Synonyms: Adjectives and Adverbs - SSAT Upper Level Verbal

"Nonplussed"means surprised and bewildered, so "surprised" is the correct answer.

"Despondent" means in low spirits, or crestfallen.

"Euphoric"means extremely happy, or elated.

"Disaffected" means dissatisfied or frustrated with the people in power.

"Smitten"means attacked or afflicted by something, often a disease.

"Envious" means jealous; Erroneous means mistaken; Excessive means too much; Sociable means outgoing; and Incessant means continual.

"Abject" means utterly hopeless or miserable.

"Histrionic" means extremely dramatic.

"Jubilant" means joyful.

"Elated" means very happy or overjoyed.

"Apathetic" means uninterested or indifferent.

"Maudlin" means "sentimental," exaggeratedly and often tearfully so. "Naive" means innocent and childlike, while "painstaking" means very careful and thorough. "Chipper" means very cheerful.

"Despondent" means feeling hopeless.

"Morose" means sullen or gloomy. Obdurate and stubborn are synonyms.

Sensational means causing great public excitement, or shocking.

"Merry" is used to describe someone or something that is happy and pleasant. One might write, "His neighbors adored his merry, upbeat attitude."

"Pensive" means thoughtful or reflective. The root wood, "pensare," means to consider.

"Voracious" is an adjective that means wanting or devouring great quantities of something, often food. So, we're looking for an adjective that has to do with food and specifically means extremely hungry. Three of the listed answer choices have to do with food: "edible" means able to be eaten, so it's not a synonym of "voracious." "Delicious" means pleasant to the taste, so it is also not a synonym of "voracious." "Ravenous," which means extremely hungry, is a synonym of "voracious," so it is the best answer choice.

"Placid" is an adjective that means not easily perturbed or excited when referring to a sentient living thing; it can also mean peaceful and calm, and is often used this way to describe bodies of water. While "dull" might seem like a good potential synonym for "placid," "dull" actually means boring or not sharp, so it doesn't mean the same thing that "placid" does. "Tranquil," however, means calm, and because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "placid," it is the correct answer.

You may have seen the word tepid paired with the water in the past and assumed that it meant frigid (cold), stagnant (standing still), or Scalding (extremely hot), but the word actually means lukewarm or unenthusiastic.