Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 32 - Day 4

Word List
  • archaic [är ka´ ik]
    out of date
    → “Many procedures of the law have long seemed archaic to laymen.” Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, quoted in San Francisco Examiner, 1/4/71
  • emulate [em´ yə lāt]
    rival, strive to equal
    → “Her companions she loved and admired but could not emulate for they knew things she did not.” Rose Macaulay, The World My Wilderness
  • facetious [fə sē´ shəs]
    comical, humorous, witty
    → “Politicians must be careful about any facetious comment that can be turned into an opponent’s advantage.” Jewell Bellush and Dick Netzer, Urban Politics
  • rabid [rab´ id]
    fanatical, furious, mad
    → “Politicians avoid the appearance of being rabid on issues that seem to be evenly viewed by the voters.” Arthur Willner, “Taking Sides”
  • salubrious [sə lü´ brē əs]
    healthful, wholesome
    → “For my later years there remains the salubrious effects of work: stimulation and satisfaction.” Kathe Kollwitz, Diaries and Letters, 1955

The flood of new technology makes each modern marvel appear archaic within the briefest time period. An assiduous* examination of today’s communication methods will make clear how quickly a rabid purchaser of the newest product will want to emulate friends and buy the next one. The cell phone that can track down the location of a user, or the music-downloading pod that has a potential* to record almost countless songs are being replaced with more powerful and exciting products. It would not be facetious to claim that scientists will persevere* in devising ways for us to contact each other by voice, photographs, and print messages that give us access* to a more salubrious social network.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

  1. Some maintain that the ascetic* leads a __________ life.
  2. With all candor,* I cannot wish for a return to the __________ times when a moribund* society provided an opulent* existence for some, but a loathsome* life for the majority.
  3. There is something __________ about an egotist* who has the temerity* to begin a speech with, “In all humility* . . . .”
  4. It is not prudent* to malign* or castigate,* or be derogatory* in any way toward a __________ political adherent.*
  5. The wish to __________ a great person is laudable.*

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

  1. a. healthful, wholesome
  2. b. out of date
  3. c. rival, strive to equal
  4. d. comical, humorous, witty
  5. e. fanatical, furious, mad
  1. archaic __________
  2. emulate __________
  3. facetious __________
  4. rabid __________
  5. salubrious __________

Answer Key
on the bandwagon—joining with the majority; going along with the trend
Most advertisements showing many people using a product hope to convince the viewer to get on the bandwagon and buy the item.

Favorite Books
Table of Contents