10

Adj

Capable of being shaped:

Gold is the most malleable of precious metals; it can easily be formed into most any shape.

Synonym: plastic; pliant

Question 11

Mannered

Answer 11

Adj

Artificial or stilled in character:

The portrait is an example of the mannered style that was favored in that era.

Synonym: affected; ersatz; unnatural

Question 12

Mar

Answer 12

Verb

To damage, deface; spoil:

Telephone poles mar the natural beauty of the countryside.

Synonym: blemish; disfigure; impair; injure; scar

Question 13

Martinet

Answer 13

Noun

Strict disciplinarian; one who rigidly follows rules:

A complete martinet, the official insisted that Pete fill out all the forms again even though he was already familiar with his case.

Synonym: stickler

Question 14

Maudlin

Answer 14

Adj

Overly sentimental:

The mother’s death should have been a touching scene, but the movie’s treatment of it was so maudlin that it made audience cringe.

Synonym: bathetic

Question 15

Mendacious

Answer 15

Adj

Dishonest:

So many or her stories were mendacious that I decided she must be pathological liar.

Synonym: deceitful

Question 16

Mendicant

Answer 16

Noun

Beggar:

“Can you spare a dime?”begged the mendicant as the businessman walked past.

Synonym: panhandler; pauper

Question 17

Meretricious

Answer 17

Adj

Gaudy; falsely attractive:

The casino’s meretricious decor horrified the cultivated interior designer.

Synonym: flashy; specious; tawdry

Question 18

Metaphor

Answer 18

Noun

Figure of speech comparing two different things

Question 19

Meticulous

Answer 19

Adj

Extremely careful, fastidious, painstaking

Question 20

Militate

Answer 20

Verb

To operate against, work against:

Lenin militated against tsar for years before he overthrew him and established the Soviet Union.

Synonym: influence

Question 21

Mirth

Answer 21

Noun

Frivolity, gaiety, laughter:

Lisa’s hilarious joke contributed to the general mirth at the dinner party.

Synonym: glee

Question 22

Misanthrope

Answer 22

Noun

A person who dislikes others:

The grinch was such a misanthrope that even the sight of children singing made him angry.

Synonym: curmudgeon

Question 23

Missive

Answer 23

Noun

A written note or letter:

Priscilla spent hours composing a romantic missive for Elvis.

Synonym: message

Question 24

Mitigate

Answer 24

Verb

To soften, to lessen:

A judge may mitigate a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need.

Synonym: alleviate; assuage; mollify; palliate; placate

Question 25

Mollify

Answer 25

Verb To calm or make less severe: Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would mollify them. Synonym: assuage; palliate; mitigate

Question 26

Molt

Answer 26

Verb To shed hair, skin, or an outer layer periodically: The snake molted its skin and left it behind in a crumpled mass. Synonym: cast; defoliate; desquamate

Question 27

Monastic

Answer 27

Adj Extremely plain or secluded, as in monastery: The philosopher retired to his monastic lodgings to contemplate life free from any worldly distraction. Synonym: austere

Question 28

Monotony

Answer 28

Noun No variation, tediously the same: The monotony of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy. Synonym: drone; tedium

Question 29

Mores

Answer 29

Noun Fixed customs or manners; moral attitude: In keeping with the mores of ancient roman society, Nero held a celebration every weekend. Synonym: conventions; practices

Question 30

Multifarious

Answer 30

Adj Diverse: Ken opened the hotel room window, letting in the multifarious noises of the great city. Synonym: assorted; heterogenous

Question 31

Myopic

Answer 31

Adj Lacking foresight, having a narrow view or long-ranged perspective: Not wanting to spend a lot of money up front, the myopic business owner would likely suffer the consequences later. Synonym: short-sighted

Question 32

Milieu

Answer 32

Noun surroundings, especially of a social or cultural nature: His natural milieu is that of the arts. Synonym: environment

Question 33

Malign

Answer 33

Adj evil in nature or effect; malevolent: She had a strong and malign influence. Synonym: harmful; inimical; malignant