Engender

When the principal announced that students could no longer wear sneakers to school, it engendered anger in the student body.

to bring a feeling into existence

(engenders, engendered, engendering)

Pacify

After dropping her cell phone in the muddy puddle, I tried to pacify my friend by offering her a big, warm hug.

to ease someone's anger; calm someone down  

(pacified, pacifying, pacifies, pacifist)

 ardent

    Being an ardent Bills fan, Mark painted his face half red and half blue to show his love for the team.

enthusiastic support

adj. (ardently)

exacerbate

The singer's terrible voice was exacerbated by the awful pianist who didn't know how to accompany her

to make something bad even worse

(exacerbates, exacerbating, exacerbated)

sagacious

Samuel Westing Jr. III had always been a sagacious business man known for his shrewd negotiating style.

good judgement; shrewd

adj. (sagaciously)

dissolution

  The Alka-seltzer tablet's dissolution was instant once it fell into the glass of water and virtually disappeared.

the disintegration or decomposition of something

n. (dissolutions)

contagion

Once the idea of storming the Bastille took hold, it spread like a contagion among the people.

the spreading of a disease or idea from one person to another through close contact

n. (contagions)

pestilence

The Ebola virus is a horrific pestilence that was just as easily spread as the bubonic plague.

a fatal epidemic disease, especially the bubonic plague

n. (pestilences)

writhe

The majestic lion writhed in pain, its body twisting in strange patterns, after being shot with a tranquilizer gun at close range.

to make continual twisting movements of the body.

v. (writhes, writhing, writhed)

pivotal

Graduating from high school was a huge achievement in Hank's life and a pivotal moment in the life of his mother as well.  

of crucial importance in relation to the success of something else.

adj. (pivot, pivoting, pivots, pivoted)