English dictionary — definitions & meanings

malachi

name

A book of the Old Testament of Bible, and of the Tanakh.

Malachy

name

A male first name of Irish origin.

maladaptive

adj

Of behavior, showing inadequate or counterproductive mental and behavioral adaptation to a new situation.

maladroit

adj

Not adroit; awkward, clumsy, inept.

maladroitness

noun

The condition of being maladroit.

malady

noun

A disease or illness, especially one that is chronic or deep-rooted.

Malaga

name

A port city in southern Spain, capital of the province of the same name.

malaise

noun

A vague feeling of physical discomfort or unease, often an early sign of illness.

malapert

noun

A cheeky, impudent, or saucy person.

malapropos

adj

out of place; inappropriate

malar

noun

The cheekbone, which forms a part of the lower edge of the orbit.

malaria

noun

A serious disease spread by mosquitoes, caused by a parasite that infects the blood and produces recurring fever.

malarkey

noun

Nonsense; empty or foolish talk.

malati

name

A female given name from Sanskrit used in India.

Malawi

name

A landlocked country in Southern Africa.

Malay

adj

Relating to the Malay people, an ethnic group native to the Malay Peninsula and parts of nearby islands.

Malaya

name

A historical region and former British territory on the Malay Peninsula, now part of Malaysia.

Malayalam

noun

A language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Kerala.

malayan

noun

A person of whatever ethnicity from the former Malaya or Peninsular Malaysia

Malaysia

name

A country in Southeast Asia made up of a peninsular region and part of the island of Borneo.

Malaysian

adj

Relating to the country of Malaysia.

Malcolm

name

A male first name of Scottish Gaelic origin.

Maldives

name

An island nation in the Indian Ocean known for its coral atolls and tourism.

Maldonado

name

A Spanish surname, also the name of a city in Uruguay.

male

adj

Of the sex that produces sperm rather than eggs, in humans, animals, or plants.

malean

adj

Of or relating to Malea (now Cape Maleas), one of the peninsulas in the southeast of the Peloponnese in Greece.

malefaction

noun

A crime, an offense, an evil deed.

malefactor

noun

A criminal or felon.

malefic

adj

Having an evil or harmful influence; baleful.

maleficent

adj

Causing harm, especially through evil intent.

maleficiary

noun

One who suffers harm from something.

maleficiate

verb

To bewitch; to harm or curse.

malefit

noun

A detriment or disadvantage

Malek

name

A given name and surname of Arabic origin meaning "king," borne by actor Rami Malek.

maleness

noun

The characteristic, state or condition of being male.

malevolence

noun

Hostile attitude or feeling.

malevolent

adj

Wishing harm on others; having ill will.

malfeasance

noun

Wrongdoing, especially illegal or unethical conduct by someone in a position of trust or authority.

malfeasant

adj

Of or relating to malfeasance or misconduct.

malformation

noun

An abnormal formation.

malformed

adj

Not formed correctly; misshapen; deformed.

malfunction

noun

A failure to work correctly, usually referring to equipment or a system.

malfunctioning

adjective

Not working correctly; failing to operate as it should.

Malhotra

name

A common Punjabi surname found among Hindus and Sikhs in India.

Mali

name

A landlocked country in West Africa.

malia

noun

A small songbird found only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.

malibu

name

A coastal city in California known for its beaches and surf culture.

malic

adj

Pertaining to apples.

malice

noun

The intention to harm someone or do something wrong or illegal.

malicious

adj

Intended to cause harm; showing ill will toward others.

maliciously

adv

In a way that is intended to cause harm.

maliciousness

noun

The condition of being malicious; malevolence or malice.

Malick

name

A surname of Arabic origin, borne notably by American film director Terrence Malick.

malign

verb

To say untrue or unfair things about someone in order to damage their reputation.

malignant

adjective

Harmful or hostile in intent; wishing ill on others.

maligned

adjective

Spoken about unfairly or harshly; the target of unjust criticism.

malignity

noun

The quality of being malign or malignant; badness, evilness, monstrosity, depravity, maliciousness.

malignment

noun

The act of maligning something.

Malik

noun

A tribal chief or headman, especially among Pashtun communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Malika

name

A female given name of Arabic origin meaning "queen," the feminine form of Malik.

Malin

name

A Scandinavian feminine given name, and also a surname; also the name of a headland in Ireland (Malin Head).

malinda

name

A female given name originating as a coinage, variant of Melinda.

malinger

verb

To feign illness, injury, or incapacitation in order to avoid work, obligation, or perilous risk.

malingering

noun

The intentional feigning of an illness or injury for personal gain or to avoid a responsibility, such as work, military service, or legal consequences.

Malka

name

A feminine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "queen."

malkin

noun

A (stereotypical name for a) lower-class or uncultured woman; a kitchenmaid; a slattern.

Malkovich

name

A surname of Croatian origin, borne notably by actor John Malkovich.

mall

noun

A large building or complex of shops under one roof.

mallard

noun

A common wild duck found across the Northern Hemisphere; the male has a glossy dark green head.

malle

noun

A heavy hammer or beetle, often made of wood or lead.

malleability

noun

The quality or state of being malleable.

malleable

adjective

Capable of being hammered or pressed into a new shape without breaking, as with certain metals.

malleableness

noun

The quality of being malleable.

malleably

adv

In a malleable manner; flexibly.

malleate

adj

Possessing or resembling a malleus, or another structure shaped like a hammer.

mallee

noun

A type of scrubland with low-growing thick eucalypts, characteristic of certain parts of Australia.

mallemaroking

noun

The act of carousing on icebound Greenland whaling ships.

mallet

noun

A hammer with a large head, usually made of wood or rubber, used to strike a tool or object without damaging it.

Mallika

name

A female given name of Sanskrit origin, also the name of Arabian jasmine.

mallin

noun

A type of wetland in Patagonia.

Mallory

name

A given name and surname of French origin, historically meaning "unfortunate" or "unlucky."

Malloy

name

An Irish surname, an anglicized form of a Gaelic clan name.

malnourished

adjective

Suffering from a lack of proper nutrition.

malnutrition

noun

A condition caused by not getting enough of the right nutrients.

malo

noun

Short for malolactic fermentation, a winemaking process that softens a wine's acidity.

malodorous

adj

Having a bad odor.

Malone

name

An Irish surname, borne by figures such as basketball player Karl Malone.

Maloney

name

An Irish surname, an anglicized form of a Gaelic clan name.

malosol

noun

A lightly salted Russian caviar.

malpractice

noun

Improper or negligent treatment of a patient by a doctor or other professional, causing harm.

malt

noun

Grain, usually barley, that has been soaked and allowed to sprout before being dried, used in brewing beer and whisky.

Malta

name

A small island country in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily.

malted

adjective

Turned into or flavoured with malt.

Maltese

adjective

Relating to Malta, its people, or its language.

Malti

name

A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin, referring to a type of jasmine flower.

maltreat

verb

To treat badly, to abuse.

maltreater

noun

One who maltreats someone or something.

maltreatment

noun

Cruel or harmful treatment or abuse; mistreatment.

malu

noun

A traditional Samoan tattoo covering a woman's thighs and knees, marking cultural status.

malunion

noun

Bad or incorrect union (of parts of the body).

malware

noun

Software created deliberately to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.

mam

noun

An informal, affectionate word for one's mother, common in British and Irish English.

mama

noun

An affectionate, informal word for mother, often used by young children.

mamacita

noun

Slang for an attractive woman.

mamaw

noun

One's mother.

mamba

noun

Any of several highly venomous tree-dwelling snakes native to Africa, of the genus Dendroaspis.

mambo

noun

A lively Latin American dance and musical style that developed from the rumba in 1940s Cuba.

mami

noun

An informal, affectionate word for mother, or a slang term for an attractive woman.

Mamie

name

A feminine given name, originally a pet form of "Mary" or "Margaret," borne by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower.

mamilla

noun

The small projection of a mammary gland; a nipple.

mamma

noun

The milk-producing organ in female mammals, including the breast; anatomical term for the mammary gland.

mammal

noun

A warm-blooded vertebrate animal with hair or fur that feeds its young with milk.

mammalian

adj

Of, or pertaining to, mammals.

mammer

verb

To hesitate.

mammet

noun

A false god; an idol.

mammock

noun

A shapeless piece; a fragment.

mammogram

noun

An X-ray image of the breast used to detect early signs of breast cancer.

mammon

name

The desire for wealth personified as an evil spirit or a malign influence.

mammoth

noun

An extinct, elephant-like animal covered in shaggy hair, with long curved tusks, that lived during the Ice Age.

mammy

noun

An informal, affectionate word for mother.

mamo

noun

Either of two now-extinct Hawaiian honeycreeper species (genus Drepanis), prized historically for their yellow feathers.

mampus

adj

finished, wiped out, kaput.

mamzer

noun

A child born to Jewish parents whose relationship is incestuous or otherwise forbidden by Jewish law (e.g. an unmarried man and a married woman), or the descendant of such a person.

man

noun

An adult male human being.

mana

noun

In Polynesian belief, a spiritual power or prestige said to reside in people, objects, or places.

manacle

noun

A shackle for the wrist, usually consisting of a pair of joined rings; a handcuff; (by extension) a similar device put around an ankle to restrict free movement.

manage

verb

To be in charge of running something, such as a business, team, or project.

manageable

adj

Able to be controlled, handled, or dealt with without excessive difficulty.

management

noun

The process of planning, organizing, and directing resources or people to achieve a goal.

manager

noun

A person responsible for running a business, department, team, or similar organization.

managerial

adj

Relating to a manager or to management duties and responsibilities.

managing

adj

Holding overall control or day-to-day responsibility, as in a job title.

manakin

noun

Any of several small Central and South American passerine birds of the family Pipridae.

Manami

name

A Japanese female given name.

mañana

adverb

Tomorrow, or at some vague point in the future. In English it is used to suggest a task is being put off indefinitely rather than actually scheduled.

Manassas

name

An independent city in northeastern Virginia, USA, the county seat of Prince William County and site of two major Civil War battles.

manatee

noun

A large, slow-moving plant-eating aquatic mammal (genus Trichechus) with a paddle-shaped tail, found in warm coastal waters and rivers.

Manav

name

A male given name of Sanskrit origin, used in India, related to the word for "human."

manback

noun

The back of a man (being ridden, or really or figuratively laden with burdens, as a means of transportation).

mancha

noun

A prized, high-quality grade of Spanish saffron.

Manchester

name

A major city in northwestern England, historically central to the Industrial Revolution and now known for music, football, and culture.

Manchu

noun

A member of the indigenous people of Manchuria, or a descendant of the ruling group of China's Qing dynasty.

Manchuria

name

A historical and geographic region of northeastern China, traditionally the homeland of the Manchu people.

Manchurian

adj

Relating to Manchuria.

Mancini

name

An Italian surname.

Mancuso

name

An Italian surname.

Manda

name

A shortened, informal form of the female given name Amanda.

mandala

noun

A symbolic circular design representing the universe, used in Hindu and Buddhist traditions as an aid to meditation.

Mandalay

name

A major city and region in central Myanmar (Burma), historically an important royal capital.

mandarin

name

The official language of China and Taiwan, the most widely spoken variety of Chinese.