- macerate Dictionary lookup
(v.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(adj.; v.) spotted, blotched; hence defiled, impure (opposite: immaculate); to stain, spot, defile
The maculate rug could not be cleaned.
Grape juice maculated the carpet. - magnanimity Dictionary lookup
(n.; adj.) 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. - malefactor Dictionary lookup
(n.) an evil person
The malefactor ordered everyone to work over the holidays.
The prison contains malefactors of all ages. - malevolent Dictionary lookup
(adj.) wishing evil (opposite: benevolent)
The man threatened his opponent with threats and malevolent words.
She had malevolent feelings toward her sister. - malicious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) spiteful; vindictive
The malicious employee slashed her tires for revenge. - malign Dictionary lookup
(v.; adj.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(v.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(adj.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(n.) order; charge
The new manager wrote a mandate declaring that smoking was now prohibited in the office. - mar Dictionary lookup
(v.) damage
The statue was marred by the ravages of time. - marauder Dictionary lookup
(n.) plunderer or raider
The marauder had been traveling for two months searching for the large stash. - maudlin Dictionary lookup
(adj.) foolishly and tearfully sentimental
The maudlin affair consisted of three speeches in honor of the benefactor. - maverick Dictionary lookup
(n.) a person who does not conform to the norm
The maverick drove a large truck as others were purchasing compact cars. - meander Dictionary lookup
(v.; adj.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(n.) depression; gloom
The funeral parlor was filled with the melancholy of mourning.
- mellifluous Dictionary lookup
(adj.) having a sweet sound
The flute had a beautifully mellifluous sound. - melodious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) pleasing to hear
The melodious sounds of the band attracted many onlookers. - mentor Dictionary lookup
(n.) teacher; wise and faithful advisor
Alan consulted his mentor when he needed critical advice. - mercenary Dictionary lookup
(adj.; n.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(adj.) quick, changeable, fickle
The mercurial youth changed outfits six times before deciding what to wear. - meretricious Dictionary lookup
(adj.) deceptive beauty - alluring by attractive appearance
A cubic zirconia is a meretricious way of impressing others. - mesmerize Dictionary lookup
(v.) hypnotize
The swaying motion of the swing mesmerized the baby into a deep sleep. - metamorphosis Dictionary lookup
(n.) change of form
A metamorphosis caused the caterpillar to become a beautiful butterfly. - meticulous Dictionary lookup
(adj.) exacting; precise
The lab technicians must be meticulous in their measurements to obtain exact results. - mettle Dictionary lookup
(n.) spirit, courage, ardor
He proved he had the mettle to make it through basic training. - mien Dictionary lookup
(n.) appearance, being or manner
Her mien was typically one of distress, especially after the mishap. - minatory Dictionary lookup
(adj.) threatening
The minatory stance of the dog warned the thief of an attack. - minute Dictionary lookup
(adj.) extremely small, tiny
Being on a sodium-restricted diet, he uses only a minute amount of salt in his dishes. - mire Dictionary lookup
(v.) to cause to get stuck in wet, soggy ground
The car became mired in the mud. - miser Dictionary lookup
(n.) penny pincher, stingy person
The miser made no donations and loved counting his money every night. - mite Dictionary lookup
(n.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(v.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(v.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(v.) to soften; to make less intense
We used our hands to mollify the sound of our giggling. - molten Dictionary lookup
(adj.) melted
Steel becomes molten after heating it to thousands of degrees. - mordant Dictionary lookup
(adj.) cutting; sarcastic
Her mordant remark made me feel unqualified and useless. - morose Dictionary lookup
(adj.) moody, despondent
He was very morose over the death of his pet.
After the team lost the fans were morose.
- motif Dictionary lookup
(n.) 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 Dictionary lookup
(n.) spontaneous motion
The motility of the car caused the driver to lunge for the brake. - mundane Dictionary lookup
(adj.) ordinary; commonplace
The small town was very mundane.
Going food shopping soon became mundane, losing all of its excitement. - munificent Dictionary lookup
(adj.) giving generously
The civic group made a munificent donation to the homeless shelter. - myriad Dictionary lookup
(n.) 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.