English Vocabulary Dictionary | Word Meanings, Definitions & Examples
a place where coins are made; to produce or invent something new
"The government decided to mint new coins to commemorate the anniversary."
extremely small in size or importance
"She made only a minuscule contribution to the project."
a period of sixty seconds; extremely small or detailed
"He examined the painting with minute attention to detail."
in very small detail; extremely carefully
"The detective examined the evidence minutely."
a small or trivial detail of something
"He was bored by the minutia of office paperwork."
the small, precise, or trivial details of something
"The lawyer focused on the minutiae of the contract."
an extraordinary event that cannot be explained by natural laws
"Surviving the accident was nothing short of a miracle."
Extraordinarily wonderful or unusual, as if by a miracle.
"Her recovery after the accident was truly miraculous."
An optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions, often seen in deserts or hot roads, where water or objects appear to exist but do not.
"The weary travelers saw a mirage of water in the desert."
A stretch of swampy or boggy ground; as a verb, to entangle or involve someone in a difficult situation.
"The car was stuck in the mire after the heavy rain."
Trapped or entangled in something, typically a difficult situation.
"The politician was mired in scandal."
A reflective surface, typically made of glass, that shows an image.
"She looked at herself in the mirror before leaving."
Great joy, amusement, or laughter.
"The festival was full of mirth and laughter."
An unlucky accident, mishap, or unfortunate event.
"He broke his leg during a skiing misadventure."
a person who dislikes or distrusts humankind
"The old man was considered a misanthrope who avoided all social gatherings."
having or showing a dislike of humankind
"His misanthropic attitude made it difficult for him to make friends."
a general dislike, distrust, or hatred of humankind
"His misanthropy was evident in the way he avoided people."
to misunderstand or misinterpret something
"He misapprehended the teacher’s instructions and did the task incorrectly."
a mistaken belief or misunderstanding
"There is a common misapprehension about the causes of the disease."
to take or use something dishonestly, especially money or property, for one's own use
"The manager was accused of misappropriating company funds."
to incorrectly credit something, such as a work or remark, to the wrong person or source
"The quote was misattributed to Shakespeare."
to behave badly or improperly
"The child misbehaved during the class."
bad or improper behavior
"The teacher punished the student for his misbehavior."
Bad or unacceptable behavior, especially by children or in formal situations
"The student was punished for his misbehaviour in class."
the interbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types
"The law once prohibited miscegenation in many countries."
Consisting of a variety of different items or types.
"The drawer was filled with miscellaneous objects."
A collection or mixture of various things.
"The book is a miscellany of essays and poems."
An unfortunate accident or event; bad luck.
"By mischance, he missed the last train home."
Playful misbehavior or troublemaking.
"The children were full of mischief during the party."
Causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way.
"She gave him a mischievous smile."
To misunderstand or form an incorrect idea about something.
"He misconceived the purpose of the project."
A view or opinion that is incorrect based on faulty thinking or understanding.
"Many people have a misconception about healthy dieting."
Improper or unacceptable behavior, especially by a professional or authority figure.
"The teacher was dismissed for serious misconduct."
To interpret something wrongly or misunderstand the meaning.
"She misconstrued his silence as anger."
To count wrongly or inaccurately.
"He miscounted the number of chairs in the hall."
A person who behaves badly or criminally.
"The police arrested the miscreant responsible for the theft."
A wrong or illegal act.
"He regretted his past misdeeds and apologized."
A minor wrongdoing or criminal offense that is less serious than a felony.
"He was fined for a misdemeanor involving public disturbance."
A person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible.
"The old miser refused to donate even a penny to charity."
Extremely unhappy or uncomfortable.
"He felt miserable after losing his job."
in a wretched or unhappy manner; extremely badly
"The team performed miserably in the championship."
Unwilling to spend money; stingy.
"She lived a miserly life, refusing to buy anything new."
A state of great suffering, unhappiness, or discomfort.
"The refugees lived in constant misery."
Bad luck or an unfortunate event.
"He suffered the misfortune of losing his job during the recession."
A feeling of doubt, worry, or suspicion.
"She had serious misgivings about signing the contract."
feelings of doubt or concern about the outcome or propriety of something
"She had serious misgivings about signing the contract."
an unlucky accident or minor misfortune
"A minor mishap delayed the train for half an hour."
to understand or explain something wrongly
"He misinterpreted her silence as agreement."
to lose something temporarily by putting it in the wrong place
"I must have mislaid my keys somewhere in the house."
giving the wrong idea or impression
"The advertisement was misleading and gave false information."