Words to Know Beowulf

Affliction noun. Cause of pain or distress. The splinter in Kyle’s finger was his affliction.

Cowering verb. Cringing in fear. The little girl was cowering in her bed when the lights went out.

Fetter noun. A chain or shackle placed on the feet. The prisoner had a fetter placed upon him to keep him from running away.

Gorge verb. To stuff with food. Sue’s mother told him not to gorge himself on hotdogs.

Infamous adjective. Having a bad reputation; notorious. Sean was infamous for playing cruel pranks on people.

Lament verb. Audible expression of grief; wail. I lament having missed Avatar last night.

Livid adjective. Enraged; furiously angry. Jordan was livid when her favorite show was cancelled.

Loathsome adjective. Causing feelings of loathing; disgusting; revolting. Brandon’s new roommate, who left dirty clothes and dishes everywhere, was loathsome.

Murky adjective. Cloudy; gloomy. The pollution in the air gave a murky overtone to the city.

Pilgrimage noun. A journey to a sacred place or with a lofty purpose. When he turned 21, Jed went on a pilgrimage to Israel.

purge verb. To cleanse or purify. Cleaning supplies were used to purge the bathroom of its nasty state.

relish verb. To enjoy keenly. Tyler will relish getting off his night shift and going to sleep.

talon noun. A claw. Despite the teachings of Napoleon Dynamite, chickens do not have large talons.

taut adjective. Pulled tight. The rope was so taut that it supported the burly man over the castle’s wall.

writhing verb. Twisting and turning in pain. When Will fell off the porch, he was writhing in pain.

The End