The Italian language has several adjectives that begin with the letter “M”. For this article, we have identified sixty three.
Keep reading for the full list of adjectives, in alphabetical order, as well as their meanings and examples of their usage.
- Macchinoso (complex / complicated / convoluted)
The Italian adjective macchinoso is used for a process which is unnecessarily complicated or intricate. Macchinoso often implies that there could be an easier or more efficient way of doing something.
Il processo di iscrizione e’ troppo macchinoso e quindi ci ho rinunciato
The application process is too complicated and so I gave up
- Macedone (from Macedonia)
L’ armata macedone aveva una tattica eccellente
The Macedonian army had excellent tactics
- Maestoso (majestic)
La reggia di Caserta e’ molto maestosa
The Palace of Caserta is very majestic
- Maggiore (major / higher)
Ha quattro sorelle maggiori
He/ she has four older sisters
- Magico (magical)
E’ stato un momento magico
It was a magical moment
- Magnetico (magnetic)
Questa punta del trapano e’ magnetica
This drill bit is magnetic
- Magnifico (magnificent, marvellous, wonderful)
Che notizia magnifica!
What wonderful news!
- Magro (skinny, lean, thin)
Il cane era molto magro quando l’ abbiamo trovato
The dog was very thin when we found it
- Malato (sick/ ill)
Questi alberi sono malati a causa di un parassita molto comune
These trees are sick because of a very common parasite
- Malvagio (wicked)
Era un uomo malvagio
He was a wicked man
- Manipolatorio (manipulative)
Questo e’ un comportamento manipolatorio
This is manipulative behaviour
- Manuale (manual)
Era stanco di fare lavori manuali
He was tired of doing manual jobs
- Marcio (rotten)
Le arance sono diventate marce
The oranges have become rotten
- Marginale (marginal)
Il costo marginale e’ un concetto importante in economia
Marginal cost is an important concept in economics
- Marittimo (maritime)
In questo paese c’e’ piu’ traffico marittimo d’ estate
In this town there is more maritime traffic in the summer
- Marrone (brown)
Ho comprato delle scarpe marroni
I bought some brown shoes
- Maschile (masculine)
Questo profumo mi sembra molto maschile
This fragrance seems very masculine to me
- Massiccio (large, stocky)
Lui ha investito in modo massiccio nella sua casa
He invested heavily in his house
Note: the literal translation of this Italian sentence is “he invested in a heavy way in his house”. The Italian “in modo massiccio” is a set expression which translates to English as “heavily”.
- Matematico (mathematical)
Non ho una mente molto matematica
I’m not very mathematically inclined
- Mattiniero (someone who likes to get up early)
Gli anziani sono piu’ mattinieri dei giovani
The elderly get up earlier than young people
Note: the literal translation of this Italian sentence is “the elderly are more early risers than the young people”
- Matto (crazy/ mad)
Siete matti?
Are you crazy? (plural)
- Maturo (mature)
E’ una ragazza molto matura
She’s a very mature girl
- Mediocre (mediocre)
La sua performance e’ mediocre
His performance is mediocre
- Medio (average, in-between)
Il salario medio e’ abbastanza alto in questo paese
The average salary is quite high in this country
- Melodico (melodic)
Sono dei suoni molto melodici
They are very melodic sounds
- Mensile (monthly)
Dobbiamo ridurre le spese mensili
We have to reduce the monthly costs
- Mentale (mental/ psychological)
Fai troppi viaggi mentali
Your imagination flies too high
The expression “viaggio mentale” in Italian means daydreaming or imagining things. A lot of the time the contents of a “viaggio mentale” are considered to be not realistic or exaggerated, similar to the idiom “building castles in the air” in the English language.
- Meraviglioso (marvellous/ wonderful / awsome)
I gattini sono meravigliosi
The kittens are awesome
- Meridionale (from the south)
Non conoscono la parte meridionale dell’ Italia
They don’t know the southern part of Italy
- Meticoloso (meticulous)
Abbiamo bisogno di una persona che faccia un lavoro molto meticoloso
We need a person who would do a very meticulous job
- Il migliore (the best)
Quella ditta e’ la migliore che conosco
That company is the best I know
- Millenario (millennial)
In questa foresta ci sono molti alberi millenari
In this forest there are many millennial trees
- Minaccioso (threatening)
Non mi e’ piaciuto il suo tono minaccioso
I didn’t like his/ her threatening tone
- Minerale (mineral)
Posso avere una bottiglia di acqua minerale?
Can I have a bottle of mineral water?
- Minimo (minimal)
I salari minimi sono bassi
The minimum salaries are low
- Minuscolo (minuscule/ tiny)
E’ un insetto minuscolo
It’s a minuscole insect
- Miracoloso (miraculous)
Queste creme sono miracolose
These creams are miraculous
- Miserevole (wretched / pitiful / miserable)
Aveva un aspetto miserevole
He/ she looked miserable
- Misericordioso (merciful)
Era un Re misericordioso
He was a merciful King
- Misero (poor / scarce / measly)
Si saziavano con un misero pasto al giorno
They would satisfy themselves with one measly meal a day
- Misto (mixed)
Le opinioni sullo spettacolo sono miste
The opinions about the show are mixed
- Mite (mild / calm)
Il clima mediterraneo e’ mite
The Mediterranean weather is mild
- Mobile (movable)
Molti apparecchi mobili si portano durante la notte
Many removable braces are worn overnight
- Moderato (considerate/ moderate)
E’ un ragazzo molto moderato
He’s a very considerate guy
- Moderno (modern)
L’ isolamento termico e’ migliore nelle case moderne
Thermal insulation is better in modern houses
- Modesto (modest)
Sei troppo modesta
You’re too modest
- Mogio (dejected/ depressed)
Quel cane mi sembra troppo mogio
That dog seems too depressed
- Molto (much)
Ci sono molte cose da fare
There re many things to do
- Mondano (mundane)
Non si impegnano in queste attivita’ mondane
They don’t engage in there mundane activities
- Mondiale (worldwide / world)
La popolazione mondiale sta crescendo
The world population is growing
- Monotono (monotonous/ boring)
La lezione era molto monotona
The lecture was very monotonous
- Montagnoso (mountainous)
Il centro di Creta e’ montagnoso
The centre of Crete is mountainous
- Montato (pumped/ excessive/ presumptuous)
E’ un uomo simpatico ma un po’ montato
He’s a nice man but a little presumptuous
- Morbido (soft)
I nuovi cuscini sono molto piu’ morbidi
The new cushions are a lot softer
- Morboso (excessive / obsessive / unhealthy)
Ha un carattere un po’ morboso
She has an obsessive personality
Note: “Morboso” is a negative trait, and describes someone who is too passionate and develops obsessive and/ or unhealthy relationships with things and people
- Moro (dark brown)
Tutti e due i bambini hanno i capelli ner
Both children have dark brown hair
- Mortale (mortal / lethal)
Il veleno e’ stato mortale
The poison was lethal
- Morto (dead)
Le foglie morte sono gialle, rosse o marroni
Dead leaves are yellow, red or brown
- Mosso (rough, wavy)
Mi piacciono i capelli mossi
I like wavy hair
- Multicolore (multicoloured)
Hanno due pappagalli multicolore
They have two multicoloured parrots
- Musicale (musical)
E’ un esercizio sulle note musicali
It’s an exercise on musical notes
- Mutevole (changing / variable)
Ha un umore mutevole
He/ she has an unstable mood
- Muto (mute)
Rimaniamo muti
We won’t say a word
Note: the literal translation of this Italian sentence is “we’ll stay mute”
Concluding thoughts
Many of the Italian adjectives that start with M are similar to English, because of the common Latin roots between the two languages. This makes them easier to memorize for an English speaker.
