SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Analogies

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #241 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Certain is to unsure as pointless is to __________.

Possible Answers:

hopeless 

despondent 

futile 

crucial

insignificant 

Correct answer:

crucial

Explanation:

If you are "certain" of something, you are sure of it, while if you are "unsure" about something, you are not sure or not certain about it. So, "certain" and "unsure" are antonyms of one another, and to solve this analogy, you have to figure out the best antonym, or opposite, of "pointless." Something "pointless" is futilehopeless, or purposeless, so the answer choice that is opposite in meaning to "pointless" is "crucial," which means very important or necessary. To help you, "insignificant" and "futile" are both loose synonyms of "pointless," and "despondent" is a synonym of "hopeless."

Example Question #242 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Native is to foreign as distant is to __________.

Possible Answers:

nearby 

distinct 

separate 

aloof 

attached 

Correct answer:

nearby 

Explanation:

Someone who is "native" to a place was born there; on the other hand, "foreign" means from another country. They are antonyms, or opposites, of one another, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine the best antonym of "distant." "Distant" means far away, so the best antonym is “nearby,” which means close by. To help you, "aloof" means distant; "attached" means connected to something; and "distinct" is a synonym of "separate."

Example Question #243 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Gorgeous is to unattractive as excellent is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fragile 

unusual 

terrible 

perfect 

weird 

Correct answer:

terrible 

Explanation:

"Gorgeous" is an antonym, or opposite, of "unattractive," so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out the best antonym of "excellent." Something that is "excellent" is really great, so the best antonym is “terrible," which means very bad. To help you, "unusual" means weird, and "fragile" means easily broken.

Example Question #244 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Heavy is to light as dangerous is to __________.

Possible Answers:

harmful 

hopeful 

persistent

hopeless 

harmless 

Correct answer:

harmless 

Explanation:

"Heavy" is an antonym, or opposite, of "light," so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that is an antonym, or opposite, or "dangerous." "Harmless" is an opposite of "dangerous," so "harmless" is the correct answer.

Example Question #245 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Satisfied is to dissatisfied as tall is to __________.

Possible Answers:

towering

height

taller

ruler

short

Correct answer:

short

Explanation:

"Satisfied" means happy with something, and "dissatisfied" means unhappy with something, so the two words are antonyms, or opposites. To solve this analogy, you have to find the best antonym of "tall." "Short" is an opposite of "tall," so "short" is the correct answer.

Example Question #246 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Useless is to useful as common is to __________.

Possible Answers:

miserable 

acceptable 

frequent

infrequent 

mediocre

Correct answer:

infrequent 

Explanation:

"Useless" is an opposite of "useful," so the two words are antonyms of one another. So, to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that is an antonym, or opposite, of "common." "Common" can mean occurring often, so the best antonym is “infrequent," which means not often occurring To help you, "mediocre" means average when better quality is expected.

Example Question #247 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Captured is to free as essential is to _________.

Possible Answers:

useful 

perfect 

tired

imperfect 

useless

Correct answer:

useless

Explanation:

"Captured" is an antonym, or opposite, of "free," so to solve this analogy, you need to figure out which of the answer choices is the best available antonym of "essential." Essential means absolutely necessary, so the correct answer is “useless.”

Example Question #248 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Invisible is to visible as costly is to __________.

Possible Answers:

free

sizable

dirty

seen

allowed

Correct answer:

free

Explanation:

"Invisible" means not able to be seen and "visible" means able to be seen, so "invisible" is an antonym, or opposite, of "visible." So, to solve this analogy, you have to find the best available antonym of "costly." "Costly" means costing a lot of moneyexpensive, or damaging, so "free," which can be used to mean costing no money, is the correct answer.

Example Question #249 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Few is to many as __________.

Possible Answers:

temperature is to weather

little is to none

scarce is to ample

surplus is to deficiency

remainder is to solution

Correct answer:

scarce is to ample

Explanation:

Since "few" describes an amount less than "many," we are looking for an answer choice in which the first word is significantly less than the second word. The best answer is "scarce is to ample" because "scarce" means existing in small numbers or amounts, and "ample" means existing in large numbers or amounts.

Example Question #250 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Lost is to found as settled is to __________.

Possible Answers:

foreign 

native 

unsettled

invaded

occupied 

Correct answer:

unsettled

Explanation:

"Lost" is an antonym, or opposite, of "found." So, to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that is an opposite of "settled." "Settled" means established and confident, and "unsettled" means nervous or disrupted, so "unsettled" is an antonym, or opposite, of "settled," and "unsettled" is the correct answer. To further help you, "invaded" means attacked, "foreign" means from another country, "native" means born in a specified country, and "occupied" means busy.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors