
microbe | microbe: n. micro-organism, microzoon, germ; bacterium, virus, Colloq bug: Only recently has science learnt that diseases are caused by microbes.
midday | midday: n. noon, noontime, twelve (o''clock) noon, US high noon: By midday, the temperature had reached 34� Celsius.
middle | middle: adj. 1 central, centre, halfway, mid, midway, mean, medial, Technical mesial: We had reached the middle stage of our journey. Her index finger and middle finger are almost exactly the same length. --n. 2 centre, mid-point, midst, halfway point; heart, bull''s-eye: He lives in the middle of the city. The arrow found the very middle of the target. 3 midriff, waist, mid-section, stomach: She wore a red sash round her middle.
midst | midst: n. middle, centre, mid-point, halfway point: In the midst of life we are in death. They live in a fairy-tale ch�teau in the midst of beautiful Breton countryside. This proved a welcome boost in the midst of a difficult election campaign.
midwife | midwife: n. accoucheur or accoucheuse: Most babies in the world are delivered by midwives.
might | might: n. 1 strength, power, energy, force, muscle, potency, Literary puissance: I hit my attacker with all my might. Might doesn''t always make right. 2 influence, authority, weight, sway, dominion, ascendancy, superiority, mightiness, capability, capacity, power, effect, effectiveness, Colloq clout: It was not till the 20th century that the might of the United States was felt outside its borders.
mighty | mighty: adj. 1 powerful, strong, potent, influential, dominant, predominant, ascendant, weighty, doughty, authoritarian, autocratic, indomitable: The pen is mightier than the sword. He should have thought twice before challenging such a mighty opponent. 2 strong, muscular, powerful, robust, strapping, sturdy, brawny, burly, well-built, able-bodied, hardy, Colloq husky, hefty: The smith a mighty man was he, With large and sinewy hands. 3 big, large, huge, grand, great, enormous, gigantic, tremendous, towering, monumental, prodigious, massive, bulky: The giant plucked a mighty tree from the earth and flung it across the sea. --adv. 4 very, extremely: It was mighty nice of you to visit me here in the Ozarks.
migrant | migrant: n. 1 wanderer, rover, drifter, gypsy, nomad, itinerant, transient, migrator, wayfarer, bird of passage, peregrinator, traveller; vagrant; Colloq US wetback: The townspeople were having difficulty finding accommodation for the migrants. --adj. 2 transient, migratory, itinerant, peripatetic, drifting, nomadic, travelling, gypsy, floating; vagrant: The farmers depend on migrant workers to bring in the harvest.
migrate | migrate: v. 1 go, move, travel, settle, resettle, relocate, move house; emigrate, immigrate, expatriate: During the potato famine, many migrated from Ireland to America. 2 wander, roam, voyage, rove, drift, range: Some say that the American Indians migrated across the Bering land bridge from Asia.
mild | mild: adj. 1 placid, peaceful, calm, tranquil, bland, mellow, inoffensive, gentle, serene, good-natured, affable, amiable, kind, kindly, equable, easygoing, temperate, non-violent, conciliatory, indulgent, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, lenient, forbearing, peaceable, pacific, passive, submissive, yielding, tractable, meek, unassuming, modest, quiet, subdued: Judge Leaver is known for his mild disposition. 2 clement, balmy, warm, fair, pleasant, temperate, placid, moderate: We''ve had a succession of mild winters here. 3 bland, soothing, lenitive, mollifying, demulcent, emollient, gentle, calming, softening: The doctor recommended a mild laxative.
milieu | milieu: n. environment, climate, surroundings, environs, background, ambience or ambiance, sphere, setting, atmosphere, medium, element, precincts: The British Library was the perfect milieu in which to pursue his research and writing.
militant | militant: adj. 1 aggressive, combative, pugnacious, belligerent, hostile, contentious, antagonistic, offensive, truculent, fierce, ferocious, warlike, bellicose, martial, jingoistic, hawkish: Those who have experienced war are not likely to be militant. 2 warring, fighting, combatant, combating, embattled; at war, up in arms: The militant members of the council refused to discuss terms. --n. 3 fighter, aggressor, combatant, belligerent, warrior, soldier: Anyone who experiences the hardships of a long strike may think twice before being a militant.
military | military: adj. 1 martial, soldierly, naval, army, fighting, service: The military machine was poised to strike. --n. 2 (armed) services or forces, army, navy, air force, military establishment, soldiery: The military will oppose any reductions in spending for arms.
militate | militate: v. 1 Usually, militate against. discourage, work or go or operate against, foil, counter, countervail, cancel (out), reduce (possibility of), prevent, hinder, resist, oppose: His poor prison record militates against his early parole. 2 Usually, militate for or in favour of. be on the side of, favour, further, promote, help, aid: The same reasoning that militated in favour of lower taxes then persists today.
milk | milk: v. drain, bleed, extract, tap, exploit, wring, draw off or out, withdraw: The comic milked the joke for yet another laugh. The taxman is milking me dry.
milksop | milksop: n. sissy or Brit also cissy, coward, weakling, namby-pamby, mollycoddle, cry-baby, nancy (boy), dastard, poltroon, caitiff, (little) Lord Fauntleroy, poltroon, Archaic caitiff, US milquetoast, Colloq chinless wonder, Brit mother''s or mummy''s boy, US mama''s boy, pantywaist, Slang pansy: We want men, not milksops, in the Marines.
mill | mill: n. 1 grinder, quern, crusher, roller: In many parts of the world, corn is still ground by hand in a stone mill. 2 plant, factory, works, workshop, shop, foundry: This mill turns out rolled steel. 3 been through the mill. experienced, knowledgeable, sophisticated, toughened, hardened, seasoned, battle-scarred, Colloq been through the wringer, in the know: He''s been through the mill and knows what to expect. 4 run-of-the-mill. average, unexceptional, ordinary, common, unremarkable, everyday, basic, simple, Brit common-or-garden variety, US garden-variety: Critics found her voice pleasant but rather run-of-the-mill. --v. 5 grind, crush, comminute, powder, pulverize, grate, granulate, pound, triturate, masticate, bray; crunch, mince: Flour milled to a very fine consistency is more suitable for pastries than for breads. 6 mill about or around. meander, wander, walk, stroll, amble, move about or around, crowd, throng, swarm: There were quite a few people milling about our stand at the trade fair.
mimic | mimic: v. 1 imitate, ape, copy, simulate, mirror, echo: The image in the mirror mimicked every move I made. 2 reproduce, duplicate, copy: This frieze mimics one on the Parthenon. 3 mock, ridicule, satirize, caricature, parody, make fun of, lampoon, impersonate, Colloq take off: It is rude to mimic your elders. --n. 4 impersonator, imitator, impressionist, caricaturist, parodist, Colloq copycat: Professor Eidolon, the greatest mimic in the world, is here to entertain you! --adj. 5 imitative, imitation, mock, simulated, mimetic, sham, make-believe, pretend(ed); fake, counterfeit, feigned: Naumachia is the name given to the mimic sea battle staged in ancient Rome.
mincing | mincing: adj. effeminate, dainty, delicate, niminy-piminy, foppish, dandyish, over-dainty, affected, put-on, pretentious, precious, Brit twee, Colloq la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da: His mincing speech sets my teeth on edge.
mind | mind: n. 1 intelligence, intellect, wit, wits, mentality, brain, brains, brainpower, sense, sagacity, wisdom, perception, percipience, reason, astuteness, insight, shrewdness, sapience, Colloq grey matter: There is nothing wrong with your son''s mind, Mr Field; he just doesn''t want to apply it to school work. 2 memory, recollection; remembrance: Keep in mind what I am about to tell you. 3 aptitude, head, perception, capacity, brain: She has a great mind for dates - for figures of all kinds. 4 intellect, intellectual, sage, genius, thinker, Colloq brain: There is no doubt that your daughter is one of the great minds of all time. 5 intention, disposition, temper, temperament, humour, fancy, tendency, bent, inclination, bias, persuasion: I was of a mind to let him have his own way. 6 opinion, sentiment, attitude, (point of) view, feeling, judgement, belief, viewpoint, position: She has a mind of her own. To my mind, the process could be greatly speeded up. 7 feeling, position, will, wish, desire, plan(s): Won''t you change your mind and stay to dinner? 8 attention, thoughts, concentration, thinking: Try to keep your mind on your work. 9 bear or keep in mind. remember, do not forget or overlook, recall, retain, be aware or cognizant or mindful of, consider: Bear in mind that the post office is closed tomorrow. 10 give someone a piece of one''s mind. castigate, scold, rebuke, reprimand, rail at, reprove, reproach, chastise, upbraid, berate, read (someone) the riot act, Colloq tell off, dress down, haul or rake over the coals, skin alive, US bawl out; Slang give someone hell, US chew out: This time my father really gave the ma�tre d''h�tel a piece of his mind. 11 in or of two minds. vacillating, undecided, ambivalent, uncertain, shilly-shallying, unsure, wavering: Sam was in two minds about ordering a new computer. 12 know one''s (own) mind. be decided or resolved, be firm or resolute, be sure or certain or positive, be (self-)assured or (self-)confident, be in touch with oneself: He knows his own mind when it comes to his career. 13 make up one''s (own) mind. decide, choose, conclude, form an opinion; determine, consider, weigh, judge, deem: Sally hasn''t yet made up her mind about marrying Jan. Let her make up her own mind. 14 out of one''s mind. insane, mad, crazy: You''re out of your mind if you think I''ll go swimming in that shark-infested bay! --v. 15 object to, resent, take offence at, be offended by, dislike, be troubled or annoyed by, care, have any objection to, disapprove of, be bothered or affronted by: Do you mind not smoking? Yes, I mind very much. Would you mind moving your car, you''re blocking the drive. 16 heed, attend to, pay attention to, obey, listen to, make or take note of, mark, note: Please mind what your mother says. 17 watch, be careful of, take care with, be cautious of: Mind your head at that low doorway! 18 watch over, take care of, care for, look after, sit with, babysit, guard, keep an eye on or out for, have or take charge of, attend: Suzie is minding the children so that we can get some work done. 19 never mind. ignore, disregard, forget, pay no attention to, do not think twice about, do not give a second thought to, erase or obliterate or cancel from the mind, slough off: Never mind what that naughty boy calls you!
minder | minder: n. 1 child-minder, babysitter, sitter, nanny, nurse, governess: The minder will put the children to bed. 2 bodyguard, escort, protector: Arthur hired an ex-fighter as his minder.
mindful | mindful: adj. Often, mindful of. aware, alert, attentive to, alive, conscious, heedful, conscientious, watchful, vigilant, on the qui vive, on the lookout, circumspect, cautious: I am ever mindful of the way you like things done. She was always mindful of keeping the plants well watered.
mindless | mindless: adj. 1 stupid, asinine, thick, thickheaded, obtuse, idiotic, imbecilic, moronic, thoughtless, witless, senseless, brainless, feeble-minded, fatuous, addle-brained, addle-pated, feather-brained, Colloq Brit gormless: Many of the programmes on television are mindless twaddle. 2 inattentive, unthinking, thoughtless, unaware: He plunged into the pool, mindless of any of the perils that awaited him.
mine | mine: n. 1 pit, excavation, lode, vein; colliery, coalfield: My father worked in a mine from the age of 14. 2 source, mother-lode, vein, store, storehouse, supply, deposit, depository or depositary, repository, reserve, hoard, treasure trove, reservoir, well-spring; abundance, fund, gold-mine, wealth, treasury: This encyclopedia is a rich mine of information. --v. 3 excavate, dig, quarry, extract, scoop out or up, remove, unearth; derive, extract, draw: He claims to have mined coal in Wales and gold in South Africa. Analysis shows this ore was mined in Pennsylvania. 4 ransack, search, rake through, scour, scan, read, survey, look through, probe: Several directories were mined to compile our list of sales prospects.
mingle | mingle: v. 1 mix, blend, intermingle, commingle, intermix, combine, amalgamate, merge, compound, marry, join, unite: The stories cleverly mingle gravity and levity, the mundane and the magical. There was loud applause, mingled with a few chuckles and gasps. 2 mix, socialize, associate, join, circulate, fraternize, hobnob, consort, go, spend time, Colloq hang about or around or out, rub shoulders, Brit pal up, US pal around: I asked Fred to mingle with the guests and make them feel at home.
miniature | miniature: adj. small, small-scale, little, tiny, diminutive, minute, wee, minuscule, mini, microscopic, micro, midget, dwarf, bantam, baby, pygmy,pocket, Lilliputian, US vest-pocket, Colloq minimal: This miniature TV fits in the palm of your hand.
minimal | minimal: adj. least, smallest, minutest, littlest, tiniest, slightest; minimum, nominal, token: As a house plant, the cactus requires minimal attention. There is a minimal charge for service.
minimize | minimize: v. 1 reduce, shrink, lessen, diminish, prune, abbreviate, pare (down), cut (down), curtail, abridge, shorten, decrease, minify: Our stringent safety measures minimize the chance of an accident. 2 belittle, de-emphasize, downplay, play down, make little or light of, disparage, decry, deprecate, depreciate, misprize or misprise, devalue, devaluate, undervalue, underrate, underestimate, US talk down: Being modest, she minimizes her role in the organization.
minimum | minimum: n. 1 least, lowest, nadir: The hotel offered the minimum of comfort for the maximum price. --adj. 2 minimal, nominal, reduced, minutest, littlest, least, slightest, lowest: What is the minimum deposit the travel agent will accept? He refused to make even the minimum effort needed to save himself.
minister | minister: n. 1 cleric, clergyman, clergywoman, ecclesiastic, pastor, vicar, priest, father, reverend, churchman, divine, parson, preacher, man or woman of the cloth, evangelist, missionary, dean, curate, cur�, abb�, chaplain, Colloq padre, Slang US military sky pilot, Holy Joe: The marriage was performed by a visiting minister. 2 envoy, delegate, legate, diplomat, ambassador, emissary, plenipotentiary, minister plenipotentiary, envoy extraordinary, minister resident, consul, agent, charg� d''affaires, Brit cabinet officer or member: The minister himself signed the treaty. --v. 3 Usually, minister to. attend (to or on or upon), wait on, care for, look after, see to, accommodate; serve, supply, aid, help, assist, support: In his last days, she ministered to him in every way.
ministry | ministry: n. 1 priesthood, sacred calling, the church, the pulpit, the cloth; religion, holy orders: Burt retired from the ministry to write tracts. 2 clergy, clergymen or clergywomen, clericals, the cloth, church elders or elders of the church: During his regime, the ministry exercised great influence on the government. 3 department, office, bureau, agency: Military affairs are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.
minor | minor: adj. 1 lesser, smaller, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary: The minor planets are bodies orbiting the sun in the asteroid belt. 2 insignificant, obscure, inconsequential, unimportant, trifling, trivial, negligible, inconsiderable, slight, petty, paltry, small, Colloq small-time, one-horse, Brit two a penny, US minor-league, bush-league, penny-ante, two-bit, picayune: It is a minor matter to me whether you stay or go. She is only a minor player in this game. --n. 3 child, youngster, youth, stripling, teenager, adolescent, schoolboy, schoolgirl, boy, girl, lad, laddie, lass, lassie, Law ward, infant: At your age, you are still a minor in the eyes of the law.
minstrel | minstrel: n. bard, troubadour, balladeer, jongleur, skald or scald, minnesinger, Meistersinger: The medieval minstrels wandered the countryside, entertaining as they went.
mint | mint: n. 1 (small) fortune, lot, king''s ransom, millions, billions, Colloq bundle, pile, heap, wad(s), packet, pot(s), loads, ton, Slang Brit bomb, US (big) bucks: He lost a mint at roulette last night. She made a mint on her inventions. --v. 2 make, coin, produce, earn: Special commemorative coins were minted to celebrate the Coronation.
minute� | minute�: n. 1 instant, second, split second, flash, moment, before you can say ''Jack Robinson'', blink or wink or twinkling of an eye, coup d''oeil, trice, Colloq one sec, two secs, bat of an eye, shake, jiffy, tick, Brit half a mo, two shakes (of a lamb''s tail): I''ll be with you in a minute. 2 minutes. log, record, journal, transcript, notes, summary, r�sum�, proceedings, transactions, memorandum: Have you the minutes of the last meeting? 3 up to the minute. latest, newest, modern, up to date, trendy, fashionable, smart, all the rage, in vogue, stylish, in style, in fashion, � la mode, Colloq in, with it, hep or hip, hot, cool, US now: She always wears the most up-to-the-minute clothes. --v. 4 record, transcribe, take down, write down, note, make (a) note of, document, log: We need someone to minute the meeting.
minute� | minute�: adj. 1 small, little, tiny, tiniest, minuscule, miniature, wee, infinitesimal, microscopic, micro, diminutive, mini, baby, pint-sized, bantam, Lilliputian, Colloq teeny, teensy(-weensy), itty-bitty, itsy-bitsy: The minute furniture in the doll''s house was made entirely by hand. 2 unimportant, petty, insignificant, least, slight, mere, meagre, trifling, trivial, minor, small, little, Colloq piddling, US picayune: The painting was a perfect copy, down to the minutest detail.
miraculous | miraculous: adj. marvellous, wonderful, wondrous, incredible, unbelievable, inexplicable, unexplainable, extraordinary, spectacular, amazing, astounding, astonishing, mind-boggling, remarkable, phenomenal, fantastic, fabulous; magical, supernatural, preternatural, superhuman, Colloq out of this world, Slang far-out, crazy: Langley has made a miraculous recovery from yellow fever.
mire | mire: n. 1 swamp, bog, fen, marsh, quagmire, morass, slough, Brit dialect sump: The horse stumbled into the mire and began to flounder. 2 mud, ooze, muck, slime, dirt: I had to wade through muck and mire to get to your front door. --v. 3 enmire, bog down, become entangled or tangled, become enmeshed or meshed, become involved: Sorry I''m late; I got mired in a problem at the office. 4 dirty, soil, begrime, muddy, befoul, besmirch, sully, tarnish, smear, blacken, defile, smudge: My boots were badly mired. The scandal badly mired his reputation.
mirror | mirror: n. 1 looking-glass, glass, speculum, reflector: She stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering whether she should grow her hair. 2 reflection, reproduction, picture, representation, replication, (mirror) image: Language is the mirror of society, reflecting every social change. --v. 3 reflect, reproduce, represent, depict, repeat, echo, send back: The calm lake mirrored the moonlight. The people''s misery was mirrored in their faces.
mirth | mirth: n. merriment, merrymaking, jollity, gaiety, fun, laughter, amusement, frolic, frolicking, joviality, joyousness, revelry, rejoicing, glee, high spirits, mirthfulness, hilarity, buoyancy, Formal jocundity: Life without mirth is a lamp without oil. Christmas is a time for mirth.
misalliance | misalliance: n. m�salliance, mismarriage, mismatch, mismatchment, bad match, mismating: No one is surprised that John and Marsha''s misalliance has ended in divorce.
misanthrope | misanthrope: n. misanthropist, mankind-hater; man-hater, woman-hater, misogynist; loner, hermit, recluse, anchorite or anchoret, Colloq lone wolf: The longer he lived and the more he learned of his fellow-man, the more of a misanthrope he became.
misanthropic | misanthropic: adj. man-hating; antisocial, unsocial, unfriendly, egocentric, egoistic: In his misanthropic moods, Joel disdains human company.
misappropriate | misappropriate: v. 1 embezzle, steal, filch, expropriate, pocket, Formal peculate, defalcate: He was found guilty of misappropriating club funds. 2 misapply, misuse, pervert, misemploy: The money intended for the health service was misappropriated for the war effort.
misbehave | misbehave: v. disobey, behave badly or improperly, be bad or naughty or mischievous, Colloq carry on, act up, Slang raise hell, raise Cain: The teacher sent for me because Robyn misbehaved in class.
misbehaviour | misbehaviour: n. naughtiness, badness, misconduct, misdemeanour(s), disorderliness, disobedience, delinquency, disorderly conduct, rowdyism: She was severely reprimanded for persistent misbehaviour in class.
miscalculate | miscalculate: v. misjudge, err, misevaluate, misestimate, misreckon, miscompute, miscount, misappreciate, misread; underestimate, undervalue, underrate; overestimate, overvalue, overrate: She miscalculated the effect of her resignation.
miscarriage | miscarriage: n. failure, abortion, collapse, breakdown, failing, mismanagement, non-fulfilment, defeat, non-success, frustration: Her acquittal was a miscarriage of justice.
miscarry | miscarry: v. abort, fail, fall through, break down, go wrong, founder, come to nothing or naught or nought, go awry, come to grief, go amiss, misfire, go up or end up in smoke, perish, die: The plan to steal the crown jewels miscarried.
miscellaneous | miscellaneous: adj. varied, heterogeneous, diverse, mixed, diversified, divers, motley, sundry, assorted, various, varying, multifarious, multiform, many-sided, multiplex, manifold: A large part of the exhibition is devoted to miscellaneous paintings and prints from his early period.
miscellany | miscellany: n. mixture, assortment, variety, medley, diversity, mixed bag, job lot, rag-bag, m�lange, pot-pourri, gallimaufry, motley, hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, salmagundi, olio, olla podrida, smorgasbord or sm�rg�sbord, odds and ends, omnium gatherum, hash, mess, Brit lucky dip, jumble, US grab-bag: A miscellany of household goods was contributed for the jumble sale.
mischief | mischief: n. 1 misbehaviour, naughtiness, impishness, elfishness or elvishness, roguishness, rascality, devilry or deviltry, mischievousness, playfulness, devilment, badness, Colloq monkey business, shenanigans, Brit monkey tricks or US monkeyshines: That boy is always up to some mischief. 2 harm, injury, damage, detriment, trouble, hurt, wrong, difficulty, disruption, destruction, misfortune, evil: He didn''t realize the mischief a casual remark could do. She was accused of malicious mischief when she punctured his car tyres.
mischievous | mischievous: adj. 1 naughty, impish, roguish, rascally, devilish, elfish or elvish, puckish, scampish, frolicsome, playful, sportive: Tying his cousin''s shoelaces together was a mischievous prank and not malicious. 2 harmful, injurious, hurtful, damaging, pernicious, detrimental, destructive, deleterious, dangerous, spiteful, malicious, vicious, malign, baleful, baneful, noxious, wicked, evil, bad: The government regards as mischievous the detention of any Foreign Office personnel.
misconceive | misconceive: v. misunderstand, misconstrue, misjudge, mistake, misapprehend, misinterpret, misread, get or have the wrong idea, get or have (hold of) the wrong end of the stick: He has misconceived the purpose in banning firearms.
misconception | misconception: n. false or wrong notion or idea, misunderstanding, misconstruction, misconstrual, misjudgement, miscalculation, misapprehension, mistaken belief, error, mistake, delusion: The confused wording of the warranty could result in a misconception of one''s rights.
miscreant | miscreant: n. 1 villain, wretch, mischief-maker, scamp, rascal, criminal, evil-doer, felon, malefactor, rogue, reprobate, scoundrel, wrongdoer, good-for-nothing, ne''er-do-well, blackguard, hooligan, ruffian, hoodlum, thug, rowdy, Archaic knave, caitiff, varlet, rapscallion, Colloq crook, roughneck, scallywag or scalawag, Slang hood, Brit mug, rough, Australian larrikin, US baddy, bad actor: The police have apprehended the miscreant who had been attacking passers-by. --adj. 2 villainous, wretched, mischievous, rascally, criminal, felonious, corrupt, malefic, malevolent, evil, depraved, base, nefarious, iniquitous, vicious, unprincipled, ne''er-do-well, reprobate, scoundrelly, wicked: The miscreant terrorists may be hiding in Greece.
misdeed | misdeed: n. Often, misdeeds. offence, crime, felony, wrongdoing, misdoing, transgression, misdemeanour, fault, misconduct, sin, trespass, wrong, peccadillo: Who will punish him for his misdeeds now that he is safe in Argentina?
misdirect | misdirect: v. misguide, misadvise; misaddress: He misdirected us by saying the lavatory was downstairs. The letter, misdirected, was returned.
miser | miser: n. skinflint, hoarder, niggard, penny-pincher, pinchpenny, cheese-parer, Scrooge, Colloq cheapskate, US tightwad: For that old miser, charity begins and ends at home.
miserable | miserable: adj. 1 wretched, unhappy, depressed, woeful, woebegone, sad, dejected, forlorn, disconsolate, despondent, heartbroken, sorrowful, broken-hearted, mournful, desolate, desperate, despairing, downhearted, melancholy, glum, low-spirited, gloomy, dismal, lachrymose, tearful, Colloq Brit cut up: Tanya is miserable because no one invited her to go to the dance. 2 unpleasant, inclement, inconvenient, untoward, bad, unfavourable, awful, terrible, adverse, Colloq rotten, lousy: The weather was miserable throughout the weekend. 3 inadequate, unworthy, poor, deplorable, contemptible, bad, despicable, sorry, pitiful, pathetic, lamentable, Colloq rotten, lousy: That was the most miserable play I have ever had the misfortune to sit through. 4 squalid, wretched, bad, abject, deplorable, shabby, mean, vile, shameful, scurvy, awful, disgraceful, contemptible: He lives in a cellar in the most miserable conditions.
miserly | miserly: adj. stingy, penurious, niggardly, penny-pinching, parsimonious, mean, cheap, cheese-paring, tight, tight-fisted, close, close-fisted, mercenary, avaricious, greedy, covetous, Colloq money-grubbing, Brit mingy, US chintzy: Flynn is too miserly to lend you a penny.
misery | misery: n. 1 unhappiness, distress, discomfort, wretchedness, woe, sadness, melancholy, sorrow, dolour, heartache, grief, anguish, anxiety, angst, depression, despair, desperation, desolation, despondency, gloom: Worn out by grief and misery, she collapsed into a chair. 2 squalor, poverty, destitution, privation, indigence, penury, wretchedness, sordidness: The misery of those slums is unbelievable. 3 hardship, suffering, calamity, disaster, curse, misfortune, ordeal, woe, trouble, catastrophe, trial, tribulation, adversity, burden, affliction: She cannot bear the twin miseries of illness and poverty. 4 spoilsport, damper, killjoy, dampener, Job''s comforter, grouch, grump, malcontent, pessimist, cynic, prophet of doom, Cassandra, Colloq wet blanket, sourpuss, US party pooper, gloomy Gus, picklepuss: How can you stand living with such a misery?
misfire | misfire: v. 1 fail, abort, miscarry, go wrong, fizzle (out), fall through, Colloq flop, come a cropper, Brit go phut, US go pfft or phft: The plan to take over the conglomerate misfired when the shares soared in price. --n. 2 miscarriage, failure, fizzle, dud, Colloq abort, flop: After two misfires, we gave up trying to buy a time-share in the Algarve.
misfit | misfit: n. oner, eccentric, individual, nonconformist, maverick, square peg in a round hole: People regard him as one of society''s misfits and tend to steer clear.
misfortune | misfortune: n. 1 bad luck, ill luck, ill fortune, hard luck, infelicity, adversity, loss: He had the misfortune to marry the wrong woman. 2 accident, misadventure, mishap, calamity, catastrophe, mischance, disaster, contretemps, tragedy, blow, shock; reverse, stroke of bad luck, Colloq bad news: With the death of his father, then his illness, then the loss of his business, one misfortune followed another.
misgiving | misgiving: n. apprehension, mistrust, worry, concern, anxiety, qualm, scruple, disquiet, hesitation, doubt, question, uncertainty, suspicion, unease, uneasiness, discomfort; dread, premonition, foreboding, Colloq funny feeling: I had grave misgivings about driving all that way on my own.
misguided | misguided: adj. misled, wrong, misdirected, foolish, unreasonable, erroneous, mistaken, misplaced, imprudent, unwise, impolitic, ill-advised, fallacious, uncalled-for, labouring under a misapprehension, wide of the mark, Colloq off (the mark), barking up the wrong tree: Her helpfulness is often misguided, ending in disaster for all concerned.
mishandle | mishandle: v. 1 abuse, mistreat, maltreat, ill-treat, beat (up), brutalize, maul, molest, injure, hurt, harm, handle or treat roughly, manhandle, Colloq knock about or around: The poor child was mishandled by her parents. 2 mismanage, bungle, botch, misconduct, mangle, mess up, muddle, wreck, ruin, destroy, Colloq muff, make a mess or hash of, Slang screw up, bugger up, Taboo fuck up: Forster mishandled the deal so badly that it cost the company millions.
mishap | mishap: n. See misfortune, 2, above.
mishmash | mishmash: n. mess, medley, hash, gallimaufry, farrago, pot-pourri, jumble, pastiche, mixture, salmagundi, hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, tangle, omnium gatherum, m�lange, olio, olla podrida, goulash, stew: His paper is nothing more than a mishmash of other people''s ideas.
misinform | misinform: v. misguide, mislead, misadvise, misdirect, delude, deceive, dupe, defraud, fool, gull, lead astray, throw someone off the scent, Colloq con, slip or put something over on someone, pull a fast one on, US give (someone) a bum steer, throw someone a curve: If you think you have a right to compensation, you''ve been misinformed.
misinformation | misinformation: n. disinformation, misintelligence; red herring, false trail, false scent: When we uncover an enemy agent in our midst, we allow him to collect misinformation.
misinterpret | misinterpret: v. misunderstand, mistake, misconstrue, misconceive, misread, misjudge, misapprehend, Slang screw up, bugger up: He misinterpreted what I said and stepped off the ledge.
mislay | mislay: v. misplace, lose, mislocate; misfile: I have mislaid my reading spectacles.
mislead | mislead: v. misinform, lead astray, misguide, misdirect, throw off the scent or track, pull the wool over someone''s eyes, fool, outwit, bluff, hoodwink, trick, humbug, bamboozle, deceive, dupe, gull, cozen, Colloq con, take in, lead up the garden path, flimflam, slip or put or pass one over on, Slang take, US give someone a bum steer: I was misled into believing that she loved only me. He is misleading you if he says that the shares will soon increase in value.
mismatched | mismatched: adj. mismated, ill-matched, ill-mated, incompatible, unfit, inappropriate, unsuited, unsuitable, incongruous, misallied, disparate, uncongenial, inconsistent, inharmonious, discordant: With her interest in art and his in football, they made a mismatched pair.
misprint | misprint: n. error, mistake, erratum, typographical error, printer''s or printing error, Brit literal, Colloq typo: We cannot publish a book containing so many misprints.
misrepresent | misrepresent: v. distort, twist, pervert, garble, misstate, mangle, falsify, belie, disguise, colour: In his report, he misrepresented everything I said.
miss� | miss�: v. 1 skip, forgo, absent oneself from, be absent from, fail to keep; avoid, evade, escape, dodge, Colloq pass up: I missed my dentist''s appointment. I missed school because my grandmother was ill. 2 long for, yearn for, pine for, feel nostalgia for, be nostalgic for or about, want, need, wish for: I miss those long summer evenings by the lake. 3 misunderstand, misinterpret, misconstrue, misapprehend, fail to understand or perceive, mistake: You have completely missed the point. 4 Sometimes, miss out (on). pass up, omit, leave out, slip up (on), overlook, let slip (by), let pass, pass over, disregard, ignore: You can be sure that Frobisher would never miss a free meal. --n. 5 omission, oversight, slip, failure, mistake, error, blunder, Colloq slip-up: A miss is as good as a mile.
miss� | miss�: n. Ms., girl, lass, lassie, maid, maiden, young lady, young woman, schoolgirl, mademoiselle, nymphet, teenager, virgin, spinster, old maid, Brit bachelor girl, Irish English colleen, Literary nymph, Archaic demoiselle, damsel, Colloq old-fashioned gal, US coed, Valley girl, bachelorette, Slang teeny-bopper, groupie, Chiefly Brit bird, Old-fashioned US bobby-soxer: She''s a pretty young miss, isn''t she?
misshapen | misshapen: adj. distorted, twisted, contorted, crooked, deformed, crippled, malformed, grotesque, awry, warped, gnarled, ill-proportioned, ill-made, monstrous, Technical acromegalic: The misshapen bell-ringer in The Hunchback of Notre Dame was named Quasimodo.
missile | missile: n. projectile, brickbat; guided missile, ballistic missile: Bottles, stones, and other missiles were thrown at the police during the riot.
mission | mission: n. 1 task, duty, function, purpose, job, office, work, assignment, errand, charge, business, commission, undertaking, pursuit, activity, aim, objective: He accepted the mission to convert the natives to Christianity. 2 calling, occupation, vocation, trade, line (of work), profession, m�tier: It has become my mission in life to see that you learn how to do sums. 3 delegation, legation, deputation, commission, committee, group, ministry: She has been sent on a governmental trade mission to Botswana.
missionary | missionary: n. evangelist, preacher, minister, proselytizer: During the 19th century, many missionaries were dispatched to spread the faith in Africa.
missive | missive: n. letter, communication, message, dispatch, note, line, postcard, card, epistle: I have just received a missive from great-aunt Cecilia that took me an hour to read.
misspent | misspent: adj. wasted, squandered, idle, dissipated, thrown away, profitless, prodigal: Proficiency at billiards is a sign of a misspent youth.
misstatement | misstatement: n. 1 falsification, misreport, misquotation, miscitation, distortion, misrepresentation, misconstruction, misinterpretation, perversion, lie, falsehood, untruth, fabrication: The prosecutor''s indictment is a misstatement of the charges against the defendant. 2 solecism, error, mistake, gaffe, faux pas, slip of the tongue, lapsus linguae, blunder, Slang howler, Brit bloomer, US and Canadian blooper: For an educated man his speech is sprinkled with too many grammatical misstatements.
misstep | misstep: n. 1 false step, blunder, mistake, error, bad or wrong or false move, trip, stumble, slip: One misstep meant a fall into the abyss. 2 indiscretion, mistake, lapse, faux pas, oversight, error, gaffe, Colloq slip-up, Slang howler, Brit bloomer, US and Canadian blooper, goof: Her misstep was telling her fianc�''s mother that she had formerly been an artist''s model.
mist | mist: n. 1 fog, haze, smog, (low-hanging) cloud, vapour; drizzle, Brit dialect mizzle: I could scarcely make out the road in the mist. --v. 2 Usually, mist up or over. cloud (up or over), becloud, fog, befog, dim, blur, film, steam up: The mirror in the bathroom had misted up when I was having a shower.
mistake | mistake: n. 1 misconception, misapprehension, error, fault, miscalculation, misjudgement, blunder, botch, fumble, bad move, misstep, slip, erratum, gaffe, faux pas, Colloq boo-boo, clanger, muff, howler, Brit boob, bloomer, US blooper, goof, goof-up, flub: Giving Aston a salary rise was a mistake. 2 indiscretion, misstep, false step, wrong move: It was a mistake not to stand up when she entered. --v. 3 misunderstand, misinterpret, misjudge, misconstrue, take the wrong way, get wrong, misread, misapprehend: The fool mistook my remark as a compliment. 4 mistake for. mix up with, misidentify as, confuse with, take for: In the dark, she mistook him for her husband.
mistaken | mistaken: adj. 1 (all or completely) wrong, amiss, incorrect, in error, wide of the mark, in the wrong, inaccurate, out of order, Colloq barking up the wrong tree, off, (way) off the beam, on the wrong track, US full of hot air, Slang full of it (= Taboo ''full of shit''), US all wet: I may be mistaken, but I thought I saw your wife with Lord Cholmondley. 2 erroneous, faulty, false, fallacious, misinformed, incorrect, wrong, inaccurate, flawed, warped, distorted, twisted, misguided, Slang cock-eyed: You have a mistaken impression of me.
mistreat | mistreat: v. abuse, maltreat, ill-use, ill-treat, misuse, damage, manhandle, harm; hurt, injure, molest, maul, rough up, brutalize: He was found guilty of mistreating his dogs. She was mistreated by her husband for years.
mistreatment | mistreatment: n. abuse, maltreatment, ill use, ill-treatment, brutalization, misuse; manhandling, molestation, mauling, roughing-up, rough handling, battery, assault: This mistreatment of employees must stop at once. The children complained of their parents'' mistreatment.
mistress | mistress: n. 1 lover, girlfriend, live-in lover, kept woman, concubine, inamorata, paramour, Literary odalisque, Archaic doxy, Colloq US alternative other, POSSLQ (= ''Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters''): She was the mistress of a leading politician. 2 schoolmistress, instructress, governess; headmistress: She had a rewarding career as a mistress in a girls'' school in Lancashire.
mistrust | mistrust: v. 1 suspect, distrust, be suspicious of, doubt, be or feel wary or suspicious or doubtful of or about, have (one''s) doubts about, question, have reservations; beware; Slang be or feel leery of or about: He has not done anything specifically bad, but I mistrust his motives. --n. 2 suspicion, distrust, doubt, scepticism, wariness, reservation, chariness, misgiving(s), uncertainty, unsureness, apprehension, apprehensiveness: Is there nothing I can say to dispel your mistrust of me?
misty | misty: adj. cloudy, foggy, hazy, murky; fuzzy, dim, blurred, blurry, unclear, indistinct, vague, dark, opaque, shadowy, obscure, unintelligible: It is very misty, so drive carefully. I have only the mistiest idea of what you mean.
misunderstand | misunderstand: v. misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misapprehend, get (it or it all) wrong, get the wrong idea (about), misread, misjudge, miscalculate, miss the point (of): He understood your words but misunderstood your meaning.
misunderstanding | misunderstanding: n. 1 misconception, misconstruction, misinterpretation, misapprehension, misreading, misjudgement, miscalculation, wrong idea, wrong or false impression, mistaking, Technical parasynesis: Misunderstanding of the law is no excuse for flouting it. 2 disagreement, discord, dispute, argument, difference, dissension, controversy, quarrel, rift, Colloq falling out: We had a slight misunderstanding about who was to pay the restaurant bill.
misuse | misuse: n. 1 misapplication, misusage, misappropriation, misemployment, diverting, diversion, perverting, perversion: He was accused of the misuse of public funds for his personal gain. 2 misusage, abuse, corruption, solecism, malapropism, barbarism, catachresis, ungrammaticality, infelicity: His misuses of English have made him a laughing-stock. 3 See mistreatment, above. --v. 4 abuse, misapply, misemploy, misappropriate; pervert: I broke the knife blade misusing it as a screwdriver. He was accused of misusing the courts to his own ends. 5 See mistreat, above.
mitigate | mitigate: v. moderate, temper, reduce, abate, lessen, decrease, relieve, ease, ease up (on), relax, alleviate, remit, assuage, allay, let up (on), slacken, slacken up (on), tone down, lighten, appease, palliate, mollify, calm, tranquillize, soothe, placate, quiet or chiefly Brit quieten, still, soften, dull, blunt, take the edge off, US lighten up (on): The pain was mitigated by taking aspirin. The relief organizations did their best to mitigate the effects of the disaster.
mitigating | mitigating: adj. extenuating, justifying, excusatory, palliating, vindicating, qualifying: Were there mitigating circumstances in her taking the money?
mix | mix: v. 1 mingle, combine, intermingle, blend, incorporate, put together, merge, unite, alloy, commingle, amalgamate, coalesce: Mix the ingredients to a creamy consistency. 2 socialize, fraternize, consort, hobnob, go round or around or about (together), get together, keep company, join (with), associate (with), Colloq hang out or about or round or around (with): The Hatfields and the McCoys do not mix very well, so you''d best invite them separately. 3 mix in. add, stir in, combine, fold in: Mix in the chocolate at the very end. 4 mix up. a See mix, 1, above. b confuse, confound, bewilder, muddle, perplex, puzzle, fluster, upset; addle, disturb; Colloq US and Canadian discombobulate: She mixed me up so that I cannot decide what to do. c snarl, ensnarl, tangle, entangle, scramble, jumble: The treasures were all mixed up with the rubbish at the church sale. d confuse, interchange, exchange: Have they mixed up our room keys again? 5 mix up in. involve, implicate, include, connect, draw or drag into: Wasn''t Wilcox mixed up in that scandal last year? 6 mix up with. confuse, mistake, misidentify, confound; interchange, exchange: I think you must have me mixed up with somebody else. The porter mixed up my bag with someone else''s. --n. 7 mixture, blend, compound; amalgam, combination, alloy, assortment, distribution: Was this cake made from a mix or from scratch? The centre party has a good mix of liberals and conservatives.
mixed | mixed: adj. 1 hybrid, half-bred, mongrel, interbred, cross-bred; impure, tainted, adulterated: This horse has mixed blood. 2 confused, muddled; varied, various, diverse; conflicting, contradictory, opposing, clashing, opposite: He had mixed feelings about ending his relationship with her. 3 mixed up in or with. involved, connected, associated: Wasn''t she mixed up in that scandal last year? He doesn''t want his children mixed up with people who take drugs.
mixture | mixture: n. 1 assortment, amalgam, amalgamation, medley, combination, mingling, intermingling, composite, blend, jumble, mix, miscellany, m�lange, mess, mishmash, hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, gallimaufry, farrago, olio, olla podrida, hash, pot-pourri, ragout, goulash, omnium gatherum, salmagundi: The design is an unfortunate mixture of many incompatible styles. 2 mixing, amalgamation, amalgamating, combining, mingling, intermingling, combination, blend, blending, association, associating, compound, compounding, synthesis, interweaving, merging, merger, fusion, fusing, alloy, alloying: The mixture of household ammonia and bleach creates noxious fumes.
mix-up | mix-up: n. confusion, mess, muddle, hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge, tangle, jumble, Colloq botch, mishmash, foul-up, Slang US screw-up, snafu , Taboo slang Brit balls-up: The mix-up in the files is due to a computer malfunction.
