
meadow | meadow: n. field, meadow-land, pasture, pasture land, Archaic or literary lea, mead: The entire meadow was dotted with little puffy clouds of white sheep.
meagre | meagre: adj. 1 scanty, scant, poor, paltry, inadequate, skimpy, scrimpy, sparse, spare, insufficient, bare, puny, piddling, trifling, pathetic, exiguous, Colloq measly: Angela scraped out a meagre living as a shop assistant. The meagre supplies wouldn''t last another day. 2 spare, skinny, scrawny, bony, emaciated, gaunt, thin, lean, bare-boned, (half-)starved, underfed, undernourished, starving: The meagre faces of the survivors told of their ordeal. 3 spare, plain, bare-boned, unadorned, unembellished, unelaborate, unelaborated, simple, simplified, oversimplified, bare, inadequate, deficient, undetailed, indefinite, non-specific, general, broad, loose, vague: The police have only a meagre description to go on. 4 unfruitful, infertile, barren, deficient, poor, unproductive: This land is too meagre to provide the people with a living.
meal | meal: n. 1 food, repast, victuals, nourishment, spread, collation, refection; dinner, supper, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, Brit tea: Meals will be served in the main dining room. 2 make a meal of. overdo, overplay, go overboard, go or carry to extremes, carry or go too far, do to excess: Perkins is bound to make a meal of the slightest thing.
mealy-mouthed | mealy-mouthed: adj. mincing, reticent, reluctant, hesitant, equivocal, equivocating, ambiguous, indirect, unwilling to call a spade a spade, euphemistic, roundabout, vague, circumlocutory, periphrastic, hypocritical, deceitful, artful, slick, oily, unctuous: All you''ll get from that mealy-mouthed hypocrite is platitudinous twaddle.
mean� | mean�: v. 1 intend, design, purpose, plan, aim, have in mind, contemplate, have in view; want, wish, expect, hope; be motivated by, have as justification: I did mean to phone you but had no time. I am sure she meant nothing by her remark. 2 denote, signify, indicate, note, specify, designate, represent, betoken, signal, carry, convey, drive at, refer to, allude to, communicate, express, bring out, get over or across; imply, suggest, connote, intimate, hint (at): What does ''canicular'' mean? It depends on what you mean by ''liberty''. The footprints meant that someone had already been here. 3 portend, show, foretell, foreshadow, promise, presage, augur, herald: Those clouds mean that it will soon rain. 4 carry or have the weight or significance or importance of: Money means little to someone in her circumstances.
mean� | mean�: adj. 1 stingy, miserly, tight, close, cheap, parsimonious, penurious, stinting, niggardly, penny-pinching, tight-fisted, close-fisted, mercenary, uncharitable, ungenerous, mean-spirited, unaccommodating, small, petty, Colloq near, money-grubbing, measly, Brit mingy: He is far too mean to buy anyone a Christmas present. It seems rather a mean contribution to the fund, given his wealth. 2 lowly, low, base, inferior, abject, menial, servile, degraded, degenerate, undignified, ignoble, plebeian, proletarian, modest, humble, common: He rose to a position of great power in spite of his mean background. 3 disgraceful, run-down, poor, sorry, miserable, scruffy, seedy, scurvy, shabby, squalid, wretched, vile, mangy, sordid, contemptible, dismal, dreary, abysmal: They live in very mean circumstances. 4 unkind, malicious, cruel, unaccommodating, disobliging: It was very mean of you to steal that toy from the baby. 5 cantankerous, churlish, nasty, hostile, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, sour, unpleasant: That mean old lady would never even talk to us. 6 excellent, wonderful, marvellous, great, exceptional, effective, skilful, skilled, Slang far-out, US bad: The saxophonist in that combo is one mean cat.
mean� | mean�: n. 1 average, middle, norm, (happy) medium: We are attempting to achieve the mean between the two extremes. 2 by all means. a absolutely, definitely, certainly, surely, assuredly, of course, positively: By all means, do tell us what you think is wrong. b in any event, at all events, no matter what, without fail, at any cost, in any case: By all means, you must do what you think is right. 3 by means of. by dint of, via, through, by way of, with the help or aid of, employing, using, utilizing: She gained access to her victims by means of the telephone directory. We entered by means of the front door. 4 means. a instrument, agency, method, process, technique, mode, manner, way(s), approach, course, procedure, avenue, medium, vehicle: If you can find the means, then get the job done at once. b resources, funds, money, wherewithal, capital, finances, backing, support: I wanted to go to Australia to see my brother, but I simply didn''t have the means. c substance, wealth, property, position, financial stability: She is a woman of considerable means. 5 by no means. by no manner of means, in no way, not at all, definitely or absolutely not, on no account, not conceivably, not in one''s wildest dreams or fantasies, not by any stretch of the imagination, Colloq no way, US no way Jos�: This is sometimes but by no means always the case. He is by no means a great artist. --adj. 6 middle, centre, intermediate, medial, medium, median, average, middling: The mean temperature for the year has increased.
meander | meander: v. 1 wander, ramble, zigzag, snake, wind, twist, turn; stroll, amble, rove, Colloq mosey, Brit swan around or about: The river meandered with a mazy motion through the meadows. We meandered through the forest. --n. 2 Often, meanders. meandering(s), turn(s), turning(s), twist(s), twisting(s), winding(s), curve(s), curving(s), loop(s), looping(s), bend(s), coil(s), zigzag(s), convolutions; tortuosities, flexuosities, anfractuosities: We followed the river''s meanders till we came to the ruined church.
meandering | meandering: adj. wandering, roundabout, circuitous, sinuous, tortuous, winding, serpentine, indirect, flexuous, curvy, crooked, convoluted, labyrinthine, mazy, anfractuous: The meandering road followed the river through the valley.
meaning | meaning: n. 1 sense, import, content, signification, denotation, message, substance, gist: The meaning of the word ''lucid'' is clear. 2 purport, implication, drift, spirit, connotation, significance, intention: You understand my meaning, so I need not explain. 3 interpretation, explanation: What is the meaning of my dream about being attacked by my philodendron?
meaningful | meaningful: adj. 1 significant, important, consequential, serious, sober, deep, substantial, pithy, substantive, telling, weighty, valid, relevant: Tired of casual encounters, he was ready for a meaningful relationship. 2 suggestive, pregnant, tell-tale, pointed, sententious, significant, expressive, eloquent: She gave him a meaningful look.
meaningless | meaningless: adj. 1 empty, hollow, vacuous, unsubstantial, absurd, silly, foolish, fatuous, asinine, ridiculous, preposterous, nonsensical: He gave some meaningless excuse for having forgotten the appointment. This gibberish is entirely meaningless to me. 2 ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, bootless, unavailing, to no avail, trivial, nugatory, trifling, puny, paltry, worthless, not worth anything or a straw or a rap, valueless, inconsequential, unimportant, of no moment, insubstantial, vain, pointless, senseless, purposeless, undirected, irrelevant, insignificant: Considering the enemy forces, anything we could do would be meaningless.
means | means: n. See mean�, 4, above.
meantime | meantime: n., adv. See meanwhile, below.
meanwhile | meanwhile: n. 1 interim, meantime, interval: In the meanwhile, you could study for the exam. --adv. 2 in the meanwhile, meantime, in the meantime, in the interim, for the moment, temporarily, for now, for the time being, during the interval, in the intervening time: Ruth was watching TV; meanwhile George was washing up.
measly | measly: adj. sparse, scant, scanty, meagre, paltry, pathetic, skimpy, puny, piddling, miserly, niggardly, miserable, beggarly, stingy, Colloq Brit mingy: ''Nouvelle cuisine'' is the name given to a restaurateur''s design to serve decorative, but measly, portions.
measure | measure: n. 1 amount, quantity, magnitude, amplitude, size, bulk, mass, extent, reach, dimension, scope, proportions, range, spread; capacity, volume; width, length, breadth, height; weight: It is difficult to calculate the measure of an irregularly shaped object. 2 scale, gauge or technical gage, yardstick, rule, US litmus test: I cannot determine the length without a proper measure. 3 system, standard, criterion, rule, method; barometer, Richter scale: The measure by which ice-cream is sold ought to be weight, not volume. What sort of measure do you apply when judging character? 4 assessment, evaluation, valuation, appraisal, value, gauge or gage, rank, rating, measurement, stamp, estimation: It is not easy to get the measure of a man who wants to marry your daughter. 5 quota, allotment, ration, share, amount, degree, proportion, quantity, allowance; portion, part: He was accorded a measure of freedom in choosing the method for getting the job done. She has had her measure of praise. 6 Often, measures. step(s), procedure, proceeding, action, course (of action), plan, method, means, avenue, tactic(s), way, direction, approach, technique: They took measures to ensure that it never happens again. 7 bill, resolution, legislation, act, statute, law; plan, proposal: A measure to change the speed limit is before the council. 8 bound, limit, end, extreme, extent, limitation, moderation, control, constraint, restraint: Drug trafficking has gone beyond all measure in some countries. 9 beat, rhythm, cadence, metre, time; melody, tune, bar, theme, motif: The ambassador entered, and the band played in stately measures. 10 for good measure. to boot, in addition, additionally, as a dividend, into the bargain, besides, as or for a bonus, moreover, furthermore: The job includes a company car and, for good measure, free medical insurance. --v. 11 rank, rate, gauge or gage, meter, weigh, calculate, reckon, compute, calibrate, determine, ascertain, figure out or up, assess, appraise, estimate, evaluate, judge, value; survey, find out: We must measure the effect of the new safety regulations on our equipment budget. Public acceptance of the new product may be difficult to measure. 12 proportion, pace, adapt, gauge, relate, tailor, fit, adjust, regulate, control: Teachers should measure homework assignments according to pupils'' available time. Measure your words when speaking to young children. 13 measure off or out. mark off or out, limit, delimit, fix, pace off or out, lay off: Now measure off exactly 122.5 metres due north. 14 measure out. mete out, dole out, ration (out), parcel out, apportion, allot, share out, assign, allocate; give out, deal out, distribute, issue, pass out, hand out, dispense, disperse, spread around or about: The relief workers measured out food and water to the victims of the famine. 15 measure up (to). a meet, equal, fulfil, match, reach, attain: The first eleven have not measured up to their coach''s expectations. Will they ever measure up? b qualify (for), be suitable (for), be equal to, be fit or fitted for, be adequate (to), be up to, Colloq make the grade, come up to scratch, be up to snuff, US cut the mustard: If Clive gets the assignment, are you sure that he''ll measure up? No one else measures up to the job.
measured | measured: adj. 1 slow, regulated, unhurried, leisurely, stately, majestic, dignified, sedate, solemn: The silent procession moved through the streets at a measured pace. 2 careful, cautious, prudent, calculated, studied, considered, deliberate, systematic, sober, intentional, planned, regulated, premeditated, well-thought-out, reasoned: He planned the murder with the same measured deliberation he used in writing computer programs. 3 rhythmic(al), regular, cadenced, steady, uniform, even, monotonous: The measured marching of the soldiers echoed through the night. 4 precise, regulated, exact, predetermined, modulated, quantified; clockwork: A measured amount of each ingredient is automatically added at each stage of the manufacturing process.
measurement | measurement: n. 1 measuring, reckoning, gauging or gaging, ascertainment, determination, assessment, estimation, appraisal, evaluation, valuation, judgement, calculation, computation, mensuration, commensuration; metage: The measurement of astronomical distances can only be approximate. 2 dimension, extent, size, amount, magnitude, amplitude; length, breadth, height, width, depth; area; volume, capacity; weight, tonnage; (elapsed) time, period; (square or cubic) footage, (square) yardage, mileage, acreage,: I need the measurements of the room to order the fitted carpet.
meat | meat: n. 1 flesh; food, nourishment, sustenance, viands, victuals, nutriment, provisions, provender, comestibles, edibles, eatables, Colloq eats, chow, grub: She''s turned vegetarian and won''t touch meat in any form. 2 pith, core, heart, marrow, kernel, vital part, essence, gist, substance, basics, essentials, crux: The sub-plot seems to swamp the real meat of the play.
mechanical | mechanical: adj. 1 automatic, automated, machine-driven; machine-made: Early mechanical toys are sometimes quite intricate. This is a mechanical, not a hand-crafted device. 2 automatic, reflex, involuntary, instinctive, routine, habitual, unconscious, perfunctory, machine-like, robot-like: Good manners ought to be mechanical. Blinking is a mechanical reaction to bright light. 3 impersonal, distant, cold, matter-of-fact, unfeeling, insensible, ritualistic, lifeless, spiritless, dead, inanimate, unanimated, unemotional, unartistic, mechanistic, colourless, uninspired, business-like: The girl at the check-out gave us a mechanical smile.
mechanism | mechanism: n. 1 device, appliance, contrivance, apparatus, instrument, machine: This mechanism will detonate the bomb at the right moment. 2 machinery, workings, works, structure, system, organization, arrangement: Astrophysicists can offer only an imperfect account of the mechanism of the universe. 3 way, means, method, procedure, approach, technique, medium, process, agency: We shall use every mechanism at our disposal to have the case heard by a different judge. 4 materialism, mechanicalism, physicalism, logical positivism, identity theory, monism: His notions of mechanism reject the idea of free-thinking individualism.
meddle | meddle: v. interfere, intrude, butt in, pry, intervene, interlope, tamper, snoop, Rare intermeddle, Colloq stick or poke one''s nose in, have a or one''s finger in the pie, kibitz: Why are you always meddling in things that don''t concern you?
mediator | mediator: n. arbitrator, arbiter, referee, umpire, judge, negotiator, intermediary, go-between, middleman, moderator, liaison, intercessor, interceder, conciliator, appeaser, peacemaker: To avoid a lawsuit, they agreed to allow a mediator to settle their differences.
medicinal | medicinal: adj. healing, remedial, therapeutic, curative, restorative, sanative; medical, iatric(al), Medicine roborant, analeptic, alexipharmic: The doctor prescribed a medicinal ointment for the rash.
medicine | medicine: n. medication, medicament, remedy, drug, pharmaceutical, prescription, Archaic physic; nostrum, panacea, cure-all: There is no medicine that can cure your affliction.
mediocre | mediocre: adj. middling, indifferent, ordinary, commonplace, average, medium, everyday, US garden-variety, run-of-the-mill, pedestrian, undistinguished, uninspired, unimaginative, unexceptional, tolerable, fair, not (that or too) good, not bad, second-rate, third-rate, inferior, poor, Brit common-or-garden variety, US garden-variety, Colloq so so, fair to middling, nothing to brag or to write home about, no great shakes: It was a mediocre play, and we couldn''t be bothered to sit through it.
meditate | meditate: v. 1 reflect, think, muse, ponder, study, ruminate, cogitate, contemplate, cerebrate, be lost in thought, be in a brown study: Please don''t interrupt me while I''m meditating. 2 Often, meditate on or upon. consider, contemplate, mull over, reflect on or upon, ponder on or over, chew over, plan, scheme, devise, design, conceive, frame, think up, have in mind: She was meditating revenge, while I was meditating on how to discourage her.
meditative | meditative: adj. thoughtful, pensive, contemplative, reflective, studious, cogitative, excogitative, abstracted, rapt, engrossed, lost or deep in thought, ruminative, brooding: She suddenly stopped talking and became meditative, looking at me with a curious expression.
medium | medium: adj. 1 average, middle, mid, medial, median, normal, standard, usual, everyday, ordinary; mid-sized: His wife has an estate car of medium size - nothing extravagant. 2 See mediocre, above. --n. 3 average, middle, mid-point, compromise, centre, mean, norm, mediocrity: Instead of going to extremes, try for the happy medium. 4 atmosphere, environment, ambience or ambiance, milieu: The air serves as a medium of sound. The light is refracted as it passes into a denser medium. 5 means, method, mode, approach, instrumentality, device, mechanism, intermediation, technique, contrivance, agency, expedient, way, course, route, road, avenue, channel, conveyance, vehicle: Latin and Greek were the media of the scholarship, the science, and the theology of the Middle Ages. Television is a powerful advertising medium.
medley | medley: n. mixture, assortment, combination, miscellany, m�lange, collection, conglomeration, agglomeration, hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, olio, blend, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum, pastiche, pot-pourri, salmagundi, olla podrida, mishmash, jumble, mess, farrago, stew, goulash, Colloq mixed bag: The programme consisted of a medley of show tunes.
meek | meek: adj. 1 modest, humble, submissive, unassuming, unambitious, unpretentious, mild, bland, patient, deferential, shy, retiring, lowly: The meek shall inherit the earth. 2 tame, timid, weak, docile, compliant, submissive, yielding, acquiescent, docile, unaggressive, non-militant, tractable, manageable, subdued, repressed, spiritless, suppressed, broken, Colloq wimpish: The people are meek and will not offer any resistance to such dictatorial government.
meet� | meet�: v. 1 encounter, come across, chance on or upon, happen on or upon, stumble on or into, see, Colloq run across or into, bump into: Guess who I met in the park this morning! 2 Often, meet with. rendezvous (with), get together (with); convene, assemble, gather, collect, forgather or foregather, congregate: I met with the mysterious stranger as arranged. The board meets at 9.00 am. 3 make the acquaintance of, be introduced to, first encounter, come across, find: Where did you meet your wife? 4 link up, join, come together, unite, adjoin, abut, touch, intersect: The horizon is where the sky meets earth. 5 answer, deal with, handle, satisfy, fulfil, take care of, dispose of, heed, observe, carry out; gratify, pay, settle, defray, liquidate: Will these precautions meet the requirements of the Department of the Environment? The police advised the parents not to meet the kidnapper''s demands. 6 meet with. encounter, be met by, experience; undergo, endure, suffer, have, go through: All our efforts met with little or no response. Gary met with an accident yesterday. --n. 7 competition, contest, meeting, match, tourney, tournament; muster, rally: The track meet was won by our team.
meet� | meet�: adj. fitting, suitable, appropriate, proper, fit, congruous: It is meet to offer praises to God.
meeting | meeting: n. 1 appointment, engagement, rendezvous, encounter, assignation, tryst, Slang US meet: She arranged a meeting with her ex-husband. 2 assembly, convention, conference, gathering, congress, conclave, session, congregation, convocation, US caucus, Colloq get-together: Nominations for next year''s officers will be presented at the next meeting. 3 convergence, converging, confluence, joining, union, junction, conjunction, intersection: The earliest settlement was at the meeting of the two rivers. 4 See meet, 7, above.
melancholy | melancholy: adj. 1 sad, morose, depressed, unhappy, dejected, despondent, blue, downhearted, glum, gloomy, woeful, woebegone, lugubrious, disconsolate, downcast, dispirited, low-spirited, cheerless, crestfallen, chap-fallen, forlorn, heartbroken, mournful, sorrowful, miserable, dismal, Colloq down in the mouth, (down) in the dumps, low: Harold has been melancholy ever since Lucy left. --n. 2 sadness, sorrow, misery, woe, gloom, unhappiness, blues, moroseness, depression, dejection, dejectedness, despondence, despondency, downheartedness, glumness, gloominess, woefulness, lugubriousness, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, cheerlessness, mournfulness, sorrowfulness, miserableness, dolour, anguish: Getting Harold''s mind off his problems may relieve his melancholy.
mellow | mellow: adj. 1 soft, juicy, luscious, delicious, rich, sweet, flavourful, full-flavoured, ready, ripe, mature, ripened, aged: She set before us a dish of mellow peaches. Amontillado sherry is noted for its mellow taste. 2 musical, melodious, full, pure, rich, sweet, dulcet, mellifluous, euphonious, vibrant: Her voice was low, mellow, and suggestive. 3 soft, softened, subtle, muted, pastel: The mellow shades of this painting would fit well into the d�cor. 4 easygoing, genial, gentle, good-natured, easy, cordial, friendly, warm, amiable, agreeable, pleasant, cheerful, happy, jovial, felicitous: Patrick seems to have become more mellow with age. --v. 5 mature, ripen, age, season, sweeten, develop, improve (with age), soften: Frank has mellowed since taking up golf.
melodious | melodious: adj. sweet(-sounding), dulcet, tuneful, euphonious, harmonious, melodic, lyrical, musical, mellifluous, mellisonant, silvery, golden: I agreed with her father that Sylvia has a most melodious voice.
melodramatic | melodramatic: adj. sensational, sensationalistic, dramatic, stagy, theatrical, emotionalistic, (over-)sentimental, (over-)sentimentalized, overdrawn, overworked, overwrought, overdone, exaggerated, blood-and-thunder, histrionic, Colloq hammy, US schmaltzy, hokey: The slightest thing that happened to him he blew up with melodramatic effect to elicit Maria''s sympathy.
melody | melody: n. 1 song, tune, air, strain, measure, theme, refrain: Isn''t that the melody from Mimi''s aria in La Boh�me ? 2 tunefulness, melodiousness, euphoniousness, euphony, harmony, musicality, sweetness: The older music seems to be marked by so much more melody than rock ''n'' roll.
melt | melt: v. 1 soften, thaw, liquefy, fuse, dissolve, liquidize, deliquesce: You''d better eat that ice-cream before it melts. 2 soften, thaw, mollify, assuage, touch, move, disarm, mellow: The look on the child''s face melted his icy reserve. 3 Usually, melt into. blend, fade, merge, disappear, dissolve, shrink: As soon as the police arrived, Phyllis tried to melt into the background. 4 melt away. disappear, dissolve, vanish, evaporate, go away, fade, pass, decline, decrease, shrink, dwindle, diminish: When the company began to make a profit, all his previous reservations melted away.
member | member: n. colleague, associate, fellow: I am going to propose Fred as a member of the club.
memento | memento: n. 1 souvenir, keepsake, remembrance, relic, trophy, token: I kept his medals as a memento of our time together. 2 mementos. memorabilia: There will be an auction of war mementos next week.
memoir | memoir: n. 1 account, report, reportage, narrative, essay, dissertation, disquisition, paper, journal, record, biography, life: They found her memoir about life in the jungle very exciting. 2 memoirs. autobiography, reminiscences, recollections, memories, diary, confessions, letters, life story; annals, history, account(s), record(s), chronology: She was reading the memoirs of Henry Kissinger.
memorable | memorable: adj. unforgettable, catchy, never-to-be-forgotten, noteworthy, notable, remarkable, significant, important, worthy, momentous, eventful, historic, illustrious, celebrated, great: His first book contains many memorable and quotable passages.
memorandum | memorandum: n. note, record, minute, reminder, message, Brit chit or chitty, Colloq memo: Send a memorandum reminding them of the meeting.
memorial | memorial: adj. 1 commemorative: A memorial plaque will be dedicated to him tomorrow. --n. 2 monument, marker, plaque, cenotaph, statue, memento, remembrance, reminder, souvenir: Let this serve as a memorial to those who died in the wars. Wreaths were laid at the foot of the memorial.
memorialize | memorialize: v. honour, commemorate, pay homage or respect or tribute to, remember, eulogize, celebrate, mark: His life, devoted to botany, is memorialized in these beautiful gardens.
memorize | memorize: v. learn by heart or rote, commit to memory, learn word for word, retain; remember: He memorized the entire Rime of the Ancient Mariner .
memory | memory: n. 1 recall, recollection, retention: My memory of the incident is very vivid. She has a poor memory for faces. 2 recollection, reminiscence, thought: The interviewer was drawing on grandfather''s memories of the 1920s. 3 remembrance, honour, homage, respect, tribute, celebration: He wrote a sequence of poems in memory of a dear friend.
menace | menace: v. 1 threaten, intimidate, daunt, terrorize, terrify, cow, bully, frighten, scare, alarm: The loan sharks menaced him when he refused to pay. --n. 2 threat, danger, peril, hazard, risk: The sunken wreck is a menace to navigation. 3 intimidation, scare, threat, warning, commination: According to law, a menace alone does not constitute an injury.
menacing | menacing: adj. threatening, looming, impending, ominous, frightening, terrifying, intimidating, minacious, minatory or minatorial, louring or lowering; dangerous, perilous, hazardous, risky, chancy: Menacing storm clouds scudded across the darkening sky.
mend | mend: v. 1 repair, fix, patch (up), rectify, correct, remedy, restore, rehabilitate; heal: When will you get round to mending the roof? 2 correct, improve, better, ameliorate, reform, revise, rectify, set or put right, emend: When are you going to mend your ways? 3 heal, improve, recover, convalesce, recuperate, get better: It took me a few months to mend after the accident. --n. 4 repair, patch: You can hardly see where the mend is. 5 on the mend. recovering, recuperating, convalescing, convalescent, improving: The good news is that father is on the mend after his attack.
menial | menial: adj. 1 lowly, servile, humble, subservient, base, low, mean, slavish, demeaning, degrading, ignoble; routine, unskilled: He took a number of menial jobs to pay for his daughter''s wedding. 2 servile, fawning, grovelling, toadying, sycophantic, obsequious, cringing, time-serving, flattering, snivelling, Colloq boot-licking, Taboo slang brown-nosing: His insecurity makes him surround himself with menial hangers-on. --n. 3 lackey, flunkey, serf, slave, underling, minion, Brit fag, Colloq Brit dogsbody, skivvy, US gofer: He works as one of the menials in the hotel kitchen. 4 toady, sycophant, yes-man, lickspittle, leech, parasite, time-server, Colloq bootlicker, Taboo slang brown-nose(r): The film star was attended by a retinue of menials, all anxious to keep in her favour.
mental | mental: adj. 1 intellectual, cognitive, cerebral, perceptual, rational, conceptual, theoretical, noetic, abstract: The boy staggered us with his ability to perform rapid mental arithmetical calculations. 2 lunatic, mad, crazy, psychotic, demented, mentally ill, unstable, unbalanced, deranged, disturbed, daft, certifiable, Slang off one''s rocker, nutty, batty, balmy or barmy, loony, screwy, bonkers, crackers, nuts, bananas, loco: My great-aunt has gone a bit mental in her old age.
mentality | mentality: n. 1 intelligence, brain, capacity, intellect, wit, sense, judgement, acuity, acumen, I.Q., rationality, understanding: I''d say that Frank is a man of average mentality. 2 inclination, attitude, bent, mind-set, disposition, frame of mind, temperament, outlook, view: The news betrays little about what is actually happening, but much about the mentality of the leadership. They criticized Britain''s ''island mentality''.
mention | mention: v. 1 speak or write about, refer to, allude to, touch on or upon, make mention (of), bring up or in, introduce, broach, call or direct attention to, note, name, cite, acknowledge; point out, indicate, make known, adduce, report, quote: Sergeant Payne was mentioned in dispatches from the front. He mentions the works of Conrad in support of his thesis. 2 divulge, reveal, intimate, disclose, impart, suggest, animadvert on or upon, hint (at), imply, insinuate: Did he mention that Liz was present? --n. 3 reference, allusion, note, naming, citation, mentioning, Colloq cite: There was a mention of you in the newspaper today. 4 recognition, tribute, acknowledgement, kudos, praise: She won no prize but came in for an honourable mention. 5 announcement, reference, referral, remark: The speaker''s mention of the conference reminded me of something.
mercantile | mercantile: adj. commercial, business, trade, marketing, market: The book dealt with the mercantile affairs of the Hanseatic League.
mercenary | mercenary: adj. 1 money-oriented, grasping, greedy, acquisitive, covetous, predatory, avaricious, venal, Colloq money-grubbing: She objected that the ''financial world'' ought to be renamed the ''mercenary world''. 2 venal, bribable, corrupt, bought, Colloq US on the take: They found themselves a mercenary judge and the indictment was quashed. --n. 3 hireling, legionnaire, soldier of fortune: The highly trained task force was made up entirely of mercenaries.
merchandise | merchandise: n. 1 goods, commodities, products, stock, staples, produce: The merchandise you ordered was shipped yesterday. --v. 2 trade, deal in, traffic in, market, distribute, retail, (buy and) sell, promote, advertise: We are merchandising the new product line via direct mail.
merchant | merchant: n. 1 dealer, retailer, seller, shopkeeper, store owner, trader, tradesman or tradeswoman, vendor: High Street merchants are complaining about a decline in sales. 2 pedlar, hawker; (travelling) salesman, (sales) representative, commercial traveller, huckster, door-to-door salesman, US old-fashioned drummer, Colloq (sales) rep: His work as an itinerant merchant took him away from home most of the week. 3 distributor, wholesaler, jobber, broker, agent, forwarder; businessman, merchant prince, mogul, tycoon, magnate, industrialist, US baron: She comes from a family of steel merchants.
merciful | merciful: adj. compassionate, sympathetic, forgiving, kind, kindly, clement, kind-hearted, forbearing, sparing, lenient, tender, humane, liberal, mild, tender-hearted, soft-hearted, gracious, generous, magnanimous, benignant, beneficent, charitable, thoughtful, considerate, indulgent, big: She begged the governor to be merciful and to spare her life.
merciless | merciless: adj. cruel, pitiless, ruthless, heartless, unmerciful, inhumane, inhuman, brutal, savage, barbarous, barbaric, barbarian, crude, rude, rough, harsh, tough, callous, hard, hard-hearted, illiberal, tyrannical, stony-hearted, cold, severe, unsparing, insensitive, indifferent, unsympathetic, unforgiving, ungracious, malevolent, thoughtless, uncharitable, inconsiderate, unmoved, unbending, inflexible, relentless, unrelenting, inexorable: Their captors proved to be utterly merciless. The merciless sun beat down on the desert outpost.
mercy | mercy: n. compassion, pity, forbearance, quarter, tolerance, sympathy, favour, forgiveness, kindness, kindliness, leniency, tenderness, humanity, humaneness, liberality, kind-heartedness, tender-heartedness, soft-heartedness, graciousness, generosity, magnanimity, benignity, beneficence, charity, thoughtfulness, consideration, indulgence: May the Lord have mercy on your soul. We could expect no mercy from that slave-driver.
mere | mere: adj. bare, basic, scant, stark, sheer; absolute, unmixed, only, just, nothing but, pure (and simple), unmitigated, undiluted: She was a mere slip of a girl. We need something more to go on than mere hearsay evidence.
merely | merely: adv. 1 only, simply; basically, purely, essentially, fundamentally, at bottom: I was merely going to ask if you''d like to go to the cinema. 2 only, no more than; barely, scarcely, simply, solely, entirely: She was merely the scullery-maid. We can''t unlock the safe merely on your authority.
merge | merge: v. combine, coalesce, unite, join, amalgamate, consolidate, pool, blend, mix, mingle, commingle, fuse: If we merge our companies, we shall save on overhead costs.
merger | merger: n. combination, coalescence, union, merging, amalgamation, consolidation, coalition, pooling, blending, mixing, mingling, commingling, fusing, fusion: A merger of the two firms might result in a monopoly.
merit | merit: n. 1 worth, worthiness, value, excellence, quality, virtue, good, goodness: Philip''s plan has a good deal of merit. 2 Often, merits. assets, strong point, advantage, rights and wrongs: What exactly are the merits of his approach over mine? The case should be tried on its own merits. --v. 3 earn, deserve, warrant, rate, have a right or claim to, be entitled to, be qualified for, be worthy of: What gave you the idea that you merited any special consideration?
meritorious | meritorious: adj. honourable, laudable, praiseworthy, commendable, creditable, admirable, estimable, excellent, exemplary, outstanding: Penny has won the company award for meritorious service five months in a row.
merriment | merriment: n. jollity, joviality, merrymaking, revelry, gaiety, high or good spirits, mirth, mirthfulness, joyfulness, felicity, jubilation, festivity, exhilaration, buoyancy, exuberance, cheer, cheerfulness, glee, fun, hilarity, enjoyment, happiness, blithefulness, blithesomeness, frolicking: Everyone joined in the merriment at the office party.
merry | merry: adj. 1 cheerful, happy, gay, cheery, jolly, jovial, in high or good spirits, mirthful, joyful, joyous, hilarious, jubilant, rejoicing, festive, exhilarating, exuberant, vivacious, convivial, buoyant, gleeful, blithe, blithesome, carefree, light-hearted, delighted: Didn''t we have a merry old time at the Christmas party! 2 make merry. revel, celebrate, carouse, frolic: The guests made merry till the wee hours of the morning.
mesh | mesh: n. 1 mesh-work, network, netting, net, web, webbing, lattice, lattice-work, screen, screening, interlacing, lace-work, grid, grate, grating, grater, sieve, strainer, trellis, trellis-work, decussation, Technical rete, reticle or reticule or graticule, reticulation, plexus, plexure, reticulum; interstice: The mesh of the hammock broke and I fell to the ground. 2 Often, meshes. grip, clutches, grasp, toils, web, trap, entanglement, tangle, complex, complexity, intricacy: Her papers were lost in the meshes of the filing system. --v. 3 catch, entangle, enmesh, grab, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, involve: I became meshed inextricably in the complexities of her life. 4 engage, fit (together), dovetail, knit, enmesh, match, interlock: After they were aligned, the gears meshed perfectly.
mess | mess: n. 1 chaos, disorder, disarray, disorganization, shambles, muddle, disarrangement, clutter, hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge, litter, tangle, jumble, confusion, mishmash; untidiness: Would you help me clean up this mess? Drugs have made a mess of her life. 2 concoction, mixture, medley, miscellany, hash, gallimaufry, farrago, olio, olla podrida, pot-pourri, smorgasbord or sm�rg�sbord, kedgeree: They presented us with a huge mess of things from which we must select what we want. 3 predicament, difficulty, plight, pinch, trouble, dilemma, quandary, imbroglio, Colloq foul-up, stew, fix, hot water, (pretty or fine) kettle of fish, pickle, jam, Slang screw-up, Brit balls-up, can of worms, US snafu: You have got yourself into a fine mess this time! --v. 4 mess about or around (with). a potter, fool (around), dally, busy oneself, fiddle about or around, play: He enjoys messing about in boats. b philander, trifle, toy, flirt, seduce, sleep around, fool around, run around: She doesn''t want him to mess about with other women. 5 mess up. a disarrange, disarray, dishevel, tousle, Colloq US muss (up): He always messes up my hair when he kisses me. b ruin, destroy, make a shambles of, wreck, bungle, botch, foul up, Colloq make a hash of, Slang muck up: Making that one little mistake messed up his whole career. c dirty, clutter up, make untidy, turn upside down, pull to pieces, upset: The police messed up my whole house looking for the pistol. 6 mess with. interfere in or with, intervene, meddle with or in, intrude in, butt in or into, tinker with, tamper with, get involved in or with: They ought to learn not to mess with things that don''t concern them.
message | message: n. 1 communication, bulletin, report, communiqu�, news, dispatch or despatch, information, word, intelligence, tidings; note, missive, letter, memorandum: The message reached us by carrier pigeon. 2 speech, address, presentation, statement, declaration: His message was delivered via television to people everywhere. 3 idea, point, import, meaning, essence, implication: The message that he isn''t liked around here still hasn''t penetrated his thick skull.
messenger | messenger: n. envoy, emissary, legate, nuncio, intermediary, go-between; page, errand-boy, errand-girl, messenger-boy, messenger-girl, courier, runner, dispatch-rider, Pheidippides, Mercury, Hermes; herald, harbinger; Colloq US gofer: If you don''t like the message, don''t take it out on the messenger.
messiah | Messiah: n. deliverer, liberator, emancipator, saviour, rescuer: They believe in a Messiah who will release them from earthly bondage.
metaphor | metaphor: n. figure (of speech), allusion, analogy, analogue, reference, image, trope, symbol; simile, parabole; metonymy, symbolism, imagery: When she said she was blue, she was using ''blue'' as a metaphor. Poetry is rife with metaphor.
metaphoric | metaphoric: adj. metaphorical, non-literal, allusive, analogic(al), analogous, figurative, symbolic, referential, parabolic(al), metonymic, metonymous, tropological: I meant ''filthy'' in a metaphoric, not a literal, sense.
mete | mete: v. Usually, mete out. deal (out), apportion, distribute, dole (out), allot, assign, allocate, parcel out, share (out), ration (out), measure out, dispense, hand out, give out, pass out, Colloq dish out: Punishment was meted out to those who deserved it.
meteoric | meteoric: adj. 1 brief, short-lived, temporary, transitory, transient, ephemeral, evanescent, impermanent, fleeting, momentary, swift, overnight: She enjoyed a meteoric rise as a singer, but after two years at the top she disappeared without a trace. 2 brilliant, dazzling, flashing, spectacular, sensational: His meteoric career was launched in 1974.
method | method: n. 1 way, means, procedure, approach, route, avenue, road, mode, manner, technique, process, routine, modus operandi; plan, scheme, programme, course, routine, practice, pattern, system, methodology; Colloq US M.O.: What method was used to arrive at the answer? 2 arrangement, order, system, structure, organization, design, pattern, orderliness, neatness, regularity, discipline: There is a discernible, underlying method to what seems superficially chaotic.
methodical | methodical: adj. organized, ordered, systematic, structured, businesslike, orderly, neat, tidy, regular, routine, balanced, disciplined, painstaking, meticulous, deliberate, paced, laborious, plodding, laboured: The weaver resumed his methodical throwing of the shuttle, back and forth, back and forth.
meticulous | meticulous: adj. careful, precise, accurate, exact, fastidious, scrupulous, thorough, particular, painstaking, punctilious, fussy, finicky, demanding, strict, critical, exacting, perfectionist: His work is noted for its meticulous attention to detail.
metropolis | metropolis: n. capital, (capital) city; metropolitan area, urban sprawl, megalopolis, municipality: Street crime has become a problem in every major metropolis.
