Barron’s GRE Word List (Vocabulary) Test Prep- Letter M
macabre
gruesome; grisly; ghastly; CF. of death
The macabre twists and turns of fate!
morgue
mortuary; place where bodies are kept before burial or cremation
The dead body was preserved in a morgue
mace
ceremonial staff used as a symbol of authority; club like medieval weapon
A mace symbolizes authority
macerate
soften by soaking in liquid; waste away;
The powdered wood is macerated to make paper
machiavellian
crafty; double-dealing; of the political doctrine of Machiavelli, which holds that craft and deceit are justified in pursuing political power
She resorted to Machiavellian tactics in order to get professionally successful
machinations
evil schemes or plots; schemes or plots to achieve an evil end; V. machinate
Tantri the Mantri was an expert in machinations
maculated
spotted; stained; CF. immaculate
She could not pray to God with a maculated soul
madrigal
pastoral song; song for several singers without instruments
Whose artful strains have oft delayed the huddling brook to hear his madrigal. –Milton
maelstrom
violent whirlpool; violent or turbulent situation; CF. stream
She had to pass through a maelstrom of complicated situations
magisterial
authoritative; imperious; commanding; of a magistrate;
A magisterial study of Roman law
magistrate
official with power to administer the law
She served as the state Magistrate
magnanimity
generosity; ADJ. magnanimous: generous
The family is known for its magnanimity
magnate
person of prominence or influence; powerful or influential person (in business or industry); Ex. oil magnate
He is a renowned business magnate
magniloquent
boastful; pompous
The students are fed up with the teacher’s magniloquent speeches
magnitude
greatness (in size or extent); extent
The magnitude of the problem is underestimated
maim
mutilate; injure lastingly; disable; cripple; Ex. maimed for life
The terrorists maimed the body of the journalist
mangle
tear or cut to pieces; mutilate or disfigure;
Those are the pictures of badly mangled bodies
maladroit
clumsy; not skillful; awkward; bungling
She shouldn’t have entrusted the work to a maladroit like him
malady
illness
Mental malady is tough to cope with
malaise
uneasiness; vague feeling of ill health (without any particular pain or appearance of disease)
“One year after the crash, the markets remain mired in a deep malaise” (New York Times)
malapropism
comic misuse of a word; CF. Mrs. Malaprop
Untimely and inappropriate use of word is malapropism
malcontent
person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs; discontented person; ADJ: discontented
She was malcontent with the state of affairs around her
malediction
curse
No malediction falls from his tongue. –Longfellow
malefactor
evildoer; criminal
She trusted a malefactor
malevolent
wishing evil; exhibiting ill will; N. malevolence
Her losses in life made her malevolent
malfeasance
wrongdoing; misconduct (by a public official)
He invested a great time in malfeasance
malicious
hateful; spiteful; expressing malice; N. malice: desire to harm others; spite
Her intentions were malicious
malign
speak evil of; bad-mouth(criticize spitefully); defame; ADJ: harmful; Ex. malign influence
They tried to malign an honorable man
malignant
tending to cause death; highly injurious; aggressively malevolent; Ex. malignant tumor
The virus is malignant
malingerer
one who feigns illness to escape duty; V. malinger: feign illness to avoid work
He has been a malingerer since his childhood
malleable
(of a metal) capable of being shaped by pounding(beating); pliable; (of someone) impressionable(easily influenced); easily controlled; tractable
Most of the metals are malleable and ductile
malodorous
foul-smelling
The gas of Hydrogen Sulphide is malodorous
mammal
vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young
Platypus is a mammal
mammoth
gigantic; enormous
A mammoth crowd came to see the celebrity
manacle
restrain; handcuff; N.
She was unable to let free those circumstantial manacles
mandate
order; charge; authoritative command; power to govern another country; power to given to a government; region under administration; V: give a mandate to; place under a mandate;
That’s a mandated territory
mandatory
obligatory; compulsory; of a mandate
It is mandatory upon students to be in time
mangy
shabby; wretched; suffering from mange; of bad appearance
mange
skin disease (esp. of domestic animals) marked by loss of hair
Domestic animals suffer from a disease called mange
maniacal
raging mad; insane; N. maniac: insane person; CF. mania: disorder of the mind; intense enthusiasm
The terrorist’s behavior was maniacal
manifest
evident; visible; obvious; V: show plainly
Dreams should necessarily manifest in action
manifesto
public declaration of principles; statement of policy
The party’s manifesto was appealing
manifold
many in number or kind; numerous; varied
There are manifold benefits of consuming vegetarian food
manipulate
operate with one’s hands; control or play upon (people, forces, etc.) artfully; maneuver; Ex. how to manipulate publicity and men; ADJ. manipulative
She manipulated her actions with dexterity
mannered
affected; not natural
That was a mannered way of speech
mannerism
distinctive behavioral trait; affected style in art (according to a set of styles)
Her mannerisms were awkward
manumit
emancipate; free from slavery or bondage
The slaves were manumitted
marital
pertaining to marriage
The application seeks marital status
maritime
bordering on(adjacent to) the sea; nautical; of the ships or the sea
That’s a Maritime Province
marked
noticeable; targeted for vengeance or attack
There’s a marked improvement in the patient’s condition
marred
damaged; disfigured; V. mar: spoil; disfigure
The chemical mars facial features
marshal
put in order; guide ceremoniously to the correct place;
She was ordered to marshal the children into the museum
marsupial
one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch(pocket of skin or leather); CF. kangaroo, opossum, wombat
Kangaroo belongs to the order of Marsupials
martial
warlike; of war;
It’s a martial law
martinet
strict disciplinarian; person who demands total obedience to rules and orders; CF. Jean Martinet
The hostel warden is a martinet
martyr
one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer;
He’s a martyr to his rheumatism
masochist
person who enjoys his own pain; CF. masochism
Masochism is a psychological disorder
masticate
chew
The bovine family members masticate thoroughly
materialism
preoccupation with physical comforts and things; excessive regard for worldly concerns (rather than spiritual matters)
The irregular fears of a future state had been supplanted by the materialism of Epicurus. –Buckminster
maternal
motherly; N. maternity: motherhood
She basked in the warmth of maternal bliss
matriarch
woman who rules a family or larger social group
She is the matriarch of her family
matrix
point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die;
He’s lost in the matrix of Western civilization
maudlin
effusively sentimental
She’s an ickly sickly sentimental maudlin
maul
handle roughly; batter; injure by beating;
The celebrity was mauled by his overexcited fans
mausoleum
monumental tomb; large stately tomb; CF. Mausolos
The Taj is a mausoleum
mauve
pale purple
She wore a mauve colored dress
maverick
rebel; nonconformist (in a group)
People are fed up with his maverick tactics
mawkish
mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental
They objected his mawkish behavior
maxim
proverb; truth pithily stated
mayhem
injury to body; crime of willfully maiming or crippling a person; violent disorder;
There was mayhem in the zoo
meager
scanty; inadequate
They earn meager wages
Mealy mouthed
indirect in speech (when something unpleasant must be said); hypocritical; evasive
He made mealy mouthed comments
meander
wind or turn in its course; follow a winding or turning course; move aimlessly and idly
The cattle meandered along the curvy path
meddlesome
interfering; V. meddle: interfere
I somehow hate his meddlesome nature
mediate
settle a dispute through the services of an outsider; act as an intermediary; produce by mediating
The government mediated a cease-fire
mediocre
ordinary; commonplace; neither good nor bad
The performance was mediocre
meditation
reflection; thought; V. meditate
She was found in a state of deep meditation
medium
element that is a creature’s natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are cultivated; appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise; middle position between extremes; intervening substance through which something else is transmitted
Bacteria is cultured in a nutritive medium
medley
mixture
The medley of songs is the best part of the album
meek
submissive; patient and long-suffering
The residents of the village seem to be week
megalomania
mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance
His objectives are megalomaniacal
melancholy
gloomy; morose; blue; N. ADJ. melancholic; CF. melancholia
Keats’ poems generally trigger melancholy
melee
fight
There was a melee in the market place
mellifluous
(of words or a voice) sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious; having a pleasant tune
She spoke mellifluously
memento
token; reminder of the past; keepsake;
A memento of your visit
memorialize
commemorate
The celebrations memorialized the leader
menagerie
collection of wild animals on exhibition; zoo
The menageries is a place where wild animals are kept
mendacious
lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity
He lost his repute because of his mendacious nature
mendicant
beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar
Buddha led a life of a mendicant
menial
suitable for servants; lowly; mean; N: someone who does menial work (esp. servant in a house)
They do menial jobs
mentor
counselor; teacher
The mentor advised the students effectively
mercantile
concerning trade or merchants
You are not aware of the mercantile laws of the country
mercenary
motivated solely by money or gain; N.
He works purely for mercenary benefits
mercurial
capricious; quick and changing; fickle; containing the element mercury; Ex. mercurial temper; CF. mood
He has a mercurial temper
meretricious
flashy; tawdry; attractive on the surface but of no real value;
The argument seemed to be meretricious
merger
combination (of two business corporations); act of merging
The two IT giants merged
mesmerize
hypnotize; N. mesmerism; CF. Franz Mesmer
His speech mesmerized the audience
metallurgical
pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores; N. metallurgy: science that deals with extracting metals from ores
He deals in metallurgy and the metallurgical operations are hard to understand
metamorphosis
change of form; Ex. metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly; V. metamorphose: change by metamorphosis
The transformation of egg into adult is metamorphosis
metaphor
implied comparison; CF. simile
The beauty of poetry depends on the proper use of metaphor
metaphysical
pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality
Donne was a metaphysical poet
mete
measure; distribute; administer;
Mete out justice
meteoric
like a meteor; swift; momentarily brilliant;
He shot a meteoric rise to fame
methodical
systematic; N. method: systematic method of procedure
Research seeks a methodical scientific analysis
meticulous
excessively careful (with great attention to detail); painstaking; scrupulous
The students found the meticulously designed course interesting
metropolis
large city
The mother city; the chief city of a kingdom, state, or country.
[Edinburgh] gray metropolis of the North. –Tennyson
mettle
courage (to continue bravely in spite of difficulties); spirit; ADJ. mettlesome
She has the mettle to face her ruthless husband
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