Alliance (n)
 The United States formed an alliance with England to fight terrorists.
 North Korea and South Korea do not have an alliance.
 Have you formed an alliance with someone to reach a common goal?

Bewilder (v)
 The teacher bewildered us with unclear test directions.
 I was bewildered when the old man tried to give me directions to the mall.
 What bewilders you?

Buffoon (n)
 Don’t act like such a buffoon! Behave yourself in class!
 Can you name a buffoon from TV or the movies?

Controversial (adj)
 A controversial subject is one that people have strong opinions and disagreements about.
 I do not like to discuss abortion rights with people because it is such a controversial topic.
 List 3 controversial topics/subjects.

Dishearten (v) : to discourage
 I was so disheartened when I learned I could not afford to go to college, so I stopped trying to get good grades.

Fruitless (adj)
 My efforts to find my lost ring were fruitless. I cannot find it anywhere!
 It is fruitless to drink salt water if you are lost at sea because_______________.
 What is something you attempted, but were unsuccessful? Use fruitless to describe your attempt.

Hostile (adj): unfriendly
 If you are a hostile person that means you are not nice and want to fight with people.
 I feel hostility toward people who abuse animals.
 Name a nation that is hostile to your country.

Inflammable (adj): easily set on fire or angered
 A hostile person is inflammable —they will easily get angry.
 What kind of house is more inflammable: a wooden house or a brick house?

Inflict (v): to give or cause something bad to happen to someone
 A bee can inflict a painful sting.
 Please do not inflict a harsh punishment.
I did not mean to break the lamp!
 What is something you have inflicted upon someone?

Malignant (adj): deadly or evil
 People with cancer have malignant tumors.
 Opposite: harmless, benign
 Adolf Hitler was a malignant person.

Mortify (v): to hurt someone’s feelings or embarrass them
 The child was mortified when his pants fell down in front of the class!
 Mort= death  Mortal, mortuary
 What kind of situation would mortify you?

Orthodox (adj): very traditional; following rules strictly
 People who are orthodox about their religion follow it very closely.
 Detentions are an orthodox punishment.
 Making naughty children stand on their heads is a very unorthodox punishment!

Procure (v): to get, or achieve through a special effort
 Luckily, I was able to procure 2 plane tickets at the last moment!
 How can you procure a good grade in your most difficult class?

Scurry (v); to run quickly
 The mouse scurried across the floor.
 The children scurried up the stairs.

Sodden (adj): soaked with liquid; dull or lifeless
 After a hard rain, the fields are sodden.
 In court, the criminal had a sodden face in front of the judge.
 If my fish tank breaks, what will happen?
Use the word sodden.

Spirited (adj): full of life
 We had a spirited football game against
Souderton last week.
 Synonyms: vibrant, animated
 Who is a spirited person?

Virtual: (adj) almost the real thing, but not
 Guitar Hero is a virtual game. You are pretending to play a guitar, but aren’t really playing.
 Virtual reality games make you feel like you are really experiencing something.

Void
 Noun: empty place “There is a void in my heart now that my husband is gone.”
 Verb: to cancel “I need to void my appointment”
 Adj: empty or having no legal effect
 “A buffoon is completely void of good ideas.”

Wayward (adj): disobedient, not following the rules
 The mother could not control her wayward children. They never listened to her!
 I have one wayward hair that keeps sticking up!
 What is something that is wayward?

Wince: (v) (n): to pull back because you are in pain
 When I get a vaccination, I wince because of the pain.
 My friend winced when I told her how I broke my arm.