
moan | moan: n. 1 complaint, lament, lamentation, groan, wail, moaning, grievance: Disregard his moans about money - he has plenty. --v. 2 complain, lament, groan, wail, bewail, grumble, bemoan, deplore, whine, whimper, Colloq grouse, gripe, beef, bitch, Brit whinge: She''s always moaning about the way people take advantage of her. 3 sigh, mourn, weep, sorrow, cry, wail, keen, grieve, sob, snivel, bawl, mewl, pule, ululate: The women, all in black, moaned and tore their hair as they neared the coffin.
mob | mob: n. 1 horde, host, press, throng, crowd, pack, herd, swarm, crush, jam, multitude, mass, body, assemblage, collection, group: The mob surged forward, hurling sticks and stones at anyone in uniform. 2 rabble, riff-raff, proletariat, populace, the masses, great unwashed, hoi polloi, canaille, bourgeoisie, lower classes, scum (of the earth), dregs of society: The mob cheered when the king was beheaded. --v. 3 crowd (round or around), jostle, throng, surround, beset, clamour over, swoop down on or upon: Thousands of screaming teenagers mobbed the singer.
mobbed | mobbed: adj. crowded, packed, thronged, congested, teeming, swarming, full, filled: They tried to leave by the emergency exit, but that was mobbed, too.
mobile | mobile: adj. 1 movable, non-stationary, unstationary, unfixed, travelling, portable, transportable: A mobile display was designed for industrial fairs. 2 motorized, mechanical, transportable, movable: They live in a mobile home. The mobile library comes round every Wednesday. 3 expressive, sensitive, animated, plastic, flexible, US facile: Her mobile face at once reflected her thoughts. 4 agile, versatile, nimble, quick, alert, active, responsive: You need your wits about you to keep up with Randolph''s mobile mind. 5 ambulatory, ambulant: After the artificial joint surgery, Keith was once again completely mobile.
mobilize | mobilize: v. assemble, marshal, conscript, enrol, enlist, organize, muster, levy, rally, activate, call up, prepare, ready, US draft: A huge army was mobilized, virtually overnight.
mock | mock: v. 1 deride, ridicule, make fun of, tease, taunt, tantalize, jeer (at), gibe (at), thumb one''s nose at, chaff, laugh at, poke fun at, make sport of, guy, scorn, flout, abuse, defy, scoff (at), sneer (at), disdain, disparage, decry, Archaic fleer (at), Colloq rag, rib, kid, put (someone) on, Brit take the mickey out of, cock a snook at: He was taken in for questioning only because he mocked a police officer. Jealousy is the green-eyed monster that mocks the meat it feeds on. 2 ape, mimic, imitate, caricature, lampoon, satirize, parody, burlesque, travesty, Colloq spoof, take off, Brit send up: The political cartoonist mocks governments daily on the pillory of his pen. --adj. 3 substitute, artificial, simulated, fake, synthetic, imitation, false, forged, ersatz, sham, feigned, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus, make-believe, pretend, Colloq phoney or US also phony, pseudo: By means of a mock car accident they demonstrated how to rescue victims. Mock turtle soup, though good, does not taste like real turtle soup.
mockery | mockery: n. 1 ridicule, derision, disdain, taunting, disparagement, abuse, scorn, contempt, contumely, decrial: John was expelled for his mockery of the headmaster. 2 semblance, imitation, impersonation; caricature, parody, burlesque, travesty, lampoon, satire, pasquinade, farce; miscarriage; Colloq spoof, take-off, Brit send-up: That wasn''t a trial, it was a mockery of justice. 3 disappointment, joke, laugh, absurdity: It is a mockery to speak of that wretched sadist and humanity in the same breath.
mode� | mode�: n. 1 way, manner, method, approach, form, course, fashion, procedure, technique, system, wise, modus operandi, methodology, standard operating procedure, SOP: What mode of teaching foreign languages do you use? 2 status, condition, state, configuration, set-up: The computer is now in printing mode.
mode� | mode�: n. fashion, style, look, vogue; trend, rage, craze, Colloq fad: We went to the ball dressed in the mode of the 1920s.
model | model: n. 1 representation, replica, mock-up, maquette, scale model, working model, miniature, dummy, image, likeness, facsimile, copy: This is a model of the house he is planning. 2 original, mould, archetype, prototype, pattern, paragon, ideal, exemplar, example, standard: When the wax model is finished, we cast it in bronze using the cire perdue process. Their government was established after the Roman model. 3 ideal, paragon, exemplar, epitome, beau id�al, cream, cr�me de la cr�me, ne plus ultra, nonpareil, nonsuch or nonesuch: He is the very model of what a father should be. 4 subject, sitter, poser: Dali''s wife served as his model for many paintings. 5 mannequin; dummy: She is tall and thin enough to be a fashion model. May I see the hat that is on that model in the window? 6 design, kind, type, style, version; variety, sort, form, fashion, configuration; brand, mark: I''m intending to trade my car in for a newer model. --v. 7 fashion, mould, shape, form, sculpt, carve (out), make, fabricate, produce: She modelled these figures out of fine clay. 8 pose in, display, show (off), wear, Colloq sport: She makes a fortune modelling swimwear. 9 model after or on. imitate, copy, pattern on or after, emulate, follow: Architects often used to model public buildings after the temples on the Acropolis. --adj. 10 copy, imitation, facsimile, representative, miniature: He enjoys building model aeroplanes. 11 ideal, exemplary, perfect, archetypal, unequalled, consummate, inimitable: Oliver has been a model student.
moderate | moderate: adj. 1 temperate, calm, reasonable, cool, judicious, rational, balanced, unexcessive, modest, sober, sensible, commonsensical, controlled, deliberate, steady: In view of the conflicting interests expressed, the council has adopted a moderate policy regarding parking. 2 centre, middle-of-the-road, non-radical, non-reactionary: Bella''s political outlook is said by some to be moderate. 3 fair, middling, average, ordinary, medium, middle, modest, mediocre, unexceptional, Colloq fair to middling: They have a good range of clothing, all sold at very moderate prices. --n. 4 middle-of-the-roader, non-radical, non-reactionary, centrist: Where do the moderates stand on the issue of constitutional reform? --v. 5 abate, calm, mollify, soothe, ease, relax, alleviate, mitigate, soften, dull, blunt, cushion, relieve, reduce, lessen, remit, slacken, diminish, decrease, defuse, temper, Colloq let up (on): He would get along better if he moderated the violence of his reactions and learned to relax. 6 mediate, arbitrate, referee, judge, chair, supervise, preside (over), coordinate, run, regulate, manage, direct: Professor Gill will moderate the panel discussion.
moderately | moderately: adv. somewhat, rather, quite, fairly, pretty, comparatively, slightly, passably, more or less; to some extent, within reason, to a certain extent, to a degree, to some degree, in some measure, in moderation, within limits; temperately; Colloq sort of, kind of: Clifford is moderately well off. It was a moderately hot day.
moderator | moderator: n. mediator, arbiter, arbitrator, judge, referee, umpire; Chiefly US chair, chairperson, chairman, chairwoman, chairlady, presiding officer, president, coordinator, (discussion) leader; anchorman, anchorwoman; master of ceremonies, toastmaster, Brit comp�re, Colloq emcee, MC: Lady Felicia was chosen as the moderator of next year''s panel.
modern | modern: adj. up to date, current, contemporary, today''s, new, fresh, novel, brand-new, up to the minute, present-day, latest, new-fashioned, newfangled; � la mode, modish, in vogue, fashionable, in fashion, stylish, in style, chic, Chiefly Brit flavour of the month, Slang trendy, in, with it, mod, hip, hot: Elaine has little patience with modern electronic gadgets.
modernize | modernize: v. renovate, streamline, redo, redecorate, refurbish, refurnish, update, do over, rejuvenate, refresh, revamp, redesign, remodel, refashion, remake: We installed air conditioning when we modernized our offices.
modest | modest: adj. 1 unassuming, unpresuming, humble, unpretentious, unobtrusive, reserved, retiring, diffident, shy, bashful, demure, coy, shame-faced, self-effacing, self-conscious, reticent, reluctant, timid, meek, timorous, Rare verecund: Caroline is quite modest about her accomplishments. 2 humble, simple, plain, ordinary, unpretentious, homely, lowly, unexceptional, unostentatious; inconspicuous, unobtrusive: They live in a modest little cottage. 3 moderate, limited, understated, unimportunate, unexaggerated, reasonable, sensible, constrained, restricted, restrained: The workers'' demands seem modest enough.
modicum | modicum: n. bit, trifle, jot, jot or tittle, atom, scintilla, spark, particle, iota, speck, grain, whit, scrap, shred, snippet, sliver, fragment, splinter, morsel, crumb, ounce, dram, drop, dash, spot, touch, tinge, hint, suggestion, Colloq smidgen or smidgin: One must exercise a modicum of judgement in affairs of the heart.
modify | modify: v. 1 adjust, adapt, change, transform, alter, revise, amend, redo, remake, remould, reshape, reconstruct, reform, revamp, refashion, remodel, rework, reword, reorient, reorganize: They are modifying the car to increase its performance. He should modify his views on censorship. 2 reduce, decrease, diminish, lessen, moderate, temper, soften, lower, abate, tone down, modulate; qualify, limit, restrict: The severity of the winter is modified by our proximity to the sea. We shall have to modify our demands.
modulate | modulate: v. adjust, regulate, set, tune, balance, temper, moderate, modify; lower, tune or tone or turn down, soften: Modulate the volume to suit the size of the auditorium. Please modulate your voice - everyone can hear you!
mogul | mogul: n. magnate, tycoon, baron, mandarin, Colloq big shot, big gun, big cheese, Pooh Bah, bigwig, big wheel, big (White) Chief, big Daddy, hotshot, VIP, big noise, nabob, Slang US Mr Big: In the old days, he was one of the moguls in Hollywood.
moist | moist: adj. 1 damp, wettish, dampish, dewy, dank, humid, clammy, muggy, steamy, misty, foggy: During the monsoon everything becomes so moist that your clothes never seem to dry. 2 damp, wet, rainy, drizzly, soggy, moisture-laden: The moist climate keeps Ireland green. 3 tearful, teary, misty, lachrymose: Every eye in the theatre was moist at the end of that scene.
molest | molest: v. 1 annoy, irritate, vex, disturb, pester, badger, needle, provoke, nettle, tease, harass, harry, worry, hector, irk, bother, gall, chafe, roil, torment, plague, beleaguer: For weeks people on the beach have been molested by green flies. 2 accost, meddle with, interfere with, annoy, abuse, bother, attack, ill-treat, maltreat, manhandle; paw: The police are looking for a man who has been molesting girls in the park.
moment | moment: n. 1 instant, second, minute, half a second, two seconds, flash, twinkling, blink or wink of an eye, twinkling of an eye, trice, Colloq jiffy, shake, two shakes (of a lamb''s tail), before you can say ''Jack Robinson'', Brit mo, half a mo, tick: I''ll be with you in a moment, Madam. 2 instant, time, second, minute, hour, point (in time), juncture, stage: At that very moment, the phone rang. 3 importance, weight, consequence, significance, import, gravity, seriousness, prominence, concern, note, interest, consideration: What you decide to do is of no great moment.
momentary | momentary: adj. fleeting, temporary, ephemeral, evanescent, impermanent, fugitive, passing, transitory, brief, short-lived, quick, short, hasty: The medicine afforded only momentary relief from the pain.
momentous | momentous: adj. important, weighty, consequential, significant, grave, serious, decisive, crucial, critical, vital, pivotal, portentous, charged, laden, fraught, of concern: The Augustan Age was a momentous period in Latin literature.
momentum | momentum: n. energy, force, drive, strength, impetus, power, inertia, impulse, thrust, push: The car''s momentum carried it over the cliff. Her encouragement has given me the momentum needed to carry on.
monarch | monarch: n. 1 ruler, sovereign, potentate, crowned head; queen, king, empress, emperor, tsar or czar: Mary was the monarch of Scotland from 1542 to 1567. 2 ruler, sovereign, chief, lord, master, owner, Colloq boss: He is monarch of all he surveys.
monarchy | monarchy: n. 1 kingdom, empire, domain, dominion, principality; state, nation, country: According to Gibbon, a hereditary monarchy presents the fairest scope for ridicule. 2 monocracy, autocracy, absolutism, royalism, monarchism, sovereignty, totalitarianism, authoritarianism; despotism, tyranny: Those who are discontented with monarchy call it tyranny.
monastery | monastery: n. abbey, cloister, priory, friary, charterhouse, hospice, Buddhism vihara, Hinduism ashram, Tibetan Buddhism lamasery: In later life he retired to a monastery to contemplate the world.
monetary | monetary: adj. pecuniary, cash, money, fiscal, financial, capital; numismatic, Technical nummular, nummary: Monetary shortages result from the government''s tightening its hold on the economy by raising interest rates.
money | money: n. 1 currency, legal tender, medium of exchange, specie, (hard) cash, ready money, banknotes, paper money, Brit notes, US bills, coin(s), change, small change, Derogatory (filthy) lucre, pelf, Colloq shekels, Brit lolly, readies, US folding money, cold (hard) cash, US and Canadian and Australian shin-plasters; Slang loot, dough, bread, spondulicks or spondulix, boodle, readies or the ready, moolah, Brit rhino, US (long) green, greenbacks, mazuma, wampum, simoleons, bucks, scratch, gelt, kale, cabbage, lettuce, spinach: He makes daily rounds to collect the money from the launderettes he owns. 2 resources, wealth, fortune, funds, capital, wherewithal, affluence, means, (liquid) assets, riches; Slang bundle: All the family money is invested in long-term bonds. 3 gain, profit, net, Colloq take, percentage, Slang rake-off: How much money does the shop take in at the end of the day? 4 in the money. rich, wealthy, affluent, moneyed or monied, well off, well-to-do, prosperous, Colloq flush, in clover, in or on Easy Street, Slang loaded, well-heeled, rolling in it or in money or in dough, filthy rich, stinking rich, fat: They have been in the money since their uncle died.
mongrel | mongrel: n. cur, mutt, cross-breed, mixed breed, hybrid, half-breed, Technical bigener; lurcher: There is little chance of that mongrel winning a prize in the dog show.
monitor | monitor: n. 1 watchdog, supervisor, sentinel, guard, guardian, custodian; Brit invigilator, prefect, Rare prepositor or praepostor; US proctor: The government has appointed a committee to monitor oil prices. 2 (television) screen, cathode-ray tube screen, CRT, display, Chiefly Brit visual display unit, VDU: Do you prefer an amber, green, or black-and-white monitor? --v. 3 watch, oversee, observe, check (out or up on), audit, supervise, superintend, scan, examine, study, follow, keep an eye on, survey, keep track of, track, trace, record, Brit vet: Before a drug is approved, it must be monitored through thousands of tests.
monk | monk: n. brother, religious, coenobite, monastic, Loosely friar: He was accepted into the Benedictine order, also called the black monks.
monkey | monkey: n. 1 simian, ape, primate, Colloq monk: The monkeys'' antics forever delight the children. 2 fool, ass, laughing-stock, butt, victim, target, (fair) game, Colloq goat, Slang sucker: The teacher should not have made a monkey out of Hubert in front of his classmates. 3 imp, devil, mischief-maker, rascal, scamp, rapscallion: She''s a real little monkey: you wouldn''t believe what she got up to this morning. --v. 4 mimic, mime, imitate, impersonate, copy, ape, duplicate: He monkeys everything you do. 5 Usually, monkey around or about (with). fool around (with), play (with), fiddle (about or around) with, meddle (with or in), interfere (with or in), mess (about or around) (with), tinker (with), tamper (with), Colloq US screw around (with): Stop monkeying around with that switch or the light will fuse. Colin is always monkeying around in class.
monograph | monograph: n. treatise, dissertation, disquisition, essay, paper: Entwhistle''s monograph is the definitive work on Hawthorne.
monolithic | monolithic: adj. massive, huge, enormous, monumental, imposing, colossal, gigantic, giant; featureless, uniform, undifferentiated, characterless; rigid, impenetrable, invulnerable, unbending, inflexible, solid, stolid, intractable, immovable: These monolithic international conglomerates, assembled with the aid of junk bonds, staffed by yuppies, and controlling markets worth hundreds of billions, resemble the monolithic glass towers that house them.
monopolize | monopolize: v. corner (the market in), control, dominate, own, Slang hog: Till recently, one company monopolized the telephone business in the US.
monotonous | monotonous: adj. boring, tedious, dull, tiresome, humdrum, sleep-inducing, soporific, wearisome, wearying, tiring, monotonic, repetitious, prosaic, banal, dry, dry-as-dust, uninteresting, dreary, colourless, unexciting, run-of-the-mill, ordinary, commonplace, routine, uneventful, everyday, mechanical, banausic, Colloq ho-hum: Working in an assembly line became monotonous, so I took a job in advertising.
monster | monster: n. 1 beast, fiend, ogre, giant, dragon, brute, demon, troll, bogeyman: Why are so many children''s fairy tales populated by monsters? 2 monstrosity, (living) abortion, mutant, mutation, freak, deformity, lusus naturae, eyesore, horror, miscreation, missing link: Monsters of every description were the main features of circus sideshows for centuries. --adj. 3 See monstrous, 3, below.
monstrosity | monstrosity: n. 1 See monster, 2, above. 2 monstrousness, heinousness, horribleness, horridness, hideousness, awfulness, nightmarishness, dreadfulness, frightfulness, horror, hellishness, ghoulishness, fiendishness, barbarity: The monstrosity of the concentration camps was not widely known till after the war.
monstrous | monstrous: adj. 1 awful, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrendous, horrifying, hideous, ugly, nightmarish, dreadful, heinous, grisly, gruesome, disgusting, nauseous, nauseating, repulsive, repellent, revolting, frightful, grotesque, hellish, ghoulish, freakish, fiendish, barbaric, barbarous, savage, inhuman, merciless, ruthless, brutal, brutish, beastly: How could anyone treat another human being with such monstrous cruelty! 2 outrageous, shocking, scandalous, atrocious, appalling, wicked, villainous, evil, vile, insensitive, cruel, base, debased, shameful, shameless, infamous, disgraceful, nefarious, egregious, foul, vicious, flagitious, loathsome, depraved: It is monstrous to suggest that money could compensate for the loss of a child. It was a monstrous trick to make him think he had failed the exam when he''d got the top mark. 3 gigantic, giant, huge, vast, enormous, colossal, monster, gargantuan, jumbo, immense, tremendous, titanic, prodigious, massive, towering, elephantine, mammoth: They are planning to build a monstrous shopping mall in the town centre.
monument | monument: n. 1 marker, cairn, memorial, tablet, shrine, commemoration; sepulchre, gravestone, tombstone, headstone, tomb, mausoleum, cenotaph: Many monuments have been established in memory of those who died in the war. 2 testimony, testimonial, testament, token, witness, record, evidence, example, exemplar: The book will survive as a lasting monument to her scholarship.
monumental | monumental: adj. 1 staggering, awe-inspiring, outstanding, prominent, stupendous, vast, awesome, epoch-making, historic, history-making, memorable, lasting, permanent, unforgettable, significant, notable, noteworthy, impressive, marvellous, prodigious, wonderful, wondrous, spectacular, magnificent, grand, striking, glorious, enduring, classic: This work is a monumental contribution to linguistic theory. 2 massive, huge, gigantic, enormous, prodigious, colossal, immense, vast, tremendous: These monumental stones, each as big as a house, were dragged from a quarry hundreds of miles away. 3 commemorative, memorial: A monumental obelisk will be raised to mark the battle. 4 egregious, catastrophic, calamitous, huge, enormous, awful, abject, terrible, unforgivable, unbelievable, monstrous, Colloq whopping: Announcing our plans in advance could prove to be a monumental blunder.
mood | mood: n. 1 humour, attitude, inclination, disposition, nature, temper, frame of mind, spirit, atmosphere, sense, feeling: The mood of the people is rebellious. She''s in a bad mood. 2 in the mood. ready, willing, eager, keen, (well-)disposed, inclined, sympathetic, minded: I''m not in the mood for a film tonight, but I am in the mood to go dancing.
moody | moody: adj. 1 sullen, melancholy, blue, sad, unhappy, dejected, depressed, crestfallen, downcast, despondent, chap-fallen, in the doldrums, downhearted, gloomy, glum, moping, mopy, mopish, sulky, sulking, morose, brooding, broody, heavy-hearted, dour, cheerless, dismal, desolate, disconsolate, lugubrious, disheartened, saturnine, Colloq down in the mouth, (down) in the dumps, out of sorts, US off (one''s) feed: He''s been moody the past few days, and I don''t know how to cheer him up. 2 testy, crotchety, short-tempered, abrupt, short, curt, impatient, crabby, crusty, huffy, huffish, crabbed, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, ill-humoured, ill-tempered, cranky, petulant, waspish, temperamental, snappish, snappy, irritable, peevish, cranky, touchy, piqued; in a (fit of) pique, in high dudgeon: If I were you, I shouldn''t ask her for a favour today as she''s very moody. 3 fickle, volatile, capricious, mercurial, unstable, fitful, flighty, unsteady, changeable, erratic, uneven, inconstant, undependable, unreliable, unpredictable: Being artists, they are moody, and there''s no telling if they will want to be interviewed today.
moonshine | moonshine: n. 1 moonlight, moonbeams: Her hair reflected silver in the moonshine. 2 (stuff and) nonsense, rubbish, taradiddle, humbug, drivel, twaddle, balderdash, blather or blether, Colloq hot air, claptrap, pack of lies, con, bosh, gas, eyewash, hogwash, bunk, guff, piffle, hokum, rot, malarkey, bilge (water), tripe, (the old) song and dance, line, Brit tommy-rot, US apple-sauce, razzmatazz, jive, Slang crap, bull, hooey, Brit tosh, US garbage, BS, Taboo slang horseshit, bullshit: He fed her a load of moonshine about owning a big yacht. 3 poteen, Colloq chiefly US and Canadian hooch or hootch, white lightning, white mule, home-brew, bootleg: Government agents raided a still that produced 100 gallons of moonshine a day.
moor� | moor�: n. heath, moorland, wasteland, No. Eng. and Scots fell: The police pursued the escaped prisoner across the moor, but they lost him.
moor� | moor�: v. secure, tie up, make fast, dock, berth, (drop) anchor; fix: The vessel was soon moored and the passengers disembarked. The huge aerial is moored by cables.
moot | moot: adj. 1 debatable, arguable, undecided, undetermined, controversial, doubtful, disputable, open to debate, at issue, indefinite, problematic(al), questionable, open (to question or to discussion), confutable, confuted, contestable, contested, unsettled, unresolved, up in the air, unconcluded: Whether he would be found innocent was still a moot point. --v. 2 bring up or forward, introduce, broach, put forward, proffer, posit, propound, advance, submit, suggest: It has been mooted that she was with the victim just before the murder.
moral | moral: adj. 1 ethical; right, good, pure, honest, proper, upright, honourable, decent, moralistic, respectable, high-minded, virtuous, upstanding, righteous, principled, scrupulous, incorruptible, noble, just: She is one of the most moral people I have ever met. 2 ethical, moralizing, moralistic: Questions of right and wrong are a subject for moral philosophy. It is a moral, not a legal, issue. --n. 3 lesson, homily, teaching, point, message; aphorism, maxim, precept, apophthegm or apothegm, adage, saw, proverb, epigram, motto, slogan: The moral of the story is, ''Do unto others before they do unto you''. 4 morals. behaviour, conduct, mores, belief, habit(s), custom(s), practice(s), principle(s), scruples, ethics, ideals, standards; probity, morality, rectitude, integrity: For this appointment, we require a person of the highest morals.
morale | morale: n. dedication, spirit(s), unity, esprit de corps, disposition, attitude, confidence, self-confidence, self-esteem: The team''s morale improved after they won their first game in five weeks.
morality | morality: n. 1 ethics, morals, ethicalness, moralness, principle(s), mores, integrity, propriety, standards, ideals; honesty, right, rightness, righteousness, rectitude, justice, fair play, fairness, decency, uprightness, integrity: Morality should not be conditioned by expediency. 2 behaviour, conduct, habit(s), custom(s): Are you suggesting that utilitarianism is a guide for morality?
morass | morass: n. 1 bog, marsh, swamp, fen, quagmire, slough, marshland, moorland, No. Eng. and Scots moss: The land not under cultivation was morass or forest. 2 entanglement, confusion, muddle, mess, quagmire, tangle, quicksand: It took years to extricate the company from the legal morass of the bankruptcy courts.
moratorium | moratorium: n. halt, hiatus, suspension, stay, respite, freeze, delay, waiting-period, postponement: The arts commission requests a six-month moratorium on sales to foreign purchasers.
morbid | morbid: adj. 1 unhealthy, unwholesome, disordered, unsound, sick, pathological, pathogenic: Inhalation of fumes containing lead has caused this morbid condition. 2 grim, ghoulish, macabre, monstrous, ghastly, grotesque, grisly, gruesome: At an early age, Glynis exhibited a morbid interest in cadavers. Spare me the morbid details - please! 3 gloomy, lugubrious, glum, morose, sombre, blue, sad, melancholy, despondent, depressed, dejected, downcast: With Charley again in one of his morbid moods, we can anticipate another cheerless visit.
moreover | moreover: adv. furthermore, further, besides, not only that, more than that, what is more; to boot, into the bargain, in addition, additionally, as well, too: She was pleased that I had brought some wine - it was, moreover, her favourite burgundy.
moribund | moribund: adj. 1 dying, in extremis, at death''s door, failing, fading, with one foot in the grave, half-dead, breathing one''s last, expiring, on one''s last legs, on one''s deathbed: Apparently moribund for weeks, he suddenly revived when he saw her. 2 ending, declining, obsolescent, weak, on the way out, waning, on the wane, dying out; stagnating, stagnant: At the time, the Ottoman Empire was already moribund.
morning | morning: n. 1 forenoon, a.m., dawn, daybreak, sunrise, Literary morn, Archaic cock crow, day-spring, morrow, Chiefly US sun-up: The meeting will be at nine o''clock in the morning. --adj. 2 matutinal, matinal, a.m., forenoon: I prefer a morning meeting.
morsel | morsel: n. 1 mouthful, bite, gobbet, spoonful, forkful, chew, taste, sample, nibble, bit, drop, dollop, soup�on: She delicately ate tiny morsels of the banana. 2 bit, crumb, fragment, scrap, sliver, splinter, shard or sherd, shred, remnant, particle, atom, speck, whit, fraction, grain, granule, pinch, piece, Colloq smidgen or smidgin: There wasn''t the slightest morsel of evidence to connect me with the crime.
mortal | mortal: adj. 1 human; transitory, temporal, transient, ephemeral: It finally dawned on him that the king was mortal, like other men. 2 physical, bodily, corporeal, corporal, fleshly, earthly, worldly, perishable: Her mortal remains are buried at Bognor Regis. 3 deadly, fatal, lethal, terminal, destructive, disastrous: The admiral lay dying from a mortal wound. 4 relentless, implacable, unrelenting, bitter, sworn, deadly, unremitting, unappeasable, unceasing: Halifax was the mortal enemy of despotism. 5 abject, extreme, awful, great, enormous, intense, terrible, inordinate, dire: Giles lived in mortal fear of offending his mother. --n. 6 human (being), man, woman, person, soul, individual, creature, earthling: The novel depicts a lifestyle far removed from that of ordinary mortals. We mortals have nothing to fear from intergalactic aliens.
mortify | mortify: v. 1 humiliate, shame, humble, embarrass, abash, chagrin, rebuff, crush, discomfit, deflate, bring down, degrade, downgrade, reduce, chasten, subdue, suppress, make someone eat humble pie, teach someone his or her place, Colloq put down: She was mortified to learn that she had been disqualified. 2 punish, castigate, discipline, control, subdue, subjugate: Repentance was considered insufficient penance, so the flagellants mortified the flesh with scourges. 3 gangrene, fester, necrose, putrefy, rot, decompose, decay, putresce: After a fortnight, the flesh mortifies and falls away.
mother | mother: n. 1 dam, materfamilias, (female) parent, Old-fashioned or formal or jocular mater, Formal progenitrix; matriarch, Colloq ma, old lady, old woman, Brit mummy, mum, US mom, mommy, mama, mamma, maw, mammy, mam: He runs crying to his mother whenever anyone teases him. 2 source, origin, genesis: Necessity is the mother of invention. 3 nourisher, nurturer, nurse: Poverty was the mother of anarchy. --adj. 4 native, natural, innate: She has the mother wit to know better. --v. 5 nurture, nourish, nurse, care for, look after, protect, shelter, watch over, take care of: She mothered me when I needed her, and I won''t desert her now. 6 pamper, baby, coddle, spoil, indulge, fuss over, overprotect: You mother the child too much.
motif | motif: n. theme, idea, topic, subject, concept, leitmotif; pattern, figure, refrain, device, ornament, decoration, element, convention: The painter repeats the motif throughout his pictures in much the same way that a composer repeats a bar of music.
motion | motion: n. 1 movement, moving, change, shift, shifting, action, going, travelling, travel, progress, passage, transit; activity, commotion, stir, agitation, turmoil, turbulence: One could barely sense the slow motion of the train. The leaves of the aspen appear to be in constant motion. 2 mobility, movability, motility: I could feel the motion gradually returning to my numbed limbs. 3 gait, bearing, carriage, tread, walk, step: The machine works with alternate upward and downward motions. 4 gesture, gesticulation, signal, sign: She made a motion for me to come nearer. 5 proposal, suggestion, proposition, recommendation, offering, submission: A motion must be seconded by a member in good standing. --v. 6 gesture, gesticulate, beckon, signal, sign, wave: The cashier motioned to me and I went over to the window.
motivate | motivate: v. prompt, activate, move, inspire, incite, induce, actuate, stimulate, provoke, influence, encourage, occasion, bring about, cause; excite, egg (on), urge, prod, spur, galvanize, goad, rouse, arouse, stir (up), wheedle, coax, persuade, cajole, tempt, push, impel, drive, instigate: The biggest problem is motivating students to apply themselves to academic subjects.
motive | motive: n. 1 inducement, incentive, motivation, stimulus, motivating force, stimulation, incitement, influence, cause, reason, rationale, grounds; attraction, lure, enticement, goad, spur, urge, prod: It is thought that jealousy was his motive for murder. 2 purpose, aim, intention, intent, object, objective, goal, end, arri�re pens�e (= ''hidden motive' ambition, desire; Colloq angle: I asked the chairman what his motive was in trying to expand the company. --adj. 3 driving, impelling, propelling, propulsive, moving, kinetic, activating, operative: The motive power used in the ultra-light aircraft is provided entirely by the pilot''s pedalling.
mottled | mottled: adj. dappled, brindled, marbled, streaked, splodgy or US splotchy, blotched, blotchy, freckled, spotted, spotty, patchy, speckled, flecked, sprinkled, spattered, splashed, streaky, stippled, pied, piebald; multicoloured, variegated, particoloured, Colloq splodged or US splotched: Do you like that mottled effect on the wallpaper?
motto | motto: n. maxim, proverb, saying, adage, saw, aphorism, apophthegm or apothegm, gnome, slogan, byword, catchword, battle-cry, guide, moral, principle, rule, precept: The motto of the Order of the Garter is Honi soit qui mal y pense, ''Shame on whoever thinks ill of it''.
mould� | mould�: n. 1 form, cast, matrix, die; template or templet, pattern, form: He broke the mould to prevent the casting of a duplicate statuette. 2 form, shape, pattern, format, structure, build, construction, design, arrangement, organization, configuration, kind, brand, make, line, type, stamp, cut: Was man made in the same mould as his God, or vice versa? 3 character, nature, stamp, type, kind, kidney, ilk, sort: Grandpa said that he wouldn''t want someone of her mould in the family. --v. 4 shape, form, make, work, fashion, configure, sculpture or sculpt, model, knead, construct: carve, cut: The artist moulded the original design in clay. 5 forge, cast, stamp, die-cast: These beads are moulded from solid gold. 6 influence, shape, form, affect, make, control, direct, guide, lead: The speech-writer''s job is to mould the language to fit his client''s ideas. The candidate is trying to mould public opinion in his favour.
mould� | mould�: n. mildew, fungus, blight, smut: A mild solution of bleach will clean that mould off the bathroom tiles.
mould� | mould�: n. soil, earth, loam, topsoil, dirt, humus: Add some rich mould to the house-plants periodically and they will flourish.
mouldy | mouldy: adj. aged, ancient, outdated, old-fashioned, antediluvian, unused, stale, decayed, decaying, carious, mildewed, mouldering, musty; spoilt or spoiled, rotten, rotting, putrid, putrescent, putrefying, rancid, rank, decomposed, decomposing, mucid: Digging about in the files, he unearthed some mouldy old plans of the house. All the food in the fridge had gone mouldy while they were away.
mound | mound: n. 1 hillock, rise, hummock, hill, hump, bank, elevation, knoll, knob, swell, dune, slope, tor, Chiefly W US and Canadian butte,: We stood on a high mound from which we could see for miles. 2 heap, pile, stack, Archaeology tumulus, tell, barrow, (kitchen) midden: Excavation of the mound yielded scores of Iron Age artefacts.
mount | mount: n. 1 See mountain, 1, below. --v. 2 climb (up), go up, ascend, scale, clamber up, make one''s way up: We mounted the ladder to the roof. The speaker mounted the dais. 3 rise (up), arise, soar, fly (up), rocket (upwards): With the salmon in its grasp, the eagle mounted to the sky. 4 climb or get or clamber up on, bestride, straddle, bestraddle: The gunfighter mounted his horse and rode off. 5 (put on) display, (put on) exhibit, put on exhibition, present, install or instal, stage, prepare, ready, put on, put in place, set up; arrange, coordinate, compose, organize, set in motion, launch: The gallery will mount a show of John''s sculpture next spring. They have mounted a major advertising campaign for their face cream. 6 frame, mat or matt, set off: This print should be mounted using an olive green paper. 7 increase, wax, rise, escalate, intensify, swell, expand, grow, mount up, multiply, pile up, build up, accumulate: Complaints have been mounting against the vulgar language heard on prime-time TV. --n. 8 backing, setting, support, mounting, background, set, arrangement, backdrop, scene: This style of mount sets off the ruby to its best advantage. 9 horse, steed, charger, palfrey: Her mount was a grey mare.
mountain | mountain: n. 1 height, elevation, mount, eminence, prominence, peak, alp, tor, summit, No. Eng. and Scots fell, Scots and Irish English ben: Her favourite sport is climbing mountains. 2 heap, pile, stack, mound, accumulation, abundance, mass, Colloq ton(s), heaps, piles, stacks: I have a mountain of laundry to do.
mountainous | mountainous: adj. 1 craggy, alpine, Himalayan: It was very slow going through the mountainous parts of the country. 2 huge, towering, high, steep, enormous, immense, formidable, mighty, monumental, prodigious, staggering: Their tiny craft was almost engulfed by the mountainous seas.
mourn | mourn: v. grieve (over), lament, sorrow (over), bemoan, bewail, keen, weep for or over, regret, rue, deplore: We all mourned the loss of a great leader. After his death, the nation mourned for a month.
mournful | mournful: adj. 1 sad, sorrowful, dismal, melancholy, blue, afflicted, doleful, dolorous, grief-stricken, rueful, forlorn, woebegone, sombre, lugubrious, funereal, joyless, dispirited, cheerless, unhappy, downhearted, heavy-hearted, disconsolate, heartbroken, inconsolable, despondent, desolate, despairing, heartsick, overcome, prostrate: The mournful crowd filed past the bier to pay their last respects. 2 deplorable, sorrowful, grievous, distressing, upsetting, tragic, saddening, disheartening, depressing, lamentable, catastrophic, calamitous, disastrous: The mournful news of the great loss of life in the explosion was broadcast round the world.
mourning | mourning: n. 1 grief, lament, grieving, lamentation, sorrowing, keening, weeping, wailing: The Highlanders are wont to mingle a degree of solemn mirth with their mourning. 2 bereavement, loss, anguish, sorrow, misery, grief, sadness, woe, woefulness, melancholy, heartache, despondency, despair, desolation: In China people wear white as a sign of mourning. 3 black, widow''s weeds, sackcloth and ashes: It was customary at that time to spend at least one month in mourning.
mousy | mousy: adj. 1 mousey, mouse-coloured, dun, grey, greyish-brown, brownish-grey, brownish, brown, dull, lustreless, lacklustre, drab, flat, plain, colourless: Her lank, mousy hair hung down over her shoulders. 2 timid, cowering, timorous, shy, self-effacing, diffident: Adrian is far too mousy to ask for an increase in salary.
mouth | mouth: n. 1 lips; maw, jaws, oral cavity, Technical stoma, Slang trap, kisser, muzzle, gob, chops, yap, US bazoo: I want to hear that you don''t love me from your own mouth. 2 opening, aperture, doorway, door, gateway, gate, access, entrance, inlet, entry, entry-way, way in, entr�e; passage, passageway, way, orifice; exit, way out, vent, outlet, outfall, Technical debouchment or debouchure, debouch or d�bouch�, embouchure: We stood at the mouth of the cave. An enormous delta formed at the mouth of the river. 3 bragging, boasting, braggadocio, empty or idle talk, bombast, rodomontade, fustian, Slang claptrap, hot air, gas: The fellow is all mouth and no action. 4 disrespect, impudence, insolence, sauciness, rudeness, impertinence, pertness, boldness, audacity, presumptuousness, brashness, flippancy, Colloq lip, cheek, backchat, sauce, freshness, US sass, back talk: He''d better not give me any of his mouth or I''ll have his guts for garters. 5 grimace, pout, moue, face: She made a mouth when I said she couldn''t go. 6 down in or at the mouth. dejected, despondent, sad, sorrowful, unhappy, melancholy, blue, crestfallen, dispirited, disheartened, downcast, Colloq (down) in the dumps, broken up: He was very down in the mouth after seeing the results of the laboratory tests. --v. 7 utter, say, speak, pronounce, announce, enunciate, articulate, voice, sound, express, vocalize; declaim, orate: He mouthed each word with excruciating care. Who wants to hear some pompous fool mouthing platitudes?
mouthful | mouthful: n. morsel, bite, spoonful, forkful, lump, chunk, gob, hunk: He took a mouthful of food.
mouthpiece | mouthpiece: n. 1 embouchure; bit: I need a new mouthpiece for my clarinet. 2 spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, agent, representative, intermediator, mediator, delegate: He is always quoted through his mouthpiece, never directly. 3 lawyer, attorney, Slang US shyster: A good mouthpiece could get me out of this fix.
movable | movable: adj. moveable, floating, variable, changeable, unfixed; portable, transportable, transferable or transferrable: Easter Sunday is a movable feast and has no fixed date on the calendar. Recent developments have produced computers that are smaller than an attach� case and easily movable.
move | move: v. 1 shift, stir, budge, make a move, go; proceed, advance, progress: It is difficult to move in a strait-jacket. The train is moving at a rate of sixty miles an hour. Don''t move - I have a gun. 2 move house, move out, remove, move away, relocate, decamp, depart, change residence, emigrate, go or make off, transfer, Colloq take off (for), pull up stakes, Brit up sticks, Slang US split (for): When did you say you were moving to London? 3 shake (up), disturb, stir (up), agitate, affect, touch: We moved heaven and earth to find a proper place for her to stay. 4 affect, touch, stir, shake up, agitate, hit (hard), upset, strike, smite, disturb, ruffle, disquiet, have an (or a profound) effect (on), make a (deep) impression (on): The pictures of starving children moved everyone. 5 provoke, arouse, excite, stir up, lead, rouse, stimulate: At the end of the film, when she died, I was moved to tears. 6 arouse, rouse, provoke, actuate, lead, prompt, spur, motivate, influence, impel, prod, remind, inspire, make: His mention of families moved me to ask when he had last seen his father. 7 propose, put forward or forth, forward, advance, submit, suggest, advocate, propound: The question of budget was moved at the last meeting. --n. 8 change, change-over, relocation, transfer, shift, removal: My supervisor suggested a move to a different department. 9 manoeuvre, device, trick, caper, dodge, ploy, stratagem, artifice, ruse, action, act, deed, Colloq gimmick: Getting Diana to invite Colin was a very good move. 10 turn, time, opportunity: I have had my turn, now it''s your move. 11 gesture, gesticulation, action, motion, stirring: One move and you''re a dead man! 12 get a move on. a get moving, begin, start, commence, get going, get under way, get started, stir or bestir oneself, Colloq get or start the ball rolling, get the show on the road, break the ice, get cracking, step on it or the gas: He doesn''t usually get a move on till noon. b hurry, hasten, make haste, rush, run: Get a move on down to the supermarket before it closes. 13 on the move. a travelling, in transit, on the way, on one''s way, on the road, on the go, moving: She is always on the move and it is difficult to catch her. b on the go, working, on the run, busy, occupied: I have been on the move since six this morning. c proceeding, progressing, advancing, moving ahead, succeeding, on the go: It looks as if the industry is again on the move after a brief decline.
movement | movement: n. 1 repositioning, move, motion, relocation, moving, migration, shift, transfer, flow, displacement: Population movement increased dramatically in the Middle Ages. 2 action, activity, move, moving, stir, stirring: There was a sudden movement in the bushes. 3 gesture, gesticulation, move, flicker, sign, signal; manoeuvre, change of attitude or position: Only the slightest upward movement of his eyebrow indicated his surprise. Every little movement has a meaning all its own. 4 mechanism, works, workings, moving parts, machinery, action, gears, Colloq innards: Technically, the movement of a watch does not include the escapement. 5 campaign, crusade, drive; front, faction, party, group, wing: The 1960s saw many successes for the civil rights'' movement in America. 6 change, activity, action, shift, advance or decline, increase or decrease, upward or downward movement, stirring; development, progress: Shares displayed little movement in today''s trading. 7 drift, trend, tendency, course, swing: They have noted a growing movement towards religious fundamentalism.
movie | movie: n. 1 motion picture, film, moving picture, silent (picture), talking picture, Colloq talkie, flick: Her grandfather was one of the first actors in silent movies. 2 Usually, movies. picture show, cinema, flicks, Colloq big or large screen, silver screen: Why don''t we go to the movies instead of watching television tonight?
moving | moving: adj. 1 touching, poignant, emotive, affecting, stirring, heart-rending, emotional, telling, effective, impressive, striking, compelling; pathetic, exciting, thrilling, inspiring, inspirational, impelling, persuasive: He related a moving story of his years in various concentration camps. 2 active, mobile, unfixed, unstationary, motile, going, operating, working, in motion, on the move: Be careful not to touch any of the moving parts inside the clock.
mow | mow: v. 1 cut (down), scythe, trim, shear: You don''t need to mow the lawn so much during a dry spell. 2 mow down. annihilate, kill, massacre, butcher, slaughter, exterminate, liquidate, eradicate, wipe out, cut down, cut to pieces, destroy, decimate: The first platoon was mowed down by machine-gun fire.
