ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Synonyms

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Timing, Speed, Movement, And Age

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

PRIMITIVE

Possible Answers:

Man-made

Ancient

Playful

Intellectual

Sophisticated

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 #271 : Identifying Synonyms

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:

original

modern

ornate

elaborate

youthful

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 #441 : Synonyms

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

CONSECUTIVE

Possible Answers:

Incoherent

Successive

Comparable 

Proclivity 

Consensus 

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 #442 : Synonyms

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

ABRUPT

Possible Answers:

Miserable

Sudden 

Circumstantial

Outlandish

Dogmatic 

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 #443 : Synonyms

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

WIZENED

Possible Answers:

Proportional

Smooth

Continuous

Wise

Gnarled

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 #26 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Timing, Speed, Movement, And Age

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

PERMANENT

Possible Answers:

Delayed

Occasional

Quick

Long-lasting

Partial

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 #274 : Identifying Synonyms

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

URGENT

Possible Answers:

Repetitive

Unending

Meager

Pressing

Steady

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 #28 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Timing, Speed, Movement, And Age

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

FREQUENT

Possible Answers:

Imaginary

Frantic

Pesky

Unintentional

Often

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 #29 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Timing, Speed, Movement, And Age

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

ANNUAL

Possible Answers:

Monthly

Yearly

Biweekly

Timely

Weekly

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 #444 : Synonyms

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

INEVITABLE

Possible Answers:

Incredible

Unpleasant

Uncaring

Unavoidable

Unpredictable

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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