All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #215 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
COMMENSURATE
Correspondent
Redundant
Burgeoning
Critical
Ambiguous
Correspondent
"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 #216 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ANOMALOUS
Intransigent
Floundering
Garrulous
Incongruous
Conforming
Incongruous
"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 #217 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INSIPID
Avant-garde
Appetizing
Homogenous
Sedulous
Banal
Banal
"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 #218 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PRETERNATURAL
Germane
Munificent
Voluminous
Anomalous
Stupefying
Anomalous
"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 #219 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
POTENT
Poisonous
Drinkable
Stewing
Untainted
Forceful
Forceful
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 #220 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FUTILE
Useful
Ineffectual
Annoying
Feeble
Bothersome
Ineffectual
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 #2531 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INEXORABLE
Imaginative
Limited
Unstoppable
Preventable
Persuadable
Unstoppable
"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 #222 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.
HUGE
lucid
gargantuan
hedonist
modicum
miniscule
gargantuan
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 #223 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ECONOMICAL
Profiteering
Inexpensive
Fiduciary
Fiscal
Capitalize
Inexpensive
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 #224 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SHEER
Absolute
Lacerate
Woolen
Break
Trim
Absolute
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.”