abate
The definition for abate is "Become less in amount or intensity." Used in a sentence: Just when it seemed the rain would never stop, the storm suddenly began to abate.
gruff
The definition for gruff is "Rough or stern in manner or speech." Used in a sentence: Heidi's grandfather was gruff, barking stern orders and hardly smiling.
pathos
The definition for pathos is "Sympathetic pity." Used in a sentence: The soldiers cherished the kindly Nurse Nightingale for her pathos.
rail
The definition for rail is "To scold in harsh language." Used in a sentence: Clay began to cry as his irate manager railed at him for missing the deadline.
retroactive
The definition for retroactive is "effective as of a prior time or condition." Used in a sentence: The retroactive law made even past infractions punishable.