ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, and Size

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

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Example Questions

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

diminutive

immense

beneficial

magnificent

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

excited

puny

quiet

gargantuan

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."

Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

A synonym of “diminutive” is __________.

Possible Answers:

fragrant

enormous

subpar

minute

tremulous

Correct answer:

minute

Explanation:

“Diminutive” is an adjective that means “extremely small,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “very small.” That means that “enormous” cannot be the correct answer, because “enormous” means “very large in size, quantity, or extent,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “diminutive.” “Minute,” however, is a word that means “extremely small” when used as an adjective, and because “minute” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “diminutive,” “minute” is the correct answer.

Example Question #4 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

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

SOLITARY

Possible Answers:

Married

Guardian 

Luxurious

Paired

Lone

Correct answer:

Lone

Explanation:

"Solitary" means lonealone, or by oneself, so "lone" is the correct answer. To help you, "paired" means put together into a group of two, "guardian" means defender, and "luxurious" means fancy and expensive.

Example Question #5 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

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

UNIQUE

Possible Answers:

Young

Regular

One-of-a-kind

Commonplace

Correct answer:

One-of-a-kind

Explanation:

When something is "unique," it is the only one of its kind, or at the very least extremely special. For example, people often talk about snowflakes as examples of uniqueness, stating that each snowflake is slightly different. "One-of-a-kind" is the correct choice here. "Commonplace" and "regular" refer to ordinary things, so these words are the opposite of our answer. "Young," which means having so far only been alive for a brief period of time or not old, is an unrelated concept.

Example Question #6 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

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

PECULIAR

Possible Answers:

Normal

Intelligent

Strange

Uninteresting

Correct answer:

Strange

Explanation:

"Peculiar" is an adjective that means unusual. Therefore, the word "strange" is the correct choice; other synonyms might include odd or abnormal. "Normal" is an antonym of "peculiar," and "intelligent," or smart, is unrelated. "Uninteresting" is also an incorrect choice because a peculiar object is unlikely to be boring.

Example Question #7 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

Synonyms: Choose the answer that most closely matches the word in capital letters.

IMMENSE

Possible Answers:

Miniscule

Petite

Tiny

Huge

Lilliputian 

Correct answer:

Huge

Explanation:

Immense means massive, huge, or very significant. To further help you, it is an antonym of the other four answer choices, as it has the opposite meaning to them. Miniscule, petite and lilliputian are all synonyms that mean very small.

Example Question #8 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

Synonyms: Choose the answer that most closely matches the word in capital letters.

PUNY

Possible Answers:

Bemused

Small

Lucky

Big

Dazed

Correct answer:

Small

Explanation:

"Puny" means weak and small. To further help you, "dazed" means stunned, especially by a blow; "bemused" means confused and puzzled

Example Question #9 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

Synonyms: Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.

COMMON

Possible Answers:

Dedicated

Normal

Locality

Rare

Correct answer:

Normal

Explanation:

"Common" is defined as not rare. "Normal" is the best answer choice, because "normal" describes things that are standard, regular, or natural. "Rare" is an antonym of "common."

Example Question #10 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size

Synonyms: Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.

MINUSCULE

Possible Answers:

Opaque

Gigantic

Tiny

Magnificent

Correct answer:

Tiny

Explanation:

"Minuscule" is an adjective that means extremely small. So, the answer choice closest in meaning to "minuscule" is "tiny," an adjective that means very small. None of the other answers are close in meaning to "minuscule": "gigantic" is an antonym of "miniscule" and means very large; "opaque" means not transparent; and "magnificent" means impressively beautiful.

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