ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Synonyms: Adjectives

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Lower Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #35 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

AFFECTIONATE

Possible Answers:

Bubbly

Joyful

Helpful

Caring

Moody

Correct answer:

Caring

Explanation:

When someone is "affectionate," he or she is very caring and loving toward other people. Now, while such a person might also tend to be helpful, joyful, or even bubbly, these meanings are not strict synonyms for "affectionate." Affection is, above all else, about love. Thus, the best synonym among those provided for "affectionate" is "caring." (The word "caring" means more than "helpful"—it indicates an emotional attachment. This makes it a better option.)

Example Question #36 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

GLEEFUL

Possible Answers:

Willing

Joyful

Friendly

Energetic

Amazing

Correct answer:

Joyful

Explanation:

The word "glee" means a great amount of happiness. Thus, a gleeful person is very happy. We could say, "The baby was utterly gleeful while playing with the small dog, giggling and slapping playfully at the ground." The main thing that you want to express with the word "gleeful" is happiness.  (Often, this happiness comes with great energy too; however, gleefulness is about happiness.)  Thus, the best option is "joyful."

Example Question #37 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

DEPRESSED

Possible Answers:

Angry

Miserable

Concerned

Fussy

Worried

Correct answer:

Miserable

Explanation:

The word "depressed" is used to describe someone who is very unhappy. When a person is "miserable," he or she is not happy or is very negative about life. Among the options given, this is the only one that closely matches "depressed".

Example Question #38 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

FURIOUS

Possible Answers:

Superb

Gruff

Enraged

Annoyed

Correct answer:

Enraged

Explanation:

"Furious" is an adjective meaning extremely angry. The only answer choice with a similar meaning is "enraged," which means very angry. The other words do not have similar meanings: "gruff" can mean no-nonsense or abrupt; "superb" means excellent; and "annoyed" means only slightly angry.

Example Question #39 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Emotional States

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

ERRATIC

Possible Answers:

Predictable

Organized

Lucky

Unpredictable

Lazy

Correct answer:

Unpredictable

Explanation:

When someone behaves "erratically" they are acting in a way that is not expected, usual, nor even predictable. Therefore, "unpredictable" would be the word closest to this meaning and is a synonym for erratic.

Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Materiality

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

FRAGILE

Possible Answers:

Firm

Breakable

Robust

Stern

Logical

Correct answer:

Breakable

Explanation:

“Fragile” means easy to break or "breakable." As for the other answer choices, “robust” means sturdy and strong; “stern” means enforcing the rules or strict; “firm” means strong or hard and not easily forced into a different shape; “logical” means rational or not breaking any of the rules of formal logic.

Example Question #2 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Materiality

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

FIRM

Possible Answers:

Angry

Joyful

Solid

Ignorant

Lively

Correct answer:

Solid

Explanation:

The word "firm" is an adjective used to describe something that is physically solid. For example, a firm pillow is one that is somewhat hard—as opposed to a very soft pillow. Sometimes, too, this word is used to describe someone's actions. For example, to say, "He was firm about his wish to have at least eight hours of sleep," means that the person did not give up his desire for the sleep (even if others protested).

Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Materiality

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

COMPACT

Possible Answers:

Regular

Dense

Organized

Slippery

Pushy

Correct answer:

Dense

Explanation:

The word "compact" comes from root words meaning joined together. When we compact our garbage, we compress it into a small space. When we describe the garbage as being "compact," we are indicating that it is very densely packed together. "Dense" things do not have much air space. The same is true for compact materials.

Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

Each synonyms question is made up of a word in capital letters followed by five choices. Choose the one word that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

COLOSSAL:

Possible Answers:

perilous

immense

diminutive

magnificent

beneficial

Correct answer:

immense

Explanation:

If something is colossal, it means that it is massive or immense. For example, a mistake can be colossal if it is large.

Example Question #2 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

A synonym of "immense" is __________.

Possible Answers:

meddlesome

gargantuan

quiet

excited

puny

Correct answer:

gargantuan

Explanation:

"Immense" is an adjective that means "extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "very big." That means that "puny" can't be the correct answer, because "puny" means "small and weak" or "poor in quality, amount, or size," so "puny" is an antonym of "immense." "Gargantuan," however, is an adjective that means "enormous," so "gargantuan" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "immense."

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