Descriptionary

monolithic adj. (mon oh LITH ik) huge and per­manent, as a monolith. The government has taken on monolithic proportions and will be impossible to dismantle.

moot adj. (MOOT) subject to debate; unsettled. Whether men or women make better managers is a moot question.

moral soapbox n. a reference to a figurative or literal platform one stands on to look down at oth­ers and moralize or preach. She got up on her moral soapbox and proceeded to point fingers at everyone in our department who had sinned against the com­pany.

moratorium n. (mor uh TOR ee um) a suspension or delay. The city council has ordered a moratorium on all new building permits until an environmental impact study can be made.

morbid adj. (MOR bid) unhealthy, from either a physical or mental standpoint. The pyromaniac has a morbid desire to set fires.

moribund adj. (MOR uh bund) dying; becom­ing obsolete. Smokestack industries in America are increasingly moribund.

motif n. (moh TEEF) a repeated theme or pattern. The wallpaper featured a motif of birds, flowers, and bees.

muckraking n. (MUK rayk ing) investigative jour­nalism that focuses on corruption or unethical behav­ior. The newspaper was famous for its crack muck­raking staff.

myopic adj. (mi OP ik) short-sighted. Failure to develop solar power now is indicative of this adminis­tration's myopic energy program.

myriad n. (MEER ee ud) a great number; also, an infinity. The restaurant had a myriad of menu choices.

naivete n. (ni EEV uh TAY) innocence and inexperi­ence; lack of sophistication and knowledge. When visiting a big city, take care to prevent street swindlers from taking advantage of your naivete.

narcissistic adj. (nar si SIS tik) vain and self- absorbed. She stood in front of the mirror for more than an hour with a narcissistic need to preen.

nebulous adj. (NEB you lus) cloudy, unclear. The future of America's energy sources is nebulous; nobody knows if we'll be using mostly solar or nuclear power in the next century.

nefarious adj. (ni FAIR ee us) evil. The nefarious pirates threw their captain overboard and sailed away laughing.

neophyte n. (NEE uh fite) an amateur or beginner. We were told to be patient with neophytes because they hadn't acquired many skills yet.

nepotism n. (NEP uh tiz um) favoritism toward relatives, in work, politics, etc. Nepotism was widely practiced in the family business, as relatives were always hired over strangers.

nihilism n. (NYE uh liz um) the belief that morals are a human invention and do not exist in the real world. Also, the advocacy of positive change through anarchy. If you don't believe in religion or gods or morals you may be an advocate of nihilism.