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511 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate
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v. to decrease; reduce
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abdicate
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v. to give up a position, right, or power
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aberrant
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adj. deviating from what is normal
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abeyance
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n. temporary suppression or suspension
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abject
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adj. miserable; pitiful
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abjure
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v. to reject; abandon formally
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abscission
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n. the act of cutting; the enatural separation of a leaf or other part of the plant
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abscond
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v. to depart secretly
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abstemious
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adj. moderate in appetite
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abstinence
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n. the giving up of certain pleasure
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abysmal
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adj. very bad
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accretion
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n. growth in size or increase in amount
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accrue
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v. to accumulate; grow by additions
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adamant
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aj. uncompromising; unyielding
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adjunct
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n. something added, attached, or joined
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admonish
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adv. to caution or reprimand
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adulterate
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v. to corrupt or make impure
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aesthetic
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adj. relating to beauty or art
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affected
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adj. pretentious, phony
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affinity
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n. fondness; liking; similarity
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aggrandise
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n. to make larger or greater
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aggregate
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adj. amounting to a whole; total
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alacrity
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n. cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed
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alchemy
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n. medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation
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allay
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v. to lessen; ease; sooth
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affinity
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n. fondness; liking; similarity
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alleviate
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v. to relieve; imporive partially
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alloy
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n. a combination; mixture of two or more metals
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allure
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n. the power to entice by charm
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amalgamate
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v. to combine into a unified whole
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ambiguous
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adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning
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ambivalence
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n. the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes
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ambrosia
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n. something delicious; the food of the gods
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ameliorate
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v. to improve
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amenable
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adj. agreeable; cooperative; suited
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amenity
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n. something that increase comfort
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amulet
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n. ornament worn as a charm against evil spirts
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anachronism
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n. something out of the proper time
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analgesic
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n. medication that reduces or eliminates pain
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analogous
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adj. comparable
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anarchy
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n. absence of government; state of disorder
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anodyne
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n. something that calms or soothes pain
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anamalous
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adj. irregular; deviating from the norm
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antecendent
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n. something that comes before
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antediluvian
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prehistoric
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antipathy
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dislike; hostility
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apathy
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n. indifference
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apex
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n. the highest point
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apogee
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n. the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point
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apothegym
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n. a terse, witty saying
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appease
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v. to calm; pacify; placate
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appellation
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n. name
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apposite
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adj. strikingly appropriate and relevant
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apprise
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v. to inform
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approbation
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n,. praise, approval
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appropriate
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v. to take possession for one's own use; confiscate
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apropos
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adj. relevant
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arabesque
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n. ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body
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asperity
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n. severity; harshness; irritability
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archeology
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n. the study of material evidence of past human life
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ardor
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n. great emotion or passion
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assiduous
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adj. diligent; hard-working
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arduous
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adj. extremely difficult; labortious
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argot
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n. specialized vocabulary used by a group
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arrest
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v,. to stop; to seize
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astringent
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adj. harsh; severe
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austere
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adj. stern; unadorned
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artifact
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n. item made by human craft
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asylum
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n. place of refuge or shelter
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artless
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adj. guileness; natural
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ascetic
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n. one who practices self-denial
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atavism
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n. in biology, the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence
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aspersion
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n. slander; false rumor
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assuage
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v. to make less severe
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avuncular
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adj. like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant
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autonomous
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adj. self-governing; independent
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avarice
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n. greed
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aver
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v. to affirm; declare to be true
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avocation
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n. secondary occupation
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axiomatic
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adj. taken for granted
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attenuate
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v. to weaken
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bacchanalian
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adj. pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry
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banal
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adj. commonplace; trite
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audacious
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adj. bold; daring
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banter
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n. playful conversation
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bard
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n. poet
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bawdy
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adj. obscene
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beatify
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v. to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to
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bedizen
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v. to dress in a vulgar showy manner
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behemoth
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n. huge creature; anything very large and pwerful
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belie
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v. to contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression
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beneficent
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adj. kindly; doing good
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bifurcate
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v. to divide into two parts
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blandishment
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n. flattery
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blase
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adj. bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned
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bolster
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v. to give a boost to; prop up; support
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bombastic
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adj. pompous; using inflated language
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boorish
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adj. rude; insensitive
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bovine
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adj. cowlike
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brazen
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adj. bold; shameless
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broach
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v. to mention for the first time
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bucolic
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adj. characteristic of hte countryside; rustic; pastoral
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burgeon
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v. to flourish
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burnish
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v. to polish
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buttress
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v. to reinforce; support
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cacophonous
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adj. unpleasant or harsh-sounding
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cadge
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v. to beg; sponge
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callous
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adj. thick-skinned; insensitive
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calumny
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n. false and malicious accusation; slander
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canard
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n. false, deliberately misleading story
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canon
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n. an established principle; a basis or standard for judgment; a group of literary works
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cant
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n. insincere talk; lanugage of a particular group
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cantankerous
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adj. irritable; ill-humored
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capricious
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adj. fickle
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captious
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adj. faultfinding; intended to entrap, as in an argument
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cardinal
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adj. of foremost importance
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carnal
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adj. of the flesh or body; related to physical appetites
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carping
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v. to find fault; complain
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cartography
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n. science of making maps
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caste
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n. any of the hereditary social classes of Hindu society; social stratification
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castigation
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n. punishment; chastisement; criticism.
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cataclysm
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n. a violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change
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catalyst
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n. something causing change
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categorical
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adj. absolute; without exception
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caucus
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n. smaller group within an organization
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causal
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adj. involving a cause
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caustic
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adj. sarcastically biting; burning
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celestial
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adj. concerning the sky or heavens; sublime
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centrifugal
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adj. moving away from the center
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centripetal
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adj. moving or directed towards a center
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champion
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v. to defend or support
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chasten
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v. to correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue
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chicanery
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n. trickery; fraud
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chivalry
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n. the qualities idealized by knighthood such as bravery and gallantry toward women
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churlish
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adj. rude; boorish
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circuitous
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adj. roundabout
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clairvoyant
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n. one who can predict the futre; psychic
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clamor
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n. noisy outcry
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clique
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n. a small exclusive group
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cloister
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v. to confine; seclude
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coagulate
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v. thicken; congeal
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coalesce
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v. to cause to become one
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coda
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n. concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes
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codify
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v. to systematize
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cognizant
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adj. informed; conscious; aware
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collage
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n. artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage of diverse elements
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commensurate
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adj. proportional
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compendium
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n. fried, comprehensive summary
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complacent
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adj. self-satisfied
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complaisant
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adj. overly polite; willing to please; obliging
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complement
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n. something that completes or makes up a whole
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compliant
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adj. yielding
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compunction
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n. uneasiness caused by guilt
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concave
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adj. curving inward
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conciliatory
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adj. overcoming distrust or hostility
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concoct
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v. to invent
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concomitant
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n. existing concurrently
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condone
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v. to overlook voluntarily; forgive
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confound
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v. to baffle; perplex; mix up
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congenial
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adj. similar in tastes and habits; friendly; suited to
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conjugal
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adj. pertaining to marriage agreement
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connoisseur
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n. a person possessing expert knowledge or training; a person of informed and discriminating taste
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conscript
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n. person compulsorily enrolled for military service
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consecrate
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v. to declare sacred
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contend
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v. to assert
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contentious
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adj. quarrelsome; causing quarrels
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contiguous
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adj. touching; neighboring; connecting without a break
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continence
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n. self-control; abstention from sexual activity
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contrite
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adj. very sorrowful for wrong
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contumacious
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adj. disobedient; rebellious
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conundrum
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n. riddle; puzzle with no solution
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convention
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n. practice widely observed in a group; custom; accepted technique or device
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converge
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v. to approach; come together; tend to meet
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convex
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adj. curved outward
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convivial
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adj. sociable
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convoluted
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adj. twisted; complicated
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copious
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adj. abundant; plentiful
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conquette
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n. woman who flirts
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cornucopia
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n. horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance
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cosmology
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n. study of the universe as a totality; theory of the origin and structure of the universe
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covert
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adj. hidden; secret
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covetous
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adj. desiring something owned by another
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cozen
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w. to mislead by trick or fraud; deceive
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craven
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adj. cowardly
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credence
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n. acceptance of something as true
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credo
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n. statement of belief or principle; creed
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daunt
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v. to discourage; intimidatel dishearten
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dearth
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n. scarcity
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debauchery
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n. corruption
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decorum
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n. proper behavior
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defame
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v. to malign; harm someone's reputation
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default
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v. to fail to act
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deference
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n. respect; regard for another's wish
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defunct
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adj. no longer existing
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delineate
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v. to represent or depict
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demographic
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adj. related to population balance
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demotic
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adj. pertaining to people
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demur
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v. to express doubt
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denigrate
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v. to slur someone's reputation
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denizen
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n. an inhabitant; a regular visitor
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denouement
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n. outcome; unraveling of the plot of a play or work of literature
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deride
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v. to mock
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derivative
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n. something drived; unoriginal
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desiccate
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v. to dry completely
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desuetude
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n. state of disuse
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desultory
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adj. random; disconnected; rambling
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deterrent
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n. something that discourages or hinders
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detraction
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n. the act of taking away; derogatory comment on a person's character
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diaphanous
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adj. transparent; fine-textured; insubstantial; vague
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diatribe
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n. bitter verbal attack
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dichotomy
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n. division into two usually contradictory parts
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diffidence
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n. shyness; lack of confidence
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diffuse
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v. to spread out
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digression
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n. act of straying from the main point
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dirge
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n. funeral hymm
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disabuse
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v. to free from a misconception
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discerning
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adj. perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good judgement
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discomfit
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v. to make uneasy; disconcert
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discordant
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adj. not in tune
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discredit
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v. to dishonor; disgrace; cause to be doubted
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discrepancy
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n. difference between
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discrete
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adj. constituting a separate thing; distinct
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discretion
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n. quality of showing self-restraint in speech or actions
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disingenuous
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adj. no candid; crafty
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disinterested
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adj. unprejudiced; objective
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disjointed
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adj. lacking order or coherence; dislocated
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dismiss
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v. put away from consideration; reject
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disparage
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v. to belittle
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disparate
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adj. dissimilar
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dissemble
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v. to pretend; disguise one's motives
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disseminate
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v. to spread; scatter; disperse
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dissident
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n. person who disagrees about beliefs, etc
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dissolution
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n. disintegration; debauchery
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dissonance
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n. discord; lack of harmony
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distend
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v. to expand; swell out
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distill
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v. extract the essential elements
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distrait
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adj. inattentive; preoccupied
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diverge
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v. to vary; go in different directions from the same point
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divest
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v. to strip; deprive; rid
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divulge
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v. to make known something that is secret
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doctrinaire
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adj. relating to a person who cannot compromise about points of a theory or doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding
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document
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v. to provide with written evidence to support
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doggerel
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n. poor verse
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dogmatic
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adj. stating opnions without proof
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dormant
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adj. inactive
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dross
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n. waste; worthless matter; trivial matter
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dupe
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v. to deceive; trick
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ebullient
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adj. exhilarated; enthusiastic
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eclectic
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adj. selecting from various sources
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effervescence
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n. state of high spirits or liveliness; the process of bubbling as gas escapes
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effete
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adj. depleted of vitality; overrefined; decadent
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efficacy
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n. efficiency; effectiveness
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effrontery
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n. shameless boldness; presumptuousness
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egoism
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n. the tendency to see things in relation to oneself; self-centeredness
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egotistical
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adj.excessively self-centered; conceited
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elegy
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n. poem or song expressing lamentation
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elicit
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v. to provoke; draw out
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elixir
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n. a substance believed to have the power to cure ills
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Elysian
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adj. blissful; delightful
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emaciated
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adj. thin and wasted
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embellish
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v. to ador; decorate; enhance; make more attractive by adding details
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emollient
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adj. soothing; mollifying
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empirical
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adj., derived from observation or experiment
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emulate
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v. to imitate; copy
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encomium
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n. a formal expression of praise
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endemic
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adj. inherent; belonging to an area
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enervate
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v. to weaken
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engender
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v. to cause; produce
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enhance
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v. to increase; improve
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entomology
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n. the scientific study of insects
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enunciate
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v. to pronounce clearly
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ephemeral
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adj. short-lived; fleeting
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epistemology
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n. branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge
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equable
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adj. steady; unvarying; serene
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equanimity
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n. composure; calmness
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equivocate
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v. to intentionally use vague language
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errant
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adj. mistaken; straying from the proper course
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erudite
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adj. learned; scholarly
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esoteric
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adj. hard to undertsand; known only to a few
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essay
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v. to make an attempt; subject to a test
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estimable
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adj. admirable; possible to estimate
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ethnocentric
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adj. based on the attitude that one's group is superior
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etiology
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n. causes or origins
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etymology
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n. origin and history of a word
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eugenics
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n. study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways to improve these qualities
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eulogy
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n. high praise, especially of a person who has recently died
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euphemism
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n. use of agreeable or inoffensive language in place of unpleasant or offensive language
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euphoria
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n. a feeling of extreme happiness
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euthanasia
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n. mercy killing
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evince
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v. to show plainly; be an indication of
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evocative
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adj. tending to call to mind or produce a reaction
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exacerbate
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v. to aggravate; make worse
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exact
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v. to force the payment of; demand and obtain by authority
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exculpate
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v. to clear of blame; vindicate
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execrable
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adj. detestable; abhorrent
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exhort
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v. to urge by strong appeals
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exigency
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n. crisis; urgent requirements
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existential
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adj. having to do with existence; based on experience
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exorcise
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v. to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences
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expatiate
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v. to speak or write at length
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expatriate
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v. to send into exile
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expiate
|
v. to atone for
|
|
|
explicate
|
v. to explain; interpret; clarify
|
|
|
expository
|
adj. explanatory
|
|
|
extant
|
adj. in existence; not lost
|
|
|
extemporaneous
|
adj. unrehearsed
|
|
|
extirpate
|
v. to root up; to destroy
|
|
|
extraneous
|
adj. no essential
|
|
|
extrapolation
|
n. the act of estimation by projecting known information
|
|
|
extrinsic
|
adj. not inherent or essential
|
|
|
facetious
|
adj. humorous
|
|
|
facilitate
|
v. to make less difficult
|
|
|
factotum
|
n. a person who does all sorts of work; a handyman
|
|
|
fallacious
|
adj. based on a false idea or fact misleading
|
|
|
fallow
|
adj. plowed but not sowed; uncultivated
|
|
|
fatuous
|
adj. foolishly self-satisfied
|
|
|
fauna
|
n. animals of a period or region
|
|
|
fawning
|
adj. seeking favor by flattering
|
|
|
felicitous
|
adj. suitably expressed; appropriate; well-chosen
|
|
|
feral
|
adj. existing in a wild or untamed state
|
|
|
fervor
|
n. warmth and intensity of emotion
|
|
|
fetid
|
adj. having a bad smell
|
|
|
fetter
|
v. to bind; confine
|
|
|
fiat
|
n. arbitrary order; authorization
|
|
|
fidelity
|
n. loyalty; exact correspondence
|
|
|
filibuster
|
n. use of obstructive tactics in a legislature to block passage of a law
|
|
|
finesse
|
v. to handle with a deceptive or evasive strategy; to use finesse, that is, refinement in performance
|
|
|
fissure
|
n. crevice
|
|
|
flag
|
v. to droop; grow weak
|
|
|
fledgling
|
n. beginner; novice
|
|
|
flora
|
n. plants of a region or era
|
|
|
florid
|
adj. ruddy; reddish; flowery
|
|
|
flourish
|
n. an embellishment or ornamentation
|
|
|
flout
|
v. to treat scornfully
|
|
|
flux
|
n. flowing; a continuous moving
|
|
|
foment
|
v. to incite; arouse
|
|
|
forbearance
|
n. patience
|
|
|
forestall
|
v. to prevent; delay
|
|
|
formidable
|
adj. menacing; threatening
|
|
|
forswear
|
v. renounce; repudiate
|
|
|
founder
|
v. to sink; fail; collapse
|
|
|
fracas
|
n. a loud quarrel; brawl
|
|
|
fractious
|
adj. quarrelsome; unruly; rebellious
|
|
|
fresco
|
n. a painting done on plaster
|
|
|
frieze
|
n. ornamental band on a wall
|
|
|
froward
|
adj. stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient
|
|
|
frugality
|
n. thrift
|
|
|
fulminate
|
v. to attack loudly; denounce
|
|
|
fulsome
|
adj. so excessive as to be disgusting
|
|
|
fusion
|
adj. union; synthesis
|
|
|
futile
|
adj. ineffective; useless; fruitless
|
|
|
gainsay
|
v. to deny; dispute; oppose
|
|
|
gambol
|
v. to frolic; leap playfully
|
|
|
garrulous
|
adj. very talkative; wordy
|
|
|
gauche
|
adj. coarse and uncouth; clumsy
|
|
|
geniality
|
n. cheerfulness; kindliness; sociability
|
|
|
gerrymander
|
v. to divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political party
|
|
|
glib
|
adj. fluent in an insincere way; offhand
|
|
|
goad
|
v. to prod; urge on
|
|
|
gossamer
|
adj. sheer; light and delivate, like cobwebs
|
|
|
gouge
|
v. to tear out; scoop out; overcharge
|
|
|
grandiloquent
|
adj. pompous; bombastic
|
|
|
gregarious
|
adj. sociable
|
|
|
grouse
|
v. to complain
|
|
|
guileless
|
adj. free of cunning or deceit
|
|
|
guise
|
n. outward appearance; false appearance; pretense
|
|
|
gullible
|
adj. easily deceived
|
|
|
gustatory
|
adj. affecting the sense of taste
|
|
|
halcyon
|
adj. calm and peaceful; happy; golden; prosperous
|
|
|
hallowed
|
adj. holy; sacred
|
|
|
harangue
|
n. long, pompous speech; tirade
|
|
|
harrowing
|
adj. extremely distressing; terrifying
|
|
|
herbivorous
|
adj. relating to a herbivore, an animal taht feeds mainly on plants
|
|
|
hermetic
|
adj. tightly sealed; magical
|
|
|
heterodox
|
adj. unorthodox; not widely accepted
|
|
|
hieroglyphics
|
n. a system of writing in which pictorial symbols represent meaning or sounds; writing or symbols that are difficult to decipher; the symbols used in advanced mathematics
|
|
|
hirsute
|
adj. covered with hair
|
|
|
histrionic
|
adj. relating to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect; theatrical arts or performances
|
|
|
homeostasis
|
n. automatic maintenance by an organism of normal temperature, chemical balance, etc. within itself
|
|
|
homily
|
n. sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; platitude
|
|
|
homeogeneous
|
adj. composed of identical parts; uniform in compositiion
|
|
|
hyperbole
|
n. purposeful exaggeration for effect
|
|
|
iconoclastic
|
adj. adj. attacking cherished traditions
|
|
|
idolatry
|
n. idol worship; blind or excessive devotion
|
|
|
igneous
|
adj. produced by fire; volcanic
|
|
|
imbroglio
|
n. complicated situation; an entanglement
|
|
|
immutable
|
adj. unchangedable
|
|
|
impair
|
v. to damage; injure
|
|
|
impassive
|
adj. showing no emotion
|
|
|
impecunious
|
adj. poor; having no money
|
|
|
impede
|
v. to hinder; block
|
|
|
impermeable
|
adj. impossible to penetrate
|
|
|
imperturbable
|
adj. not easily disturbed
|
|
|
impervious
|
adj. impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
|
|
|
impinge
|
v. to strike; encroach
|
|
|
implacable
|
adj. inflexible; insapable of being pleased
|
|
|
implausible
|
adj. unlikely; unbelievable
|
|
|
implicit
|
adj. implied; understood but not stated
|
|
|
implode
|
v. collapse inward violently
|
|
|
imprecation
|
n. curse
|
|
|
impute
|
v. to relate to a particular cuase or source; attribute the fault to; assign as a characteristic
|
|
|
inadvertently
|
adv. carelessly; unintentionally
|
|
|
incarnate
|
adj. having bodily form
|
|
|
inchoate
|
adj. imperfectly formed or formulated
|
|
|
incongruity
|
n. state of not fitting
|
|
|
inconsequential
|
adj. insignificant; unimportant
|
|
|
incorporate
|
v. introduce something into another thing already in existence; combine
|
|
|
incursion
|
n. sudden invasion
|
|
|
indeterminate
|
adj. uncertain; indefinite
|
|
|
indeigence
|
n. poverty
|
|
|
indolent
|
adj. habitually lazy; idle
|
|
|
ineluctable
|
adj. not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable
|
|
|
inert
|
adj. unable to move; sluggish
|
|
|
ingenuous
|
adj. naive and trusting; lacking sophistication
|
|
|
inherent
|
adj. firmly established by nature or habit
|
|
|
innocuous
|
adj. harmless
|
|
|
insensible
|
adj. unconscious; unresponsive
|
|
|
insinuate
|
v. to suggest; say indirectly; umply
|
|
|
insipid
|
adj. lacking in flavor; dull
|
|
|
insouciant
|
adj. indifferent; lacking concern or care
|
|
|
insularity
|
n. narrow-mindedness; isolation
|
|
|
insuperable
|
adj. insurmountable; unconquerable
|
|
|
intangible
|
adj. not material
|
|
|
interdict
|
v. to forbid; prohibit; to confront and halt the activities advance, or entry of
|
|
|
internecine
|
adj. deadly to both sides
|
|
|
interpolate
|
v. to insert; change by adding new words or material
|
|
|
interregnum
|
n. interval between reigns; gap in continuity
|
|
|
intimate
|
adj. marked by close acquaintance
|
|
|
intractable
|
adj. not easily managed
|
|
|
intransignece
|
n. stubbornness; refusal to compromise
|
|
|
introspective
|
adj. contemplating one's own thoughts and feelings
|
|
|
inundate
|
v. to cove with water, overwhelm
|
|
|
inured
|
v. hardened; accustomed; used to
|
|
|
invective
|
n. verbal abus
|
|
|
inveigh
|
v. to disapprove; protest vehemently
|
|
|
inveigle
|
v. to win over by flattery or coaxing
|
|
|
inveterate
|
adj. confirmed; long-standing; deeply rooted
|
|
|
invidious
|
adj. likely to provoke ill will; offensive
|
|
|
irascible
|
adj. easily angered
|
|
|
irresolute
|
adj. unsure of hot to act; weak
|
|
|
itinerant
|
adj. wandering from place to place; unsettled
|
|
|
itinerary
|
n. route of a traveler's journey
|
|
|
jaundiced
|
adj. having a yellowish discoloration of the skin; affected by envy, resentment, or hostility
|
|
|
jibe
|
v. to be in agreement
|
|
|
jocose
|
adj. fond of joking; jocular; playful
|
|
|
juggernaut
|
n. huge force destroying everything in its path
|
|
|
junta
|
n. group of people united in political intrigue
|
|
|
juxtapose
|
v. place side by side
|
|
|
kudos
|
fame; glory; honor
|
|
|
labile
|
adj. likely to change
|
|
|
laconic
|
adj. using few words
|
|
|
lambaste
|
v. to thrash verbally or physically
|
|
|
lascivious
|
adj. lustful
|
|
|
lassitude
|
n. lethargy; sluggishness
|
|
|
latent
|
adj. present but hidden; potential
|
|
|
laud
|
v. to praise
|
|
|
lethargic
|
adj. inactive
|
|
|
levee
|
n. an embankment that prevents a river from overflowing
|
|
|
levity
|
n. light manner or attitude
|
|
|
liberal
|
adj. tolerant; broad-minded; generous; lavish
|
|
|
libertine
|
n. one without moral restraint
|
|
|
libido
|
n. sexual desire
|
|
|
Lilliputian
|
adj. extremely small
|
|
|
limn
|
v. to draw; describe
|
|
|
limpid
|
adj. clear; transparent
|
|
|
linguistic
|
adj. pertaining to language
|
|
|
litany
|
n. lengthy recitation; repetitive chant
|
|
|
literati
|
n. scholarly or learned persons
|
|
|
litigation
|
n. legal proceedings
|
|
|
log
|
n. record of a voyage; record of daily activities
|
|
|
loquacious
|
adj. talkative
|
|
|
lucid
|
adj. bright; clear; intelligible
|
|
|
lucre
|
n. money or profits
|
|
|
luminous
|
adj. bright; brilliant; glowing
|
|
|
lustrous
|
adj. shining
|
|
|
Machiavellian
|
adj. crafty; double-dealing
|
|
|
machinations
|
n. plots or schemes
|
|
|
maelstrom
|
n. whirlpool; turmoil
|
|
|
magnanimity
|
n. generosity; nobility
|
|
|
malign
|
v. to speak evil of
|
|
|
malinger
|
v. to feign illness to escape duty
|
|
|
malleable
|
adj. capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable
|
|
|
maverick
|
n. dissenter
|
|
|
megalomania
|
n. delusions of power or importance
|
|
|
meagerie
|
n. a variety of animals kept together
|
|
|
mendacious
|
adj. dishonest
|
|
|
mendicant
|
n. beggar
|
|
|
meretricious
|
adj. gaudy; plausible but false; specious
|
|
|
mesmerize
|
v. to hypnotize
|
|
|
metamorphosis
|
n. change; transformation
|
|
|
metaphysics
|
n. a branch of philosophy that investiages the ultimate nature of reality
|
|
|
meteorological
|
adj. concerned with the weather
|
|
|
meticulous
|
adj. very careful; fastidious
|
|
|
mettle
|
n. courage; endurance
|
|
|
mettlesome
|
adjl. full of courage and fortitude; spirited
|
|
|
microcosm
|
n. a small system having analogies to a larger system; small world
|
|
|
militate
|
v. to work against
|
|
|
minatory
|
adj. threatening; menacing
|
|
|
minuscule
|
adj. very small
|
|
|
minutia
|
n. petty details
|
|
|
misanthrope
|
n. one who hates humanity
|
|
|
miscellany
|
n. mixture of writings on various subjects
|
|
|
miscreant
|
n. villain; criminal
|
|
|
misogynist
|
n. one who hates women
|
|
|
mnemonic
|
adj. related to memory; assisting memory
|
|
|
modicum
|
n. limited quantity
|
|
|
mollify
|
v. to soothe
|
|
|
monolithic
|
adj. solid and uniform; constituting a single, unified whole
|
|
|
morose
|
adj. ill-humored; sullen
|
|
|
motley
|
adj. many colored; made up of many parts
|
|
|
mitigate
|
v. to cause to become less harsh, severe. or painful; alleviate
|
