HSPT Verbal : Synonyms, Antonyms, and Changes in Intensity

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for HSPT Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #18 : Changes In Intensity

Difficult is to herculean as small is to __________.

Possible Answers:

remarkable

little

minute

comprehensible

simple

Correct answer:

minute

Explanation:

You likely have some exposure to the mythological character, Hercules (or Heracles), who in Greek mythology performed great deeds of strength. In English, to say something is “herculean” means that it is extremely difficult—as were his great labors. Thus, “herculean” stands as an intensified form of “difficult.” Your generalized bridge sentence would be, “As herculean things are very difficult, so X things are very small.” If something is minute, it is very small. Do not confuse this with the word for the division of time. The word is related to words like “miniscule” and “miniature,” each implying some degree of “smallness.”

Example Question #19 : Changes In Intensity

Neat is to immaculate as noisy is to __________.

Possible Answers:

heard

audible

sensible

sounding

raucous

Correct answer:

raucous

Explanation:

Something immaculate is very clean. Roman Catholics speak of “Immaculate Mary,” meaning thereby to attribute absolute purity from sin to Mary, the mother of Jesus. The bridge sentence for our analogy could be formulated as, “As something very neat is called immaculate, so too is something very noisy called X.” Something raucous is disturbing and loud. Often, one will speak of “raucous partying,” implying by that “loud partying.” In general, something is “raucous” if it is loud and unsettling. For this reason, it fits the analogy, meaning well enough “very noisy.”

Example Question #20 : Changes In Intensity

Gory is to bloody as saturated is to __________.

Possible Answers:

chained

overwhelming

fatty

clogging

wet

Correct answer:

wet

Explanation:

Something is gory when it is covered with blood, often shed because of violence. Thus, “bloody” is either a synonym or at least a characteristic of something that is “gory.” When something is “saturated,” it is completely filled. This word is most frequently used to mean “completely filled with water,” like a sponge that is fully saturated. The word is used in scientific expressions like “saturated fats” because these compounds are completely full of a particular kind of bond—they are saturated with them.

Example Question #21 : Changes In Intensity

Spiteful is to hurt as blazing is to __________.

Possible Answers:

heat

kindling

brush

fireplace

cooking

Correct answer:

heat

Explanation:

Something spiteful is nasty, as in spiteful speech that is meant to “tear down” someone else. Such actions cause hurt and pain, generally psychological but still real. Thus, the analogy could be written, “As something spiteful causes hurt, so does something blazing cause X.” A blaze is a strong fire, which can at least be said to produce heat. While this is not the most advanced vocabulary, it is the only option that describes an effect of something blazing.

Example Question #22 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the word that best completes each comparison.

Lucky is to fortuitous as drab is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fortunate

radiant

costly

curtains

dreary

Correct answer:

dreary

Explanation:

"Lucky" and "fortuitous" mean roughly the same thing, just as "drab" is another word for "dreary."

Example Question #22 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the word that best completes each comparison.

Adroit is to skillful as illustrative is to __________.

Possible Answers:

insane

rueful

horrid

explanatory

unknown

Correct answer:

explanatory

Explanation:

"Adroit" is another word for "skillful;" similarly "illustrative" and "explanatory" mean roughly the same thing.

Example Question #24 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the answer that best completes the comparison.

Combustible is to explosive as pliable is to __________.

Possible Answers:

flexible

playful

uncertain

stiff

rigid

Correct answer:

flexible

Explanation:

"Combustible" and "explosive" mean the same thing; just as "pliable" and "flexible" are synonyms. 

Example Question #23 : Changes In Intensity

Immoral is to iniquitous as possible is to __________.

Possible Answers:

turpitude

desirable

viable

probable

feasible

Correct answer:

probable

Explanation:

Someone who is “iniquitous” is very immoral or wicked. Therefore, our bridge sentence is, “Just as something iniquitous is very immoral, so too is something X very possible.” Among the options provided, “probable” is the only word providing a sense of being “very possible.” The options “feasible” and “viable,” while they do connote that something is indeed a possible option, do not connote the sense of being “very possible.”

Example Question #26 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the answer that best completes the comparison.

Relaxed is to carefree as stressed is to __________.

Possible Answers:

burdened

unknown

forceful

galvanized

layered

Correct answer:

burdened

Explanation:

"Relaxed" and "carefree" are both synonyms, just as "stressed" and "burdened" have a similar meaning.

Example Question #24 : Changes In Intensity

Choose the best answer that completes the comparison.

Dessicated is to dry as drenched is to __________.

Possible Answers:

water

precipitation

swamp

desert

wet

Correct answer:

wet

Explanation:

"Dessicated" and "dry" are synonyms, just as "drenched" and "wet" have the same meaning.

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