ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Synonyms: Other Adjectives

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #2526 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

COMMENSURATE

Possible Answers:

Burgeoning

Ambiguous

Critical

Correspondent

Redundant

Correct answer:

Correspondent

Explanation:

"Commensurate" is an adjective that means "equal or similar to something in size, amount, or degree; in proportion to," so we need to pick out a word that means "proportionate." While "redundant" may sound like a good answer choice because it also deals with relationships between things, "redundant" actually means "repeating something else and therefore unnecessary," so it is not the word we're looking for. "Correspondent," however, besides meaning "a person who writes letters to a person or a newspaper, especially on a regular basis" as a noun, can also function as an adjective meaning "having a close similarity; matching or agreeing almost exactly." Of the available answer choices, "correspondent" is closest in meaning to "commensurate," so it is the correct answer.

Example Question #592 : Identifying Synonyms

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

ANOMALOUS

Possible Answers:

Garrulous

Floundering

Incongruous

Conforming

Intransigent

Correct answer:

Incongruous

Explanation:

"Anomalous" and "incongruous" both mean deviating from normal or unusual. "Conforming" means agreeing or harmonious. "Garrulous" means talkative. "Floundering" means struggling or stumbling. "Intransigent" means adamant or stubborn

Example Question #593 : Identifying Synonyms

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

INSIPID

Possible Answers:

Banal

Appetizing

Homogenous

Avant-garde

Sedulous

Correct answer:

Banal

Explanation:

"Insipid" and "banal" both mean dull or uninteresting. "Appetizing" means delicious or appealing. "Sedulous" means busy or determined. "Avant-garde" means unconventional or forward-thinking. "Homogenous" means similar or comparable.

Example Question #594 : Identifying Synonyms

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

PRETERNATURAL

Possible Answers:

Voluminous

Germane

Munificent

Anomalous

Stupefying

Correct answer:

Anomalous

Explanation:

"Preternatural" and "anomalous" both mean unusual or abnormal. "Germane" means appropriate or applicable. "Munificent" means giving or generous. "Stupefying" means stunning or amazing. "Voluminous" means ample or vast

Example Question #591 : Identifying Synonyms

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

POTENT

Possible Answers:

Poisonous

Stewing

Untainted

Forceful

Drinkable

Correct answer:

Forceful

Explanation:

The “pot-” portion of this word is derived from the Latin for able and also power. It is found in many English words like “impotent,” “potency,” “omnipotence,” and “potential.” Someone might say, “The speech was extremely potent in stirring the emotions of the crowd; soon, everyone was marching according to the instructions of the speaker.” Among the options provided, “forceful” best conveys this sense of “power.”

Example Question #592 : Identifying Synonyms

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

FUTILE

Possible Answers:

Useful

Bothersome

Feeble

Annoying

Ineffectual

Correct answer:

Ineffectual

Explanation:

When something is futile, it accomplishes nothing. For example, one could say, “No matter how long Thomas spent in the gym, it felt futile, for he was always unable to lift his goal amount of weights.” When something is “ineffectual,” it is “unable to have an effect.” The word is thus somewhat like “ineffective.”

Example Question #593 : Identifying Synonyms

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

INEXORABLE

Possible Answers:

Persuadable

Imaginative

Limited

Unstoppable

Preventable

Correct answer:

Unstoppable

Explanation:

"Inexorable" is an adjective that means "impossible to stop or prevent," or when describing a person, "impossible to persuade by request or entreaty." So, neither "preventable" nor "persuadable" can be the correct answer because each of those words is an antonym of "inexorable," not a synonym. The correct answer is "unstoppable," an adjective that like "inexorable" means "impossible to stop or prevent."

Example Question #594 : Identifying Synonyms

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

HUGE

Possible Answers:

hedonist

gargantuan

modicum

miniscule

lucid

Correct answer:

gargantuan

Explanation:

Both "miniscule" and "modicum" mean a small amount so they are not correct. "Lucid" means clear, and a "hedonist" is someone who lives for pleasure. "Gargantuan" is a synonym for huge.

Example Question #41 : Synonyms: Other Adjectives

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

ECONOMICAL

Possible Answers:

Profiteering

Capitalize

Inexpensive

Fiscal

Fiduciary

Correct answer:

Inexpensive

Explanation:

The word “economical” is not the same as “economic,” which can mean “pertaining to finances or wealth.” Instead, it can mean “someone who is thrifty or careful with money” as well as “something that is inexpensive but useful” such as “an economical house.”

Example Question #42 : Synonyms: Other Adjectives

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

SHEER

Possible Answers:

Absolute

Trim

Woolen

Break

Lacerate

Correct answer:

Absolute

Explanation:

The word “sheer” is not the same as “shear.” The latter means “to cut” or “to shave,” often speaking of the cutting of wool from sheep. The word “sheer” means instead “complete” or “sudden.” The latter would be used to describe something like a cliff that is completely vertical—“a sheer drop.” Likewise, it can mean “complete,” “utter,” “or “absolutely” when used in an expression like, “The plan was not merely questionable; it was sheer madness to do something so insane.”

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