M mawkish (adj.) characterized by sick sentimentality (Although some nineteenthcentury critics viewed Dickens’s writing as mawkish, contemporary readers have found great emotional depth in his works.) maxim (n.) a common saying expressing a principle of conduct (Miss Manners’s etiquette maxims are both entertaining and instructional.) meager (adj.) deficient in size or quality (My meager portion of food did nothing to satisfy my appetite.) medley (n.) a mixture of differing things (Susannah’s wardrobe contained an astonishing medley of colors, from olive green to fluorescent pink.) mendacious (adj.) having a lying, false character (The mendacious content of the tabloid magazines is at least entertaining.) mercurial (adj.) characterized by rapid change or temperamentality (Though he was widely respected for his mathematical proofs, the mercurial genius was impossible to live with.) meritorious (adj.) worthy of esteem or reward (Manfred was given the congressional medal of honor for his meritorious actions.) metamorphosis (n.) the change of form, shape, substance (Winnifred went to the gym every day for a year and underwent a metamorphosis from a waiflike girl to an athletic woman.)
SAT Vocabulary
meticulous (adj.) extremely careful with details (The ornate needlework in the bride’s gown was a product of meticulous handiwork.) mitigate (v.) to make less violent, alleviate (When I had an awful sore throat, only warm tea would mitigate the pain.) moderate 1. (adj.) not extreme (Luckily, the restaurant we chose had moderate prices; none of us have any money.) 2. (n.) one who expresses moderate opinions (Because he found both the liberal and conservative proposals too excessive, Mr. Park sided with the moderates.) modicum (n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss’s affair in front of the entire office.) modulate (v.) to pass from one state to another, especially in music (The composer wrote a piece that modulated between minor and major keys.) mollify (v.) to soften in temper (The police officer mollified the angry woman by giving her a warning instead of a ticket.)