- abate: to subside; to decrease in intensity
- abysmal: extremely bad; wretched
- acrid: harsh smelling or tasting
- acrimony: bitterness of feeling; harsh words
- ambulatory: mobile; capable of moving around
- assail: to attack or assault
- astringent: harsh; pungent; caustic
- atrophy: to weaken from disuse
- attrition: a wearing away of strength or morale
- bellicose: warlike in manner
- belligerent: warlike; quarrelsome
- cacophony: discord; harsh sounds
- compliant: submissive; conciliatory
- ebb: to decrease or decline slowly
- egregious: conspicuously bad; flagrant
- enervate: to weaken someone's vitality
- incite: to urge into action; coax
- inert: sluggish; inactive
- instigate: to urge on; coax; cajole
- irascible: easily angered; choleric
- moratorium: postponement; delay
- noisome: offensive to the senses of the health
- obsequious: overly submissive
- pugnancious: quarrelsome; belligerent
- quiescent: resting; quiet
- respite: time of relief; rest; pause
- static: stationary; stagnant
- volatile: explosive; tending to evaporate quickly
- wane: to grow smaller or less intense