ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Timing, Speed, Movement, and Age

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #102 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

PRIMITIVE

Possible Answers:

Intellectual

Ancient

Sophisticated

Playful

Man-made

Correct answer:

Ancient

Explanation:

Primitive means having to do with the early history of the world or of humanity, or simple and relatively undeveloped. "Ancient" means extremely old, so "ancient" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "primitive."

Example Question #103 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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.

PRIMITIVE:

Possible Answers:

ornate

modern

elaborate

youthful

original

Correct answer:

original

Explanation:

A good example using the word primitive is to describe cooking tools used by early man.  These tools were primitive and were originally used by man to cook.

Example Question #104 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

CONSECUTIVE

Possible Answers:

Consensus 

Proclivity 

Incoherent

Successive

Comparable 

Correct answer:

Successive

Explanation:

“Consecutive” means occurring in order, one after the other. This is closest in meaning to “successive.” To provide further help, “incoherent” means not able to be understood; “comparable” means able to be compared, similar; “consensus” means agreement; “proclivity” means tendency of doing something.

Example Question #105 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

ABRUPT

Possible Answers:

Sudden 

Outlandish

Miserable

Dogmatic 

Circumstantial

Correct answer:

Sudden 

Explanation:

“Abrupt” means sudden and unexpected. To provide further help, “outlandish” means bizarre, peculiar, or strange; “dogmatic” means bound by strict, inflexible rules; “miserable” means very sad; “circumstantial” means owed to circumstance, owed to chance.

Example Question #106 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

WIZENED

Possible Answers:

Smooth

Wise

Gnarled

Proportional

Continuous

Correct answer:

Gnarled

Explanation:

"Wizened" means dry, shrunken, and wrinkled due to being old, so "gnarled," an adjective that means twisted and rough due to age, is the correct answer.

Example Question #107 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

PERMANENT

Possible Answers:

Quick

Delayed

Partial

Occasional

Long-lasting

Correct answer:

Long-lasting

Explanation:

Something "permanent" will remain a certain way for a long time. The other answer choices have meanings as follows: "partial" means only a part of something; "delayed" means late; and "occasional" means occurring infrequently.

Example Question #108 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

URGENT

Possible Answers:

Steady

Meager

Repetitive

Unending

Pressing

Correct answer:

Pressing

Explanation:

"Urgent" means pressing or immediate, so "pressing" is the correct answer. "Urgent" has a meaning different from that of "repetitive," which means tedious due to repetition,"steady," which means unvarying or consistent; and "unending," which means not having an end or lasting for a very long time.

Example Question #109 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

FREQUENT

Possible Answers:

Pesky

Often

Frantic

Imaginary

Unintentional

Correct answer:

Often

Explanation:

Something that happens “frequently” happens often, so "frequent" means "often." The word “pesky” means troublesome, like “a pesky wasp”; and “frantic” means hurried or rushed due to being very worried about something. 

Example Question #110 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

ANNUAL

Possible Answers:

Weekly

Timely

Monthly

Biweekly

Yearly

Correct answer:

Yearly

Explanation:

"Annual" comes from the Latin word for year, so it makes sense that "annual" means happening yearly. This means that "yearly" is the correct answer. Something that happens “biweekly” happens every two weeks, as the prefix "bi-" means two, and "timely" means well-timed and convenient.

Example Question #111 : Synonyms: Adjectives

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

INEVITABLE

Possible Answers:

Unavoidable

Uncaring

Incredible

Unpredictable

Unpleasant

Correct answer:

Unavoidable

Explanation:

"Inevitable" means unable to be avoided or definitely bound to happen. "Unavoidable" is therefore the word choice that matches the definition. "Unpredictable," "unpleasant," and "incredible" are all unrelated to the definition. 

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