Words

Pronunciation

 (part of speech)

Word Charge

Word Group

Machination

\mak uh NAY shun\ (n.)

– charge INTELLIGENT

crafty scheme; covert plot

When the public learned of the politician’s machinations, they immediately called for his resignation.

Magnify

\MAG nih fiy\ (v.)

= charge SIZE

make greater in size, enlarge

The store is already losing money on a daily basis, so unnecessarily spending more on electronic doors would only magnify the problem.

Malediction

\mal ih DIK shun\ (n.)

– charge HOSTILE

curse

The prince-frog looked for a princess to kiss him and put an end to the witch’s evil malediction.

Malinger

\muh LING er\ (v.)

– charge UNPRODUCTIVE

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering—faking an illness so as to avoid being taken by the Army.

Mallet

\MAL it\ (n.)

= charge HELPFUL

short-handled hammer

When we last went camping, I brought along a mallet to drive the tent stakes into the ground.

Mandate

\MAN dayt\ (n.)

= charge BOSSY

a command or instruction

The U.S. Marshals Service was given a mandate by the Department of Justice to pursue and arrest federal fugitives.

Manifest

\MAN ih fest\ (adj.)

– charge OPEN

obvious

The fact that she had plastic surgery done was manifest, since she looked 20 years younger than she had looked the week before.

Manual

\MAN yoo ul\ (n.)

= charge COMMUNICATION

small instruction book

Before operating heavy machinery, it’s important to carefully read the manual to ensure that all safety precautions have

Materialism

\mu TEER ee uh lizm\ (n.)

– charge INDULGED

preoccupation with worldly goods

The couple’s materialism revealed itself in their obsession with buying the most up-to-date model of every consumer item.

Matriarch

\MAY tree ark\ (n.)

= charge PEOPLE

woman who rules family or clan

Before we start our Thanksgiving feast, my grandmother stands and, as the matriarch, welcomes everyone to the meal.

Maverick

\MAV uh rik\ (n.)

= charge ALONE

one who breaks away from group conformity and forges a new course

While possessing greater skill than the rest of the squad, the soldier had a reputation for being a maverick and therefore didn’t advance in rank as quickly as the others.

Maxim

\MAK sim\ (n.)

= charge BELIEF

fundamental principle

Abby tried her best to live her life according to the maxim “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Meager

\MEE ger\ (adj.)

– charge MONEY

minimal, scanty, deficient

“How can we be expected to survive on these meager portions of food?” complained the hungry prisoners to the warden.

Measured

\MEZH erd\ (adj.)

= charge CAUTIOUS

calculated, deliberate

Upon coming to power, the exacting ruler took measured steps to improve the economy.

Mechanism

\MEHK uh nizm\ (n.)

= charge PRODUCTIVE

a machine

The mechanism that opens the door in a supermarket is a weight-sensor on the floor that activates a motor in the wall.

Meddler

\MED ler\ (n.)

– charge UNINTERESTED

person interfering in others’ affairs

Mickey is a real meddler, always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.

Mediate

\MEE dee ayt\ (v.)

+ charge PEACEABLE

to resolve a dispute between two other parties

When the bickering couple realized they could no longer talk to each other, they brought in a lawyer to mediate between them.

Meditate

\MED ih tayt\ (v.)

= charge EVALUATE

reflect on, contemplate

After each boxing match, the fighter liked to sit and meditate while replaying the fight in his head.

Medium

\MEE dee um\ (n.)

= charge SPIRITUAL

psychic

The medium claimed the ability to speak to individuals long-deceased and charged a premium price for the service.

Melee

\ma LAY\ (n.)

– charge AGGRESSIVE

tumultuous free-for-all

The hunted fugitive managed to evade his captors in the melee of the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Melodious

\meh LOW dee us\ (adj.)

+ charge ATTRACTIVE

musical, pleasant to hear

The children listened raptly as Mrs. Bookman read them a story, her melodious voice changing tone to mimic the book’s different characters.

Melodrama

\MEL oh drah ma\ (n.)

= charge COMMUNICATION

drama characterized by exaggerated emotions and interpersonal

conflicts

“My life is a melodrama!” moaned Nat after arguing with his parents and his best friend in the same day.

Mendicant

\MEN dih kent\ (n.)

– charge MONEY

beggar

“Please sir, can you spare a dime?” begged the mendicant as the businessman walked past.

Merciless

\MER see less\ (adj.)

– charge HOSTILE

without pity

The merciless dictator ordered an entire village to imprisoned for yelling at him when he rode through their town.

Merriment

\MER ree ment\ (n.)

+ charge HAPPY

high-spirited fun

When Anne feels depressed she likes to go to her friend’s apartment, where the constant merriment never fails to cheer her up.

Merrymaking

\MER ree mayk ing\ (n.)

+ charge HAPPY

participation in festivities

The last party we had was so successful that sounds of our merrymaking reached people’s houses several blocks away.

Methodical

\me THOD ih kul\ (adj.)

+ charge DILIGENT

systematic, orderly

Lawrence was one of the most respected surgeons in the city because of his methodical technique.

Meticulous

\meh TIK yoo luss\ (adj.)

+ charge CAUTIOUS

extremely careful, fastidious, painstaking

To find all the clues at the crime scene, the investigators meticulously examined every inch of the area.

Miffed

\MIFT\ (adj.)

– charge SAD

offended, annoyed

Roger was miffed at his company’s refusal to employ his son.

Milestone

\MTYL stohn\ (n.)

+ charge IMPORTANT

important event in something or someone’s history

The Nineteenth Amendment, which allowed women to vote in elections, was a milestone in the advancement of women’s’ rights.

Mimic

\MIM ik\ (v.)

= charge TYPICAL

copy, imitate

Harold worked for the circus, training monkeys to mimic the actions of people that walk past the cages.

Mirage

\mih RAZH\ (n.)

= charge FALSE

optical illusion, apparition

After wandering the desert for hours, the group was sure they had seen a lake in the distance, but in reality it had been nothing more than a mirage.

Misconception

\mis kon SEP shun\ (n.)

– charge FALSE

error in understanding

tis a common misconception that antiques are only valuable because they are old; in reality, valuable antiques are usually examples of excellent craftsmanship from their respective eras.

Missive

\MIS iv\ (n.)

= charge COMMUNICATION

note or letter

Lydia spent hours composing a romantic missive for Leo, which she sent off in the evening mail.

Mitigate

\MIT ih gayt\ (v.)

+ charge SOOTHE

to soften or make milder

A judge may mitigate a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need.

Mock

\MOK\ (v.)

– charge HOSTILE

to deride, ridicule

Charles suspected that Toni was mocking him behind his back, but in fact, she respected him greatly.

Moderate

\MOD uh rit\ (adj.)

+ charge SAVING

reasonable, not extreme

“Please make sure my dish is moderately spiced; I like a little spice, but not too much,” the customer instructed the waiter.

Modest

\MOD est\ (adj.)

+ charge SIMPLE

shy; plain, unassuming; moderate in size

Shirley wasn’t looking for a mansion; she was happy to settle for a modest house in a nice neighborhood.

Modesty

\MOD es tee\ (n.)

+ charge APPROPRIATE

propriety in speech, dress, or behavior

The innovator’s modesty prevented him from taking full credit for the invention, though no one doubted his enormous and essential contribution.

Modicum

\MOH di kum\ (n.)

= charge SIZE

small or token amount

When teachers walk into their classrooms, they expect at least a modicum of respect from their students.

Modulate

\MOJ uh layt\ (v.)

= charge CHANGING

to change pitch, intensity, or tone; to regulate

To perform the voices in her cartoon program, Jeanie modulated her voice to sound different for each character.

Momentary

\MOH men TE ree\ (adj.)

= charge CHANGING

short-lived, lasting only for a short time

Roger’s momentary lapse in memory suddenly ended when the officers showed him pictures of the crime scene.

Momentous

\moh MEN tuss\ (adj.)

+ charge SIZE

very important or significant

Choosing to quit her job to pursue a career in acting was a momentous decision for Louise.

Morality

\maw RA li tee\ (n.)

+ charge PEOPLE

concerned with right and wrong

Some vegetarians aren’t concerned with the morality of their dietary choices.

Morass

\mu RASS\ (n.)

= charge MESSY

marsh, an area of soggy ground

Robin stopped riding her bike through the marshland after she got stuck in the morass and couldn’t pull her bike through.

Morose

\mor ROHSS\ (adj.)

– charge SAD

gloomy, sullen, or surly

After hearing that the university had rejected him, Lenny was morose for weeks.

Muddle

\MUD il\ (v.)

– charge MESSY

to jumble, to confuse; to bungle

Roger tried explaining his invention to he friends, but he kept muddling the technical terms and confusing them.

Mundane

\mun DAYN\ (adj.)

– charge ORDINARY

ordinary, commonplace

The plot of the thriller was completely mundane; as usual, the film ended with a huge explosion.

Munificent

\myoo NIF ih sint\ (adj.)

+ charge GENEROUS

generous

The munificent millionaire donated ten million dollars to the hospital.

Mutter

\MUT er\ (v.)

– charge COMMUNICATION

to grumble or complain

When the class heard that the assignment had been increased to fifteen pages, they muttered dejectedly to themselves.

Mystify

\MIST ih fiy\ (v.)

– charge UNCLEAR

to confuse or puzzle, to make obscure

David Copperfield mystified his audience during one magic show when he seemingly made the Statue of Liberty disappear from New York Harbor.

Mythical

\MITH ih kul\ (adj.)

= charge FALSE

fictitious element belonging to ancient stories

Unicorns are mythical creatures with a single long horn that supposedly have magical powers of healing.