All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
Synonyms: Which word could have similar meaning to the one that is underlined in the sentence?
The ancient Spartans were known for their severe and laconic ways.
simple
easy
kind
talkative
concise
concise
"Laconic" means concise and to the point, using few words.
Example Question #2 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
Synonyms: Select the word which is most similar to the word in capital letters.
NAÏVE
Easily earned
Easily fooled
Easily beaten
Easily learned
Easily controlled
Easily fooled
“Naïve” means innocent, easily tricked and fooled by other people.
Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
A synonym of "wily" is . . .
talkative
sly
sneak
oblivious
snarky
sly
"Wily" is an adjective that means "skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully," so we need to pick out another word that means something like "sneaky." While "sneak" is a potential answer choice, it is a verb, so it can't be the correct answer, because we are looking for an adjective. While "snarky" may also look like a potentially correct answer, "snarky" means "sharply critical; cutting; snide." Since it doesn't mean the same thing as "wily," it can't be the correct answer either. "Sly," however, is an adjective that means "having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature," and because it is closest in meaning to "wily," "sly" is the correct answer.
Example Question #4 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
A synonym of "amiable" is . . .
intellectual
essential
cordial
mean
frugal
cordial
"Amiable" is an adjective that means "having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner," so we need to pick out a word that means something like "friendly." Since "cordial" means "warm and friendly," "cordial" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "amiable," and the correct answer.
Example Question #5 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
A synonym of “enchanting” is __________.
exact
large
scholarly
delightful
boring
delightful
“Enchanting,” when used as an adjective, means “delightfully charming or attractive,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “charming.” That means that “boring” cannot be the correct answer, because “boring” means “not interesting,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “enchanting.” “Delightful,” however, is an adjective that means “causing delight; charming,” and because “delightful” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “enchanting,” “delightful” is the correct answer.
Example Question #6 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
A synonym of “squeamish” is __________.
hard to gross out
often misled
part of
hard to mislead
easily nauseated
easily nauseated
“Squeamish” is an adjective that when being used to describe a person, can mean “easily made to feel sick, faint, or disgusted; having strong moral views.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “easily made to feel sick” or “having strong moral views.” That means that “hard to gross out” cannot be the correct answer, because “hard to gross out” means the opposite of “squeamish.” “Nauseated,” however, is an adjective that means “sickened; affected with nausea,” and because “easily nauseated, is the answer choice closest in meaning to “squeamish,” “easily nauseated” is the correct answer.
Example Question #7 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
A synonym of “stubborn” is . . .
persuasive
obedient
imaginative
dreary
difficult
difficult
“Stubborn” is an adjective that can mean “having or showing dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “determined not to change one’s attitude or position on something.” That means that “obedient” cannot be the correct answer, because “obedient” means “complying or willing to comply with orders or requests; submissive to another’s will,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “stubborn.” “Difficult,” however, is an adjective that means “not willing to help others by changing your behavior : stubborn or unreasonable,” and because “difficult” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “stubborn,” “difficult” is the correct answer.
Example Question #8 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
Which word has a similar meaning to the underlined word?
She is so smart that she gets straight A's.
None of the other answers
stupid
intelligent
boring
dumb
intelligent
"Smart" and "intelligent" both share similar meanings.
Example Question #9 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
Loyal
Disloyal
Faithful
Weak
Annual
Large
Faithful
Loyal means faithful.
Example Question #10 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Personality Traits
Sloppy
Messy
Clean
Polite
Cloudy
Deep
Messy
Sloppy means messy.
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