Page 168 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary
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                                                                    M – N: SAT Words
                                                                                         159
                        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]
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