Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 11 - Day 4

Word List
  • rash [rash]
    too hasty, reckless
    → “Thou art as rash as fire to say That she was false.” William Shakespeare, Othello
  • conjecture [kən jek´ chər]
    guess
    → “We read to understand how to take care of ourselves, to prepare for the unexpected, to conjecture what we would do in similar situations.” Annie Proulx, “They Lived to Tell the Tale”
  • obviate [ob´ vē āt]
    do away with, eliminate
    → “Modest pre-emptive acting can obviate the need for more drastic actions at a later date that could destabilize the economy.” Alan Greenspan, quoted in New Jersey Star Ledger, 5/6/99
  • lurid [lur´ id]
    sensational
    → “We thought the rookie’s tale was too lurid to be believed, but it turned out to be true.” Chuck Cavanna, Life in the Minors
  • quip [kwip]
    joke
    → “The audience screamed and applauded hysterically at every musical number, every quip, every little movement on the stage.” Liz Smith, Newsday, 6/2/99

The Harts were greatly relieved to learn that the rash conjecture about the dog was not true. Because the German shepherd was not rabid, the necessity for the painful treatment was obviated. The police gave the dog’s owner a summons for allowing the animal to go unmuzzled. Little Bobby was treated to an ice cream sundae and a Walt Disney double feature. The neighbors searched for other lurid happenings, and Jerry Hart went back to his office. “What kind of dog was that?” his secretary asked. “Oh, his bark was worse than his bite,” quipped Jerry.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

  1. It was sheer __________ on the detective’s part but it led to the arrest of the vexatious* counterfeiters.
  2. The newspaper switched from mundane* coverage to __________ reporting.
  3. It was exceedingly __________ of the lightweight to insult the belligerent* longshoreman.
  4. The necessity for preparing sandwiches was __________ when the picnic was postponed.
  5. Hamlet remembered that Yorick was always ready with a lusty __________.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

  1. a. do away with, eliminate
  2. b. joke
  3. c. guess
  4. d. sensational
  5. e. too hasty, reckless
  1. rash (adj.) __________
  2. conjecture __________
  3. obviate __________
  4. lurid __________
  5. quip __________

Answer Key
windfall—unexpected financial gain
When the bankrupt company struck oil, the surprised investor received a windfall of $20,000.

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