[TOEFL iBT] Danh sách từ vựng – Vần M

MACHIAVELLIAN

Sacrificing moral principles in order to attain power; politically cunning; crafty – a machiavellian design, wickedly contrived.

Synonym: unscrupulous

MALICIOUS

(noun: MALICE): Bearing, or acting with, deliberate ill-will or spite – hurting with malicious intent.

Synonyms:rancorous, malignant, malevolent, virulent, vindictive

Antonym: benign

MASQUERADE

(verb): To assume a deceptive appearance or character – a thief masquerading as an honest man.

Synonyms: dissemble, feign

(noun): A disguise; a group of people in disguise or fancy costumes – a masquerade so perfect no one could guess his identity.

MAUDLIN

Sentimental to the point of tears – turned maudlin at the mention of his lost dog.

Synonym : mawkish, lachrymose

MEANDER

To walk about (or talk) aimlessly; to wind about (as a stream) – meandered through the town, looking into shop windows.

Synonym: ramble

MEDIOCRE

Average in quality – a mediocre performance, unworthy of his talents.

MERCENARY

Acting solely from a consideration of reward or profit – actuated by a mercenary motive.

Synonym: venal

MERETRICIOUS

Attracting in a false, cheap, or showy manner- a meretricious beauty that is too flashy to be real.

Synonyms:tawdry, specious

METICULOUS

Fussy about minute details – took meticulous pains with his composition.

Synonyms:fastidious, punctilious, overscrupulous, finical, methodical

Antonyms:desultory, perfunctory, slovenly

METTLE

(adj.: METTLESOME: high-spirited ): Disposition; spirit; courage – His mettle was tried in battle.

Idiom: to be on one’s mettle (meaning, “ready to do one’s best”)

Synonyms:temperament, ardor

MICROCOSM

A little world, or a universe in miniature this village, a microcosm of the great outside world.

Antonym:macrocosm (world on a large scale)

MIMIC

To make fun of or copy by imitating – mimicked the comedian’s gestures.

MISANTHROPIC

(noun: MISANTHROPE): Hating or distrusting mankind – condemned for his misanthropic views.

Antonyms: philanthropic, altruistic

MISNOMER

A name or term that describes wrongly – To call him a brave man is really a misnomer.

MONOLOGUE

A speech by one person – The actor gave his views in a dramatic monologue.

Synonym:soliloquy

Antonyms:colloquy (adj. colloquial): conversation between two or more persons; dialogue: conversation between two persons

MOROSE

Gloomy; ill-humored – shunned because of his morose temper.

Synonyms: sulky, crabbed, sullen, splenetic, saturnine

Antonyms: blithe, genial

MOTLEY

Of various colors; of mixed ingredients – a motley costume; a motley crowd.

Synonyms: checkered (referring to a varied career), piebald, variegated, diverse, heterogeneous

Antonym: homogeneous

MOTTLED

Spotted or streaked with varied colors – a mottled pony.

Synonyms:blotched, dappled

MUNDANE

Of, or pertaining to, the world, as contrasted with the spirit – mundane affairs.

Synonyms:earthly, terrestrial, secular, temporal

MURKY

Dark; cloudy – a murky cavern.

Synonyms:dismal, tenebrous, fuliginous

Antonyms:resplendent, glowing, lustrous, luminous, fulgent, coruscating

MUTABLE

Given to frequent change in nature, mood, or form – mutable in mood as a spring wind.

Synonyms:vacillating, fickle, inconstant, fitful, mercurial, wavering, capricious

Antonyms:constant, steady

MYRIAD

Innumerable – the myriad stars in the heavens.