alliance

(n.) a joining together for some common purpose

s:  pact, league, coalition

a:  rift, split

bewilder

(v.) to puzzle completely, confuse

s:  baffle, perplex

a:  set straight, enlighten

buffoon

(n.) a clown, a coarse, stupid person

s:  jester, fool

controversial

(adj.)  arousing argument, dispute, or disagreement

s:  arguable, debatable

dishearten

(v.) to discourage

s:  dismay, demoralize, dispirit

a:  encourage, hearten

fruitless

(adj.) not producing the desired results, unsuccessful

s:  useless, vain, unproductive, futile

a:  productive, effective

hostile

(adj.)  unfriendly, unfavorable, warlike, aggressive

a:  friendly, cordial, peaceful

inflammable

(adj.)  easily set on fire; easily angered or aroused

s:  combustible, flammable, excitable

a:  fireproof, fire-resistant, calm

inflict

(v.)  to give or cause something unpleasant, impose

s:  deal out, visit upon

a:  suffer, undergo, sustain

malignant

(adj.)  Deadly, extremely harmful, evil; spiteful, malicious

s:  lethal, wicked

a:  wholesome, beneficial, benign

mortify

(v.)  to hurt someone's feelings deeply to cause embarrassment of humiliation; to subdue or discipline by self-denial or suffering

s:  humiliate, embarrass, abash

orthodox

(adj.)  in agreement with established or generally accepted beliefs or ways of doing things

s:  trasitional, standard, customary

a:  unusual, unconventional, heretical

procure

(v.)  to obtain through special effort, to bring about

s:  gain, acquire, achieve

scurry

(v.)  to run quickly, scamper, hurry

s:  rush, dash, scramble

a: trudge plod, creep, crawl

sodden

(adj.) soaked with liquid or moisture, expressionless, dull, spiritless, listless

s:  drenched, waterlogged, saturated

a: parched, arid

spirited

(adj.)  full of life and vigor; courageous

s:  lively, animated, gallant

a:  lifeless, dull, lackluster

virtual

(adj.)  having a certain force or effect in fact but not in name; so close as to be equivalent to the real thing

s:  functioning as, equivalent to

void

(adj.)  completely empty; having no legal force or effect; (n.) empty or unfilled space; (v.) to cancel or fullify

s:  (adj.) invalid, vacant, bare

a:  (adj.) in effect, teeming with; (v.) confirm

wayward

(adj.)  disobedient, willful, unpredictable, capricious

s:  perverse

a:  docile, well-behaved, predictable

wince

(v.)  to draw back suddenly, as through in pain or fear; (n.) the act of drawing back in this way

s:  (v.) flinch, shudder, recoil