All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Authenticity, Understanding, And Importance
Answer the following question by selecting the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.
VERITABLE
voracious
bona fide
raucous
ironic
effusive
bona fide
"Veritable" and "bona fide" both mean authentic or actual. "Voracious" means very hungry or greedy. "Ironic" means sarcastic or caustic. "Raucous" means rowdy or rough. "Effusive" means gushing or profuse.
Example Question #8 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Authenticity, Truth, Existence, And Understanding
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
UNWITTING
Measured
Forgetful
Inadvertent
Boastful
Purposeful
Inadvertent
"Unwitting" is an adjective that means either "not aware of the full facts" when referring to a person, or "not done on purpose; unintentional." So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "not aware of the full facts" or "unintentional." "Purposeful" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "purposeful" is an antonym of "unwitting," not a synonym. "Inadvertent," however, is an adjective that means "not resulting from or achieved through deliberate planning," and because it is the answer choir that is closest in meaning to "unwitting," "inadvertent" is the correct answer.
Example Question #653 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VERBALIZED
Constructed
Declined
Spoken
Conjugated
Conjoined
Spoken
Although one can be said to “verbalize” his or her words when he or she writes them, the term most often is used to describe the process of speaking ideas that were heretofore unspoken. For example, you could say, “After thinking about his theory for a number of years, Paul finally decided to verbalize it, hoping that he could clarify his thoughts by speaking them.”
Example Question #661 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
CANDID
Insincere
Deleterious
Angsty
Sophisticated
Truthful
Truthful
Because "candid" means truthful and straightforward, or frank, the best answer choice is "truthful."
Example Question #9 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Authenticity, Truth, Existence, And Understanding
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
LEGITIMATE
Cultured
Valid
Scholarly
Political
Public
Valid
When something is “legitimate” it is in accord with the laws that would pertain to that class of things. For example, one could speak of a “legitimate action” as being one that is legal. Also, in a more extended sense, it can indicate conformity to the general laws of rationality or that a given thing is rightfully done in a given circumstance. For instance, a “legitimate critique,” is one that is valid given the data of the original argument. Such a critique justly finds something wrong with the argument and is therefore called “valid” or “legitimate.”
Example Question #10 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Authenticity, Truth, Existence, And Understanding
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SPECIOUS
Trivial
Rhetorical
Misleading
Circumlocution
Extended
Misleading
The word “specious” comes from the Latin for “appearance” or “beautiful.” When something is “specious,” it appears to be correct but really is not. It is merely apparent. Therefore, it misleads the person who considers it. Often, one will speak of “specious reasoning,” describing thereby some argument that appears to be plausible when in fact it is really false.
Example Question #662 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
MARGINAL
Frequent
Monumental
Sharp
Negligible
Crucial
Negligible
"Marginal" is an adjective that can besides meaning "of, relating to, or situated at the edge or margin of something," can also mean " of secondary or minor importance; not central." So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "of minor importance." Neither "crucial" nor "monumental" can be the correct answer, then, because each word is an antonym of "marginal," not a synonym. "Negligible," however, is an adjective that means "so small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; insignificant," and because it is the answer choir that is closest in meaning to "marginal," "negligible" is the correct answer.
Example Question #663 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
NOTEWORTHY
Intelligent
Cryptic
Irritating
Brutal
Important
Important
"Noteworthy" means important or interesting. "Irritating" means annoying or bothersome. "Cryptic" means mysterious or puzzling. "Intelligent" means well-informed or smart. "Brutal" means violent and vicious.
Example Question #666 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FRIVOLOUS
Inane
Listless
Dour
Aristocratic
Pliable
Inane
“Frivolous” means purposeless and foolish, often specifically when serious purpose was expected. Thus, the correct answer is "inane," which means goofy and idiotic. As for the other answer choices, "listless" means languid or lethargic; "dour" means dreary and stern; "aristocratic" means having to do with historical high classes; and "pliable" means able to be bent.
Example Question #664 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
MARGINAL
Filial
Insignificant
Doubtful
Unknown
Repetitive
Insignificant
The “margins” of a piece of paper are the edges on which nothing is normally written. When someone takes “marginal notes,” he or she writes in this space—as when someone writes in the margins of a book to keep notes on the text being read. To say that something is “marginal” is to imply that it does not sit “in the midst of the important things” but is merely “on the edges.” For this reason, the word is often used to describe something that is believed to be unimportant. For example, someone might say, “His remarks were really of marginal significance for the decision, for he did not know much about the topic.”
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