Chapter 29 What a Relief Words About Comfort

1. palliative -noun/adj. Soothing the symptoms of a disorder but not curing it. Crying is considered palliative for a broken heart because only time will make it feel better.

2. assuage verb To make less painful Mike tried to assuage his friend’s broken heart by telling him that he will find another girlfriend who is even better.

3. emollient noun Something that softens or soothes the skin After working in the dirt all day trying to forget his heart ache, Dave had to lather his hands with emollient to soothe them.

4. ameliorate verb To improve The lotion ameliorated his dry hands but did nothing to help him get over loosing his girlfriend.

5. alleviate verb To ease symptoms Mike suggested they go to a ball game to see if that would alleviate Dave’s sadness.

6. conciliate verb To overcome distrust or regain someone’s friendship Dave’s girlfriend Missy decided to conciliate with him because she also missed their friendship.

7. foster verb To promote the growth and development of Missy and Dave decided they needed to foster their relationship by spending more quality time together.

8. mollify verb To calm in temper, sooth hostile feelings Now, whenever Missy gets upset, Dave will mollify her by talking it out instead of just leaving her alone.

9. placate verb To lessen someone’s anger or hard feelings Missy decided she needed to placate Mike’s hurt feeling by cooking his favorite meal.

10. succor noun/verb Relief or comfort in a time of distress Now, they are there to succor each other in a loving way.

Chapter 30 Bad Guys Words for Fools and Other Nasty Types

1.curmudgeon noun Person always in a bad m ood Some students are labeled as being a curmudgeon because they are in a constantly bad mood at school.

2. booby noun Person who is perceived as being foolish or stupid No one likes to be called a booby even when they do something that others may find strange.

3. ninny noun Lacking intelligence or an acting silly Just because someone may look or act like a ninny, it doesn't necessarily mean they are one.

4. nincompoop noun Silly or stupid person If you constantly do things that put your life at risk, then you can be considered a nincompoop.

5. martinet noun Person who demands strict adherence to all regulations As an English teacher, Mrs. McQurck was so demanding that students referred to her as a martinet.

6. roué noun Lecherous, indulging in sexual desires A woman needs to be careful when selecting a husband so as not to marry a roué.

7. miscreant noun A wrongdoer Today’s jails are filled with miscreants of all kinds.

8. poltroon noun A coward The military is no place for a poltroon. We need brave soldiers to protect us.

9. buffoon noun Enjoys clowning or joking around and the behavior is perceived as ridiculous Jack is always doing something so crazy that he comes off looking like a buffoon more often than not.

10. scapegrace noun A scoundrel or rascal with a sense of mischief MJ was the leading scapegrace of the playground until some kids put him in his place.