Vocab

Intrigue -->
Agents of two powers opposing powers intrigue against each other

Machination

Macabre -->
We knew at least one of Cersei’s kids would get it this season after the whole thing began with that macabre prophesy flashback

maculate

maelstrom

->Tossed into an American teenage maelstrom, she found comfort playing soccer as well as field hockey.
->Third-century Syria was also a maelstrom of religions, as pagan cults thrived alongside monotheistic religions, some worshipping the sun.

magnanimous (not used for describing oneself but others)

magniloquent (syn: grandiloquent,bombastic, pompous, and highfalutin)

maim

regal (syn:majestic, royal , imperial)

malady (maal-uh-di) (usage: And yet it's got some chronic maladies: distribution costs, diminishing e-book profit shares and the dominance of Amazon as a bookseller.)

malaise ('Mal' in french =bad, 'aise' =ease)

malapropism -->
She likes puns and malapropisms, homonyms and substitutions, words with multiple meanings and words that seem to have no meaning at all

malevolent

malingerer (syn: skulker, slacker)

malleable

manifestation

manumit

mar

martyr

matriarchy

matrix

maudlin -- Maudlin was a form of the name Mary Magdalene, a character from the Bible represented in paintings as a weeping sinner asking forgiveness from Jesus. Maudlin is often paired with sentimental, or even schlocky, to describe cry-fests, , as in "I can't watch another second of that overly-sentimental, maudlin soap opera. Turn that schlock off."

schlock

maul -- Tigers, lions, bears––animals with powerful paws and sharp claws, will maul their victims.

maven

maverick

mawkish -->
The movie accentuates the positive without descending into mawkish sentimentality, although here and there it comes close.

maxim

Meager -> If you can remember that you will look emaciated if your diet is meager, you’ll use the word correctly.

meander --> If your speech meanders, you don't keep to the point. It's hard to understand what your teacher is trying to impart if he keeps meandering off with anecdotes and digressions
-->This career thing is less like a straight shot on the freeway, and more like a meandering path through the woods

amble --> for a long time it was only used for horses or for those on horseback. We use it for people now, but it still retains some of its horse-like country feel.
-->Care to take an amble down a pleasant country road

melancholy --> Adj -"growing more melancholy every hour”
“we acquainted him with the melancholy truth”

mellifluous -- derived from Greek nymph Melissa who discovered honey

melodramatic

menace ^

--> (N) It’s been cleansed of any menace that might have rendered it oppressive. (V) Whaley was shot in the arm after he menaced the sergeant with a knife

menagerie -->If you really want a backyard menagerie of farm animals after visiting the petting zoo, take a long sniff and remember what comes with them

mendacious -->think of the most deceptive, insincere, perfidious, duplicitous, false person you've ever met, and then add the word mendacious to that list

mendicant

menial

mercantile

mercenary

mercurial -->"mercurial twists of temperament”
Mercury was the ancient Roman god of commerce and messenger of the gods, has the unpredictable personality

meretricious -->
"a meretricious yet stylish book”
-->meretricious praise
-->meretricious relationships
-->Quite often, when good writers write gracelessly, they are trying to sell us on a meretricious concept.
-->meretricious flaunting of big fake diamond earrings

metaphysical

mettle
-->Lets test your mettle
-->He proved his mettle by winning fourth time

microcosm
-->This is a microcosm of what’s happening all across Minnesota
-->This incident is microcosm of our whole relationship

mein
-->cheerful mein , serious mein
-->But below that laid-back mien is a deeply conscientious man.

milieu
-->if you have rich friends, you are in upper crust milieu
-->milieu of abuse and provety
-->milieu is what shapes a person

militant *

obsequious
-->fawning
-->toadyish

mirth
-->The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth

misanthrope

misconstrue
-->Did their image get convoluted and misconstrued by record labels?

miscreant
--> old-fashioned word used by old people

misnomer
-->If it enters through the skin, it can cause infections and skin ulcers—though calling it a “flesh-eating bacteria,” as many say, is a misnomer.

mitigate
-->Affliction is allayed, grief subsides, sorrow is soothed, distress is mitigated.
-->“It was a few bad apples” can only mitigate so much.

mnemonic

modest **
-->Around 17th century, modest referred to proper or decent dress and behavior especially in women
-->(4) a modest salary
-->(5) a newspaper with a modest circulation - small in range or scope
-->(6) comfortable but modest cottages

modicum
-->If you had a modicum of sense (i.e. any sense at all), you'd be able to see that the pencil you've spent the last five minutes looking for is tucked behind your ear.

mollify
-->I was angry that the guy took my seat, but I was mollified when he offered me one closer to the band.

monetary

moniker

monolithic
-->the monolithic proportions of Stalinist architecture
-->a monolithic worldwide movement

monotheism

monotonous
-->She can hear the trains stop, then resume their monotonous drone.

moot *
-->When someone accuses you of making a moot point, he's basically saying, "Come on! Let's talk about what's important."
-->(4) he organized the weekly moot

moratorium
-->moratoriums go into effect when something becomes seen as being not okay for now, but might go back to being okay later
-->principal put a moratorium on drinking any water at school

morbid
-->morbid details
-->morbid curiosity
-->a morbid growth

More
-->The mores of the Victorian era prescribed modesty for women

morose
-->It was a positive catharsis. I didn’t come away morose. It was uplifting for me.

mortify
-->4. mortified Jesus
--> I felt like a mortified child who just got ejected from the cool kids table

motif
-->Think about a pattern or design that moves throughout something when you hear motif
--> Do you like dresses with a floral motif?

motley
-->motley crew

mull
-->I mulled over the events of the afternoon
-->mulled cider

multitudinous
-->multitudinous pirates

necrosis

munificent
-->his father gave him a half-dollar and his mother a quarter and he thought them munificent

myriad
-->not used in speech but only in written form

maladroit (ant: adroit)

invidious
-->The benefit would be granted to all, to avoid creating “invidious distinctions” between rich and poor.

malediction

malefactor

->They both identify the tobacco companies as the main malefactor.
->The Microsoft monoculture presented hackers and other malefactors with a colossal and lucrative target.

malfeasance
-->Bribes, kickbacks, strong-arming countries, and general malfeasance have plagued the organization for years.

malign *
-->Hillary publicly maligned all of the women who told the truth about Bill.
-->believed in witches and malign spirits

mandate
-->A politician who believe in higher taxes and then gets elected considers that a mandate to raise taxes

mania
-->our relentless photo-sharing mania
-->society’s meat mania

mantle **
--> (v) The ivy mantles the building
->5. place the mantle of authority on younger shoulders

martinet
-->was a legendary drillmaster for the French army , who was strict and demanding in adhering to the rules
-->The Patriots’ head coach, Bill Belichick, a detail-obsessed martinet of Prussian severity

medley

megalomania
-->saying the stunt was inspired by "a drop of megalomania"

missive
-->In Their Own Words Four actors read from the final missives of suicide victims

morass
-->political morass

mordant
-->show’s welcome stabs of mordant humor

gaffe
-->The company's recently been under fire for two separate incidents involving its executives making privacy gaffes

gallant

galvanize *
-->The news has galvanized physicists in search of answers.

gamut *

(often used with 'run' :- it aroused emotions that run the gamut of joy, regret, sorrow, and excitement)
-->The reasons for people’s disdain for the book run the gamut
--> With that in mind, Oregon’s Medicaid began covering the gamut of treatment, regardless of age, in January.

garb
--> Windsor has gotten offers to dress celebrities in her garb, but would rather focus on everyday women, she said

garish
(often used to describe colors, clothing, decorations, and other things that can be elegant and tasteful)
-->CeCe rejects the possibility of death as vigorously as she refuses to tolerate garish sweaters

garnish *

-->2. His employer garnished his wages in order to pay his debt

garrulous
(syn. loquacious, gabby)

-->Like most of the narrators in this genre, Mr. Thirlwell’s is garrulous and neurotic

gaudy *
(Syn. meretricious, garish)

-->Gaudy optical zoom capability is a weapon of choice for traditional camera companies trying to sell high end compact cameras.

genial *

-->Summoning a host of reporters to the hotel lobby, he lost his ever- genial composure for the first and only time in his public life.

blandness **

-->but the real crime here is blandness and predictability.
--> 2.Whitman is taking cover in a genial blandness rather than risking exposure.
-->3. the blandness of his confession enraged the judge

genteel

-->Somehow, in this genteel environment, he developed not only a pitcher’s body, but a kick-your-butt attitude

gentility ^

gentry

--> The gentry of New York society are the people who make major donations to art museums

genuflect
(In our more egalitarian age, genuflecting has taken on a rather insincere and servile meaning. Best not to genuflect, but simply to admire)

-->Every time I stepped into his office, I felt the need to genuflect

germane

--> he asks questions that are germane and central to the issue

germinal

-->He was in the house band for the germinal pop TV series “Shindig!”

germinate

-->the plentiful rain germinated my plants
-->Play expands our minds in ways that allow us to explore: to germinate new ideas or see old ideas in a new light

gerrymander

(Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry redrew district boundaries,then a new district looked like a salamander, so they combined Gerry and -mander to create the new word gerrymander)

gestate
(Frequently, gestate is used to refer to ideas and plans while they're in the development phase)

-->The sequel has been gestating for years, with original director Ridley Scott set to executive produce

gesticulation

->No yelling, and other than the small fist shake there were no gesticulations.

ghastly

gibe **
(spelled as jibe but jibe means to agree)
***If you want to jibe with me, don't gibe me.
-->1. For Mr. Obama, there is good reason to tolerate any gibes from Mrs. Clinton, real or perceived

giddy ^

-->But while we're giddy to watch the best players in the world labor to make pars, there's plenty else to talk about

gingerly

-->they proceeded with gingerly footwork over the jagged stones

gird*
-->1. A field that is girded by trees
2. Gird with seat-belt
3. Gird your loins (idiom) - tighten your pants and prepare for battle
3. Cruz, for one, is already girding himself for a possible court decision affirming same-sex marriage.

glimmer

(A glimmer of an idea is just a small inkling of an idea)
-> You don't have a glimmer of what I'm talking about, do you?

girder

girth

->His immediate surroundings had to be remade to accommodate his girth
->Researchers trying to understand the genetic basis of this girth have uncovered a way to make other fruits larger as well

glean

-->**Seeing a word in context lets you glean information about how it's used
-->For all the movie’s flashy pyrotechnics and pulverizing techno-ish musical numbers, gleaning an emotional pulse can be challenging.

glib **

->1. a glib tongue ; a glib car salesaman
2. glib promises; glib resume
3. a glib response to a complex question; glib generalizations
4. You’re in a business where you risk danger telling any joke or making any glib comment.

glower

-->Olly has lately been seen wrestling with unknown issues and glowering at Snow

glum

-->Why so glum?

glut

-->Glut the country with cheap imports from the Orient
-->See it in the video above and in the glut of .gifs that overtook social media after the show.
-->3.Schieldrop said that world oil demand was increasing, but that might not be enough to soak up a global supply glut.

glutinous

-->In long, steady shots, it absorbs the unglamorous details of judicial procedure in a single case that unfolds at glutinous pace.

goad

-->She goaded police officers by saying she could beat them up and saying her necklace was worth more than one officer made in a year
->mom's constant nagging and goading

gnarl

-->2. the old man's fists were two great gnarls

gorge

-->use this figuratively when you want to indicate disgust.
--> Your "gorge" will most likely rise at the sight of the roasted monkey knuckles.
== haraga thatsuva

gory

-->A room hidden behind a curtain displayed gory photos of rebel-caused civilian causalities

gorget

gossamer

->“It’s a gossamer thread and we remain sanguine."
->A lettuce leaf is gossamer, floppy and delicate.

gouge ***
->5. Usually greedy 3rd parties trying to price gouge the uninformed
->3.The raging waters swept through the zoo, gouged huge chunks out of roads
->1. Out on the range, the horse had experienced everything, including a bull goring that had left a gouge in his rump

gourmand

gourmet

graft
->2. graft the cherry tree branch onto the plum tree
-> 3. But critics say Demirel symbolized a culture in which power came before principles, and helped entrench patronage and graft.

grandeur
->an imaginative mix of old-fashioned grandeur and colorful art
->These are seedy, small-time cops and robbers, but their story is sometimes ennobled with almost startling touches of visual grandeur

grandiloquent
(usually refers to the way a person behaves or speaks)

grandiose
( it's that excessiveness that pushes something grand (large, with an air of distinction) into grandiose (large, but trying too hard) territory.)
->The grandiose vision is to repair democracy; to do that, we have to fix political engagement

grapple

-->grapple for answers
->grapple with budget

gratify

(with a small hint of indulgence)
("gratify one's desires" often used disapprovingly)
->It was the most exciting and gratifying experience I had ever had.

gratuitous

(usually for unnecessary, but also sometimes means inappropriate)
->gratuitous violence — that is, violence that is excessive and offensive
->The complaint details gratuitous strip searches, beatings, broken bones and verbal abuse.

gratuity

gregarious

->he is a gregarious person who avoids solitude
->Mr. Grinda, gregarious and quirky, was once a shy teenager who liked video games and tennis.

grievous

1.grievous loss
2. g bodily farm
->3. a grievous fault

grimace

->He grimaced when he saw the amount of homework he had to do

gripe

(a trivial complaint)
->Even Spieth's possible flaws are rendered charming, as on Friday when he chose to gripe out loud on national TV.

grisly
(syn. macabre)
(grizzly=big o'l bear)
(gristly=rubber or cartilage-difficult to chew)

groggy

->Her voice was groggy, reminding me that it was one o’clock in the morning.

grovel

->You don’t have to grovel and beg for a job.

grudging

("Grudging apology" and "grudging acceptance" are probably the two most common uses of this word)
->grudging acceptance of his opponent's victory
->I have also started looking forward to sunchokes, a vegetable that has a hard time getting more out of me than grudging acceptance.

gruff

->Gruff is the perfect adjective to describe a crotchety old man who rarely leaves his house and yells at any children who dare to cross his lawn
->The school’s gruff security officer wishes him luck on his SATs.

guile

->But with firmness and guile, she persuaded reluctant House colleagues to pass a Senate version they disliked.

Guise
(similar to disguise -> Guise is about trying on new attitudes and mannerisms, such as speaking and acting in the guise of a native in a place where you are actually a tourist. Disguise involves hiding your real identity, disappearing in the new role.)
-> Apple Apple’s closed ecosystem and Google’s Android, which operates under the guise of being open.

gullible

->Nothing is this simple, except for the electorate who are gullible.
->you can't gull me into believing that!

gumption

->It takes gumption to get things done — especially difficult things. Someone who takes risks without being afraid has gumption.

gustatory

palliative

->A heating pack is a commonly employed palliative for temporarily reducing the pain of strained muscles
->But opponents said lawmakers should focus on expanding access to palliative care.

palpable

(even though the word is often used to describe things that usually can't be handled or touched, such as emotions or sensations)
(Palpable is usually reserved for situations in which something invisible becomes so intense that it feels as though it has substance or weight)

panacea
(Use the word to describe an unbelievable solution, like a new law that will make everyone rich, or a robot that does your homework for you.)
->Contribution limits are no panacea; if one door is closed, money will find its way into the political system through another.

pandemonium
->The two men with mallets were oblivious to the pandemonium around them.

paradigm

->Compulsive consumerism is one example of how the techno-economic paradigm affects individuals.
->When you change paradigms, you're changing how you think about something.

paragon

->"paragon of virtue" or "paragon of patience."
->This doesn't mean that teachers need to be paragons of moral virtue, incapable of making mistakes

parsimonious

(syn. thrifty, frugal, penurious, niggardly, penny-pinching, miserly, tight-fisted, tight)
->Champions League football looked a distinct possibility for a team sparkling in attack and parsimonious in defence.

partisan
(If something is prejudicial towards a particular point of view, you can call it partisan)
->The round ended with a stare down between the two fighters to the delight of the partisan crowd of 9,016.

patrician

->The employer wants “a real Knickerbocker,” a patrician with breeding and connections.

patriarchal

pastoral

->This idyllic setting offers nearly ten acres of pastoral fields
->In a culture of rabid partisans, she likes to think she owns herself.

patronizing

->It is thoughtful, intelligent, emotionally poignant, and not remotely patronizing to its target audience or anyone else in the theater.

paucity
(syn. dearth)
->People in LA don't understand how New Yorkers can live with such a paucity of space
->The Internet, with its explosive growth and paucity of regulation, may be the closest thing to it today

pecuniary

->he received thanks but no pecuniary compensation for his services
->It’s hard to put a price, pecuniary or punitive, on that.

pedagogy

->pedagogy is recognized as an important profession
-> the research was based on a recognized principle in pedagogy known as 'the protégé effect'.

pedant

->The best critics and philosophers slide, necessarily, to and fro on the scale from butterfly to pedant.

penitent

->The penitent threw herself at the bishop's feet and begged forgiveness for her sins.

penurious
-->lived in a most penurious manner--denying himself every indulgence
-->For instance, China’s one-child policy has produced a penurious generation of young adults who are the sole support for aging family members.

penury

--->Despite her penury, she has helped 84 youngsters born through rape

perfidious
(syn. quisling)
->Negotiations commenced with the British government, but Albion proved perfidious once again.

perilous

perish

pernicious

->pernicious effects of watching too much TV and playing video games all day
->The enemy is climate pollution; coal is merely its most pernicious face.

perpetuate
-> Things that should NOT be perpetuated? Ugly rumors, arms races, and your Aunt Martha's annual fruit cake
-> Needless to say, you wouldn't want to perpetuate the acts of perpetrators!

pertinent

peruse
->Please peruse this report at your leisure

pervasive

->There is the pungent and pervasive stench of stale beer
->My crush was so pervasive that it overshadowed my memory of Affirmed’s accomplishment
->The issue has created a new cultural mind-set in which poverty is an omnipresent reality and a pervasive fear.

pithy

->phrase or statement is brief but full of substance and meaning. Proverbs and sayings are pithy
->They finally got to the pith of the discussion
->You don’t have to spend much time on Twitter to see the #dad hashtag flash by, often accompanied by a pithy observation.

placate

(syn. mollify, pacify, ingratiate, gruntle)
->I think they are trying to placate Congress and are going to yes us to death until we go away.
(If you placate someone, you stop them from being angry by giving them something or doing something that pleases them)

placid

->remained placid despite the repeated delays
->Her main subject is the placid daily existence of middle-class suburban women: cooking, cleaning, gardening

specious

->earth must be the center of the universe has been proven to be a specious theory of the solar system.

plebeian

->Both soap operas and reality television shows have been described as plebeian forms of entertainment
-> A member of the plebeian class is known as a pleb
->Icy and earthy, Helen Mirren is a rare regal presence in a movie age that values the plebeian over the patrician, and mass over class

gaunt

(remember like :- haunt, g-aunt =>great aunt)

solemn
(remember- "sole man" )

gore *

->An animal with sharp horns, like a bull, can gore a person to death.

ingratiating
-->with open arms and an ingratiating smile
--> A person's smile can be ingratiating, winning people over simply with its charm.

pliable

-->They may or may not choose some pliable patriots to serve as front.

plight
(usually used for groups of people or animals struggling to survive, or struggling for better lives)
-> the woeful plight of homeless people
->2. If you get engaged, you give a plight of your love.

plutocracy

poignant

->poignant touches you deeply, might give you a lump in your throat
->poignant anxiety
->poignant grief cannot endure forever

polarize

->It is not every day that an author has a chance to recast a polarizing character
->2. polarize light waves”