Page 168 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary
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M – N: SAT Words
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misgiving (mis GIV ing) n. qualm; doubt; apprehension; disturbed feeling of
doubt
• Did you ever have misgivings about going to a certain place or event?
• Richard had no misgivings about having been to the Rock Festival at
Woodstock.
[Syn. qualm]
mishap (MIS hap) n. accident; an unlucky or unfortunate occurrence
• Running into the lamppost was just a mishap.
• When you’re dressed up, it’s a good idea to drink nothing but colorless liq-
uids, in case a mishap causes your drink to land on your clothes.
[Syn. accident]
misleading (mis LEED ing) adj. leading in the wrong direction; deceptive
—vt. 1. leading to error; deceiving; deluding; 2. influencing badly; leading to
wrongdoing; leading astray
• When the electronics clerk said he’d have the part in by the next morning,
he was being misleading.
• The directions included with the invitation were misleading because they
omitted the mention of one turn.
• Jackie’s mom wanted her to avoid having friends with poor study habits,
worrying they might be misleading her with their careless ways.
[(to) mislead vt., misled p., -ly adv.] [Syn. deceive]
missing (MIS ing) adj. absent; lost; lacking; missing after combat but not
known to be dead or captured
• The missing-man formation is used by combat pilots to honor a lost
comrade.
• Frank was missing at his class’s morning roll call.
mitigate (MIT i GAYT) vt. to lessen; to make or become less severe; to moder-
ate; to make or become less rigorous or painful
• The doctor told Gail to take aspirin to mitigate the pain.
• The severe weather of the past week will mitigate as the cold front comes
through.
• Repeated exercise will mitigate the stiffness in your joints.
[-d, mitgating] [Syn. relieve]
mock (MAHK) vt. 1. to ridicule or expose to scorn; 2. to imitate as in having
fun or deriding; to make fun of; 3. to defy and lead to futility —n. an imitation or
counterfeit —adj. false; imitation; sham
• It’s traditional for teenagers to mock each others’ actions.
• Dottie mocked Dan by putting on a baseball cap at a cocked angle and
speaking in her lowest vocal range.
• The castle mocked the invading army’s attempts to storm its walls.
• Most New York street scenes seen in older movies are mock, having been
shot on a studio back lot.
• Mock turtle soup does not harm any turtles, mock or otherwise.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. imitate, ridicule]