Barron’s GRE Word List (Vocabulary) Test Prep- Letter M
miasma
swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence
The miasma in the political circles is often felt
microcosm
small representative world; world in miniature
She belongs to the microcosm of English society
miniature
small model; small painting; ADJ: small
She bought a miniature of Abraham Lincoln
migrant
changing its habitat; wandering; Ex. migrant birds/workers; N: one that migrates
Parakeet is a migrant bird
milieu
social environment; means of expression; Ex. feel out of one’s milieu;
His proper milieu is watercolor
militant
combative; bellicose; N.
Militant forces surrounded the fort
militate
work against; CF. serve as a soldier
Militate against the chances of promotion
millennium
thousand-year period (as in the New Testament); hoped-for period of happiness and prosperity
All the students participated in the millennium celebrations
mimicry
imitation
Mimicry is an other name for camouflage
mime
pantomime(act without dialogue); mimicry; mimer; V: mimic; pantomime
She mimed for a glass of water
minatory
menacing; threatening
The presence of mosquitoes is minatory
mincing
affectedly dainty(delicate); V. mince: cut (esp. meat) into very small pieces; walk with exaggerated primness; walk in an unnatural way, taking little short steps;
The actor minced across the stage
minion
servile dependent; obsequious follower
For most of his life he lived life of a minion
minuscule(miniscule)
extremely small
He managed to get a minuscule performance in the play
minute
extremely small; CF. minutes: official record of the proceedings at a meeting
The minutes of the meeting were registered
minutiae
petty or trivial details; CF. minutia
She never paid attention to minutiae
mirage
unreal reflection; optical illusion
She knew she was chasing a mirage
mire
entangle; stick in swampy ground; stick or sink in mire; N: bog; deep mud;
The car was sucked deeper into the mire
mirth
merriment; laughter
Their mirth over the success was obvious
misadventure
mischance; ill luck;
He met an untimely death by misadventure
misanthrope
one who hates mankind; misanthropist
The misanthrope led a secluded life
misapprehension
error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend
The fight was because of misapprehension
miscellaneous
made up of a variety of parts
She made a list of miscellaneous items
mischance
ill luck
It was sheer mischance that she lost the trophy
misconstrue
interpret incorrectly; misinterpret; misjudge
The lady tried to misconstrue the entire thing
miscreant
wretch; wrongdoer; villain; Ex. kindness to the miscreant; CF. believe
The miscreants looted the bank
misdemeanor
minor crime; misdeed; wrongdoing
He was kept in remand for a misdemeanor
misconduct
immoral behavior; bad management; V.
The youth was punished for misconduct
miserly
stingy; mean
Mr. Scrooge was a miserly man
misgivings
doubts
She had misgivings on his ideas
mishap
unfortunate accident
The mishap took lives of 65 people
misnomer
wrong or improper name; incorrect designation
Doctress is a misnomer
misogamy
hatred of marriage
Being a misogamist he led the life of a bachelor
misogynist
hater of woman; CF. misogyny
He was a misogynist
missile
object to be thrown or projected
America bombarded Iraq with missiles
missive
letter; written statement; CF. sent
She sent the officials a missive stating her reasons for being absent
mite
very small object or insect-like creature; small coin
Mites populated the wooden planks
mitigate
appease; moderate; make or become less in force or intensity
The drug mitigated the pain
mnemonic
pertaining to memory; assisting the memory; N: device, such as as formula or rhyme, used as a mnemonic aid
Mnemonics aid in vocabulary learning
mobile
movable; not fixed; N. mobility
She loved the mobile nature of her job
mock
ridicule; deride; imitate often in derision
Students mocked at the inefficient lecturer
mode
prevailing style; current fashion; manner; way of doing something; Ex. in the latest mode;
She preferred a simple mode of life
modicum
limited quantity; small amount
He does not have a modicum of sense
modish
fashionable; conforming to the current fashion
The couple is modish
modulate
tone down in intensity; change the intensity or tone of; regulate; change from one musical key to another;
Modulate from E to G
mogul
powerful person; Ex. oil moguls; CF. Mogol, Moghul; CF. Mongolian
He is the mogul of breweries industry
molecule
the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance
Water has associated Hydrogen and Oxygen molecules
mollify
soothe an angry person
His mother can only mollify him
mollycoddle
pamper; coddle; baby; indulge excessively
The infant was mollycoddled by its parents
molt(moult)
periodically shed or cast off hairs or feathers (for replacement by a new growth)
Snakes and birds moult
molten
melted; Ex. molten lava
Molten lava had flown ferociously from Vesuvius
momentous
very important; N. moment; CF. momentary
The argument sounds momentous
momentum
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force
His presentation gained momentum at conclusion
monarchy
government under a single ruler
Monarchy has it’s own intrinsic difficulties
monastic
related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns
They all belong to a monastic order
monetary
pertaining to money
She works for monetary benefits
monochromatic
having only one color
The monochromatic white light splits into seven colors when it passes through a prism
monogram
design composed of one or more initials of a name; V.
The monogram was in gold
monograph
scholarly article
Students were advised to read the monograph
monolithic
solidly uniform; unchangeable; unyielding; N. monolith: large block of stone
Many inscriptions on monoliths can be found in North India
monotheism
belief in one God
Many religions of the west propagate monotheism
monotony
sameness leading to boredom; monotonousness; ADJ. monotonous; CF. monotone
The job often makes her suffer from monotony
monumental
massive; impressively large; built as a monument
The Taj is a monumental tomb
moodiness
fits of depression or gloom; ADJ. moody: given to changeable moods; subject to periods of depression; gloomy CF. mood:
state of mind or emotion
He’s a moody person
moratorium
legal delay of payment or action;
The government declared moratorium on the building of new houses
morbid
given to unwholesome or unhealthy thought; moody; characteristic of disease;
She has a morbid curiosity
mordant
biting; sarcastic; stinging; (apprec.) incisive; cutting; Ex. mordant pen/wit
He made mordant comments at her
mores
conventions; moral standards; moral customs
She was a strict follower of mores
moribund
dying; at the point of death; CF. death
The party’s ideologies have become moribund
morose
ill-humored; sullen; sullenly melancholy
His morose perceptions irritated one and all
mortify
humiliate by embarrassing excessively; shame; punish the flesh; discipline (one’s body) by self-denial; Ex. mortify the flesh; CF. cause to die
Ex. mortified by her blunder
mosaic
picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ.
The mosaic pattern looks very attractive
mote
small speck (esp. of dust)
She did not understand a mote of what he said
motif
theme; recurrent thematic element in a musical or literary work; single or repeated pattern; figure
The motif of the music is pathos
motility
ability to move spontaneously; ADJ. motile: moving spontaneously
Atoms are motile
motley
multi-colored (as of a garment worn by a jester); mixed; heterogeneous; CF.
A motley garment worn by a jester
motto
brief statement used to express a principle
The employees are supposed to abide by the motto of the company
mottled
blotched in coloring; spotted; Ex. mottled face; V. mottle: mark with blotches of different colors
Her mottled face
mountebank
charlatan; boastful pretender
Mr. Hugo is a mountebank
muddle
confuse; mix up confusedly; N: state of confusion
The liar muddled up the entire story
muggy
(of weather) warm and damp
The weather seems to be muggy
mulct
defraud a person of something; swindle;
Mulct the boy of his legacy
multifarious
varied; greatly diversified;
Children are involved in multifarious activities
multilingual
having many languages; fluent in several languages
India is a multilingual country
multiplicity
state of being numerous or multiple; large number; ADJ. multiple: of more than one element
Multiplicity of details
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday; of the ordinary; Ex. mundane existence; CF. world
Many of us lead mundane lives
munificent
very generous in giving; N. munificience
He is a munificent benefactor
mural
wall painting
The Chinese specialized in mural paintings
murky
dark and gloomy; thick with fog; vague; Ex. murky night/fog; N. murk: partial or complete darkness; gloom
The plot of the story is murky
muse
ponder at length; N: source of inspiration (esp. of a poet)
Students mused over the theory
musky
having the odor of musk; N. musk: odorous substance secreted by an Asian deer
The cloth has a musky odor
muster
gather; assemble (troops); Ex. muster up one’s strength for the ordeal; N.
She mustered courage to speak to her father
musty
stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; CF. moist
The canvas became musty
muted
silent; muffled; toned down;
Muted traffic noise
mute
silent; without speech; not pronounced; unable to speak; N: one who is incapable of speech; V: soften the sound, color, shade of
She muted the colors on the screen
mutilate
maim; injure lastingly; deprive of a limb or an essential part
Amputation is clinical mutilation
mutinous
unruly; rebellious; Ex. mutinous teenagers; N. mutiny: open rebellion; CF. mutineer
The mutinous crowd protested the new law
myopic
nearsighted; lacking foresight; N. myopia
The myopic youth do not understand the adverse effects of drugs
myriad
very large number; ADJ. CF. ten thousand
It becomes difficult to choose from myriad career options
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