malleable adj. (MAL ee uh bul) pliable, moldable; impressionable. Young minds are particularly malleable, so parents must use great care in teaching morals.
mandate n. (MAN dayt) a strong desire by the people as manifested by an overwhelming vote. The governor received a clear mandate from the voters to buy more land for conservation.
manifest vb. (MAN uh FEST) to show or make evident. At the seance, the spirit would manifest itself in the shape of a chained prisoner.
manifesto n. (man uh FEST oh) any publicly declared political doctrine, set of beliefs, or intentions. In the organization's manifesto was a promise to strive for world peace.
masochist n. (MAS uh kist) one who takes pleasure, especially sexual, in being physically or verbally abused. A sadist takes pleasure from inflicting pain on others, but the masochist takes pleasure from receiving it.
maternal adj. (muh TURN ul) motherly. Maternal instincts compelled the doe to protect its fawn at any cost.
matriarch n. (MAY tree ark) a mother or a ruler who is a woman. The matriarch of the family was regarded as the highest domestic authority; after all, she ruled over nine children and twenty-seven grandchildren.
maudlin adj. (MAWD lin) tearfully sentimental; sentimental to a laughable or unrealistic degree. The movie tried too hard to tug at viewers' heartstrings; unfortunately, most of the writer's attempts at pathos were merely maudlin.
maxim n. (MAK sim) a basic truth stated in a simple sentence. "All is fair in love and war" is a popular maxim.
mea culpa n. (MAY uh KUL puh) my fault; I am guilty. A Latin expression admitting one's guilt. The cat was locked out all night again? Mea culpa! I accidentally broke the pet door last night and forgot to let Morris in.
mediate vb. (MEE dee ayt) to act as an intermediate and help two parties come to an agreement or settlement. The children should not be employed to mediate between feuding husbands and wives.
melodramatic adj. (mel oh druh MAT ik) overly dramatic; theatrical. My teenager is often melodramatic; last night she announced in horrified tones that she would die if she couldn't go to the concert.
menial adj. (MEE nee ul) servile; that of a servant. She held a menial position cleaning the houses of the wealthy.
mentor n. (MEN tor) a teacher, instructor, or guru. A personal mentor can help expedite your apprenticeship as a writer considerably.
mercenary adj. (MERS uh nair ee) motivated purely by money, as a hired soldier. He didn't care who won or lost the war; his motivation as a sharpshooter was solely mercenary.
metamorphosis n. (met uh MORF uh sis) a dramatic transformation. The caterpillar undergoes an incredible metamorphosis to become a butterfly.
metaphor n. (MET uh for) a figure of speech not to be taken literally, but to illustrate a point. "The star basketball player is on fire" is a metaphor for a basketball player who is shooting extremely well.
metaphysical adj. (met uh FIZ ih kul) supernatural; not of the physical world. Astrologers take a metaphysical view of the universe, while astronomers take a physical one.
microcosm n. (MI kroh KOZ um) a miniature world or reality. The suburban sprawl in my neighborhood is just a microcosm of what is happening around the world.
milieu n. (mil YOO) setting; environment. The street corner was not the opera singer's normal performance milieu.
militant adj. (MIL uh tunt) aggressive and antagonistic. The militant environmentalists were arrested for inciting a brawl with lumberjacks.
minutiae n. (mi NOO shee ee) trivial or insignificant detail. Biographies describe a celebrity's life, right down to the finest minutiae.
misanthrope n. (MIS un throhp) one who hates people. The misanthrope shuns community and prefers to live secluded from others.
mitigate vb. (MIT uh gayt) to lessen or soften the effect of something. We tried to mitigate flood damage by sandbagging the periphery of our property.
mollify vb. (MOLL uh fye) to soothe or appease. Giving raises will temporarily mollify complaining employees.
momentous adj. (moh MEN tus) important; consequential; pivotal. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in World War II was momentous.
monolithic adj. (mon oh LITH ik) huge and permanent, as a monolith. The government has taken on monolithic proportions and will be impossible to dismantle.
moot adj. (MOOT) subject to debate; unsettled. Whether men or women make better managers is a moot question.
moral soapbox n. a reference to a figurative or literal platform one stands on to look down at others and moralize or preach. She got up on her moral soapbox and proceeded to point fingers at everyone in our department who had sinned against the company.
moratorium n. (mor uh TOR ee um) a suspension or delay. The city council has ordered a moratorium on all new building permits until an environmental impact study can be made.
morbid adj. (MOR bid) unhealthy, from either a physical or mental standpoint. The pyromaniac has a morbid desire to set fires.
moribund adj. (MOR uh bund) dying; becoming obsolete. Smokestack industries in America are increasingly moribund.
motif n. (moh TEEF) a repeated theme or pattern. The wallpaper featured a motif of birds, flowers, and bees.
muckraking n. (MUK rayk ing) investigative journalism that focuses on corruption or unethical behavior. The newspaper was famous for its crack muckraking staff.
myopic adj. (mi OP ik) short-sighted. Failure to develop solar power now is indicative of this administration's myopic energy program.