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.

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.

The definition for hedonism is "Belief that pleasure is the sole aim of life." Used in a sentence: The hedonism of the emperoro, who spent all his time giving parties, caused his downfall.

The definition for prune is "To reduce by removing excess." Used in a sentence: The candidate pruned his speech so he would not exceed the time limit.

The definition for turmoil is "Extreme confusion, agitation." Used in a sentence: The windstorm caused such turmoil in the lake that the sailboat capsized.