Using Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots to Identify Synonyms - ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning

The prefixes dei- and div- mean God. As in, a "deity" which means a God. So, "divine" means possessing qualities attributed to God, heavenly. Additionally, "poised" means calm and under control, particularly when faced with stress or pressure; "massive" means very large; "goofy" means silly, quirky, weird; "permissible" means able to be permitted, allowed.

The prefix un- means not. As in, "unlikely" which means not likely. So, "unremarkable" means not remarkable, not interesting. This is closest in meaning to "boring." If it is helpful, "remarkable" means interesting, amazing, worthy of being remarked about. Additionally, "hilarious" means very funny; "petite" means little, small; "shy" means not wanting to talk to others.

The prefix dyna- means power, force, energy. As in "dynamic" which means forceful, energetic, full of power. So, a "dynasty" is a line of rulers who inherit their position of power. This is closest in meaning to a "lineage" which means a line of succession. The British royal family is a "dynasty." Additionally, your "ancestors" are people who came before you in your family line; "glee" is delight, great joy; "heroism" is courage, bravery, the act of being a hero; a "keepsake" is a small item kept to remember someone else.

The prefix dia- means through, across, between. As in, "diameter" which is a straight line that passes through a circle. So, a "dialogue" is a conversation between two or more people. Additionally, "peril" is danger; "ambition" is a strong desire to achieve something; an "ideology" is a belief system, a system of ideas and ideals; "convention" is the way things are usually done or an agreement.

The prefix spec- means look. As in, "spectator" which means watcher of a performance or "spectacles" which are glasses. So, a "spectacle" is a display, a visually impressive performance, something worth seeing. Additionally, a "hiatus" is a break; a "vow" is a promise; a "flaw" is a weakness; a "tome" is a long and boring book.

The prefix bene- means good. As in, "benevolent" which means good-natured. So, "benefit" means something positive gained from something , an advantage. Additionally, "abhorrence" is hatred; "caution" is the quality of being overly careful; "patriotism" is the love of one's country; "jeopardy" is danger, trouble.

The prefix mis- means badly. As in, "misinform" which means to give bad information to. So, a "mistake" is something done badly, something done wrong, an error. Additionally, your "reputation" is what people think of you; "integrity" is the quality of being honest and sticking to one's principles; "intimacy" is togetherness, closeness with other people; "gossip" is rumor, information passed informally through conversation.

The prefix de- means away, from. As in, "descend" which means to go down and away from. So, "depart" means go away, leave. Additionally, "return" means come back; "host" means have people in one's home; "visit" means go to another place and then come back; "excel" means to do very well at.

The prefix post- means after. As in, "posthumous" which means after death. So, to "postpone" means to put off something to do after. This is closest in meaning to "suspend" which means to pause, to wait to do something. Additionally, "possess" means have, own; "borrow" means take something with the intention to give it back; "polish" means clean, make shiny; "affirm" means state is accurate, confirm is true.

The prefix mis- means badly. So, to "misinform" is to give bad information, to lie to, to deceive. Additionally, "secede" means leave a group, disband from a union; "exceed" means to go beyond; "register" means sign up for; "legislate" means make laws.

The prefix ad- means to, toward. So, to "address" means to speak towards someone, to speak directly to someone. An "address" is a speech, a public statement. Additionally, a "task" is a job, a duty that needs to be done; a "contribution" is something added to help; an "organization" is a group working together for some purpose; an "intention" is something meant to be done, a plan, a mission.

The prefix under- means below, beneath. As in "underwater" or "underwear." So, "undersized" means below the right size, below normal size. This is closest in meaning to "small." Additionally, "hardy" means tough; "giant" means very big; "erroneous" means incorrect; "costly" means expensive, coming with great loss (of money).

The word "exotic" means foreign or from outside of this area. The idea of being "outside" can be seen in the prefix "ex-". We use this in "exit," meaning the process of going out of some area. This prefix in general means out or out of. Although we tend to think of exotic animal, the word can be used for anything that foreign—in the sense of "not being from here."

The word "apprehend" comes from the Latin for to lay ahold of. When we "com-prehend" something, we understand it thoroughly—we grasp it thoroughly. The word "apprehend" is often used when we talk about capturing a criminal. The police "apprehend" a wrongdoer, meaning that they capture, seize, or catch him or her. Therefore, the best answer among those provided is "catch."

The word "admire" is perhaps so common that you will at first trick yourself into choosing the wrong answer. The word comes from Latin roots that are related to the word "miracle" and "miraculous." Miracles and miraculous things are things that arouse wonder, for they are unexpected and marvelous. When we "admire" someone, we find that person to be wonderful or out of the ordinary. This sense of marvel and wonder leads us to have respect for the person. Therefore, while we can perhaps say that admiration is more than mere respect, still among the answers provided, this is the best option for a synonym.

The prefix "sev-" or "sec_-_" often relates to cutting, so it makes sense that the word “sever” means to cut one thing off of another completely. The word “sprint” means to run quickly; the word “fix” means to mend or repair something; and the word “aid” means help.

The word "sanctuary" includes the root "sanct-," which is from the Greek for "holy." "Sanctuary" originally referred to a religious place of worship where people could not be arrested for certain crimes. Since then, the word's meaning has shifted to be more general, and today it is used to mean a place that offers comfort or shelter , sometimes associated with a particular religious group, so "shelter" is the correct answer.

The "grad-" part of "gradual" comes from the Latin for step or go; the English words "grade" (level of quality given to work being analyzed) and "gradation" (step or different level in a greater whole) also come from this same Latin word. It thus makes sense that “gradual” means s_tep-by-step_ or moving along slowly but consistently. This means that "slow" is the best answer choice. As for the other answer choices, "hurried" means happening quickly or rushed; “reckless” means not careful and potentially causing trouble due to lack of care; “wanton” means random; and “dynamic” means energetic and active.

The prefix "ab-" can mean away, so it makes sense that "abduct" means kidnap, as kidnapping someone can be thought of carrying them away without their permission. As for the other answer choices, “praise” means to say something nice about someone; “demonstrate” means show or, more specifically, show by doing; “exceed” means go beyond or do more than is necessary; and “accord” means agree or not argue.

The prefix "co-" means together, so it makes sense that a "collision" is a crash or impact. “Hint” means suggest something indirectly; “grasp” means grab onto; “assist” means help; “amend” means change, edit, or fix.