Words starting with M | Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) for GRE PDF Download

macerate: to soften by steeping in liquid

It was necessary to macerate the food before the elderly man could eat it.
They placed her foot in the solvent to macerate the cement she had stepped in.

maculate: spotted, blotched; hence defiled, impure (opposite: immaculate);

to stain, spot, defile
The maculate rug could not be cleaned.
Grape juice maculated the carpet.

magnanimity: a quality of nobleness of mind, disdain of meanness or revenge;

forgiving; unselfish

Being full of magnanimity he asked the thief only for an apology and set him free.
The magnanimous store owner did not press charges once an apology was given.
The magnanimity of the professor overcame the rage of the student.

malediction: putting a curse on someone; talking negatively about another

With the threat of a malediction, the man left the fortuneteller's house.
Never having a nice word to say about anyone, her conversations are full of malediction.

malefactor: an evil person

The malefactor ordered everyone to work over the holidays.
The prison contains malefactors of all ages.

malevolent: wishing evil (opposite: benevolent)

The man threatened his opponent with threats and malevolent words.
She had malevolent feelings toward her sister.

malicious: spiteful; vindictive

The malicious employee slashed her tires for revenge.

malign: to speak evil of; having an evil disposition toward others(opposite: benign)

In her statement to the judge she maligned her soon-to-be ex-husband.
She had such a malign personality that no one even tried to approach her, mostly out of fear.

malinger: to pretend to be ill in order to escape work

He will malinger on Friday so he can go to the movies.
The soldier will malinger to avoid fighting.

malleable: easy to shape or bend; pliable

The malleable material was formed into a U shape.
The sculptor uses malleable substances to create complex masterpieces.

mandate: order; charge

The new manager wrote a mandate declaring that smoking was now prohibited in the office.

manifest: to show clearly; to appear; obvious, clear

The image should manifest itself as the building when the fog lifts.
When the missing document suddenly manifested, the search for the person that buried it began.
America's manifest destiny was to acquire all of the land between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

mar: damage

The statue was marred by the ravages of time.

marauder: plunderer or raider

The marauder had been traveling for two months searching for the large stash.

materialism: the belief that everything in the universe is explained in terms of matter; the belief that worldly possessions are the be-all and end-all in life

Spiritualists will tell you that materialism is only half the story.
Some said that the prince's profligacy gave materialism a bad name.

maudlin: foolishly and tearfully sentimental

The maudlin affair consisted of three speeches in honor of the benefactor.

maverick: a person who does not conform to the norm

The maverick drove a large truck as others were purchasing compact cars.

meander: wind, wander; winding, wandering aimlessly

The stream meanders through the valley.
Because we took a long, meandering walk, we arrived home well after dark.
They meandered through the woods for the afternoon.

melancholy: depression; gloom

The funeral parlor was filled with the melancholy of mourning.

mellifluous: having a sweet sound

The flute had a beautifully mellifluous sound.

melodious: pleasing to hear

The melodious sounds of the band attracted many onlookers.

menagerie: a place to keep or a collection of wild or strange animals

Little Ryan couldn't wait to visit the zoo to see the menagerie of wild boars.

mendacious: not truthful; lying

The couple was swindled out of their life's savings by the mendacious con men.

mentor: teacher; wise and faithful advisor

Alan consulted his mentor when he needed critical advice.

mercenary: working or done for payment only; hired (soldier)

Lila was suspicious that Joe had jumped at the chance only for mercenary reasons.
A mercenary was hired for a hundred dollars a month, good money in those days even if you had to fight a war to get it.

mercurial: quick, changeable, fickle

The mercurial youth changed outfits six times before deciding what to wear.

meretricious: deceptive beauty - alluring by attractive appearance

A cubic zirconia is a meretricious way of impressing others.

mesmerize: hypnotize

The swaying motion of the swing mesmerized the baby into a deep sleep.

metamorphosis: change of form

A metamorphosis caused the caterpillar to become a beautiful butterfly.

meticulous: exacting; precise

The lab technicians must be meticulous in their measurements to obtain exact results.

mettle: spirit, courage, ardor

He proved he had the mettle to make it through basic training.

mien: appearance, being or manner

Her mien was typically one of distress, especially after the mishap.

mimicry: imitation

The comedian's mimicry of the president's gestures had the audience rolling in the aisles.

minatory: threatening

The minatory stance of the dog warned the thief of an attack.

minute: extremely small, tiny

Being on a sodium-restricted diet, he uses only a minute amount of salt in his dishes.

mire: to cause to get stuck in wet, soggy ground

The car became mired in the mud.

misanthrope: a person who distrusts everything; a hater of mankind

After the man swindled all of the woman's savings, she became a misanthrope.
The misanthrope lived alone in the forest.

miscreant: evil; an evil person; villain

Her miscreant actions shocked and surprised her family.
The miscreant thought nothing of taking others' money and belongings.

miser: penny pincher, stingy person

The miser made no donations and loved counting his money every night.

mite: a very small sum of money; very small creature

The mite they pay me is hardly worth the aggravation.
The baseball team was made up of such small children they were nicknamed the "Mites".

mitigate: alleviate; lessen; soothe

She tried to mitigate the loss of his pet by buying him a kitten.
The lawyer will attempt to mitigate the sentence probation.

modulate: to regulate or adjust; to vary the pitch

He modulated the color knob on the television set until the picture was perfect.
A trained singer knows how to modulate her voice to the desired pitches.

mollify: to soften; to make less intense

We used our hands to mollify the sound of our giggling.

molten: melted

Steel becomes molten after heating it to thousands of degrees.

moot: subject to or open for discussion or debate

The discussion of extending the girl's curfew was a moot point.

mordant: cutting; sarcastic

Her mordant remark made me feel unqualified and useless.

morose: moody, despondent

He was very morose over the death of his pet.
After the team lost the fans were morose.

motif: theme

Although the college students lived in Alaska, they decided on a tropical motif for their dorm room.
The decorations include a rose motif.

motility: spontaneous motion

The motility of the car caused the driver to lunge for the brake.

mundane: ordinary; commonplace

The small town was very mundane.
Going food shopping soon became mundane, losing all of its excitement.

munificent: giving generously

The civic group made a munificent donation to the homeless shelter.

muse: to think or speak meditatively

I expect I'll have to muse on that question for a while.

myriad: a large number

Buying an old house often necessitates fixing a myriad of problems.
Gazing up on the clear, dark midnight sky, the astronomer saw a myriad of stars.