VOCABULARY LESSON 8
HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS
Word List
bliss
compassion
dismay
ecstatic
exasperate
forlorn
somber
sullen
All of these words fall somewhere along the scale of happiness and unhappiness.
endear
wretched
1.
bliss – extreme joy or happiness
 After days of having no power after the storm, it was sheer bliss to have heat again.
2.
compassion – sharing the suffering of another
 I felt so much compassion for my neighbor after her husband fell ill.
3.
dismay – to discourage or upset
 Lucy was dismayed after she failed the science test.
4.
ecstatic – really joyful or intensely delighted
 I was ecstatic when I won the lottery.
5.
endear – to inspire friendly, affectionate feelings
 Scott endeared himself to his grandmother by remembering her birthday.
6.
exasperate – to greatly annoy or irritate
 We were exasperated when our power did not return for several days after the
snowstorm.
7.
forlorn – to feel lonely or abandoned
 Mrs. Casey felt forlorned after she heard that her children were not coming home for the
holidays.
8.
somber – dark or gloomy
 It was a somber occasion after the assassination of the President.
9.
sullen – bad-tempered or sulking in a quiet, gloomy way
 The child was sullen after his mother made him stand in the corner.
10. wretched – dreadful or miserable
 All the neighborhood children thought Mrs. Apple was wretched when she turned off all
her lights on Halloween night.
SENTENCE WRITING
Write your own sentence for each vocabulary word and underline the word.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE
Write the letter for the word that best completes the sentence.
_____1. Mrs. Hamer felt pure_____when her children came for an unexpected visit.
a. compassion
b. bliss
c.somberness
d. exasperation
_____2. Ellen shows_____for the homeless by volunteering at the soup kitchen.
a. compassion
b. sullen
c. somberness
d. ecstasy
_____3. The author was _____when his book did not sell a million copies.
a. compassionate
b. ecstatic
c. blissful
d. dismayed
_____4. Sharon was_____when she walked into her surprise party.
a. forlorn
b. somber
c. ecstatic
d. endeared
_____5. It was a(n)_____thought for Cheryl to offer to babysit her cousins for no pay.
a. wretched
b. sullen
c. endearing
d. forlorn
_____6. The small child was_____when his toy was taken away.
a. ecstatic
b. blissful
c. compassionate
d. exasperated
_____7. Jasper was_____when his friend moved away.
a. forlorn
b. ecstatic
c. endeared
d. compassionate
_____8. The third day of rain in a row put us in a_____mood.
a. forlorn
b. somber
c. endearing
d. blissful
_____9. The thief had a_____look on his face when he was sentenced in court.
a. endearing
b. sullen
c. blissful
d. ecstatic
_____10. I was horrified by the_____condition of the animals in the puppy mill.
a. dismayed
b. exasperated
c. wretched
d. endearing
FINISH THE THOUGHT
Complete each sentence so that it shows the meaning of the italicized word.
1.
If you want to endear yourself to a family member you could_____________________________
2.
A blissful time in my life__________________________________________________________
3.
I feel compassion for people who___________________________________________________
4.
Sometimes I feel dismayed when___________________________________________________
5.
An ecstatic time in my life_________________________________________________________
WRITE THE DERIVATIVE
Complete the sentence by writing the correct form of the word show in parentheses.
Some words do not have to be changed.
________1. Oprah Winfrey must have been_____when she got her own talk show. (ecstatic)
________2. The_____conditions after the earthquake were devastating. (wretched)
________3. The dentist seemed_____when he listened to his patient explain her tooth pain. (compassion)
________4. The rainy, cloudy setting of the book Twilight added to the _____ of the mood. (somber)
________5. Aaron was_____when the part was given to another actor. (dismay)
FIND THE EXAMPLE
Choose the best answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A way to show your compassion toward someone
a. cut their lawn
b. ignore them
c. volunteer to help them
A reason to feel forlorn
a. failing a test for the third time
b. sleeping in
c. winning the lottery
A somber feeling
a. happiness
b. sadness
c. curiosity
A feeling of bliss
a. failing a test
b. falling in love
Something that could make you look sullen
a. a smile
b. a frown
c. having a headache
c. a nice outfit