misgiving(mis GIV ing) n.qualm; doubt; apprehension; disturbed feeling of
doubt
- Did you ever have misgivingsabout going to a certain place or event?
- Richard had no misgivingsabout 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 mishapcauses 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 misleadingbecause they
omitted the mention of one turn. - Jackie’s mom wanted her to avoid having friends with poor study habits,
worrying they might be misleadingher with their careless ways.
[(to) mislead vt., misled p.,-lyadv.] [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 missingat 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 mitigatethe pain.
- The severe weather of the past week will mitigateas the cold front comes
through. - Repeated exercise will mitigatethe 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 mockeach others’ actions.
- Dottie mockedDan by putting on a baseball cap at a cocked angle and
speaking in her lowest vocal range. - The castle mockedthe 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. - Mockturtle soup does not harm any turtles, mockor otherwise.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. imitate, ridicule]
M – N: SAT Words 159