SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Synonyms

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #601 : Synonyms

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

STEALTHY

Possible Answers:

Bold

Daring

Handsome

Swift

Slick

Correct answer:

Swift

Explanation:

The words "stealthy" and "swift" are synonyms describing something that is fast. The other words do not share this meaning. 

Example Question #602 : Synonyms

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

SWIFT

Possible Answers:

Loud

Slow

Sluggish

Booming

Stealthy

Correct answer:

Stealthy

Explanation:

The words "stealthy" and "swift" are synonymous. They both refer to something that is quick. The words "slow" and "sluggish" mean the same thing; they refer to something that is not fast. "Loud" and "booming" are synonymous; they refer to something very loud. Identifying this relationship between the answer choices will help you arrive at the correct answer.

Example Question #603 : Synonyms

A synonym of "solitary" is . . .

Possible Answers:

mean

escorted

friendly

athletic

unaccompanied

Correct answer:

unaccompanied

Explanation:

"Solitary" is an adjective that means "done or existing alone," or when describing a place, "secluded or isolated." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "done alone" or "secluded." "Escorted" may look like a good answer, but "escorted" means "accompanied somewhere, especially for protection or security, or as a mark of rank." Because "escorted" means the opposite of "solitary," it cannot be the correct answer. "Unaccompanied," however, means "having no companion or escort." Because "unaccompanied" is closest in meaning to "solitary," "unaccompanied" is the correct answer.

Example Question #604 : Synonyms

Which is a synonym for the word vast?

The vast prairie was full of flowers and wildlife.

Possible Answers:

None of the other answer choices

finite

small

enormous

tiny

Correct answer:

enormous

Explanation:

Enormous can be substituted in for vast to maintain a similar meaning.  

Example Question #605 : Synonyms

A synonym of "meager" is __________.

Possible Answers:

sufficient

paltry

grand

jumbled

much

Correct answer:

paltry

Explanation:

"Meager" is an adjective that means "lacking in quantity or quality," and used to refer to something provided or available. So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "lacking." While "sufficient" might look like a potentially correct answer, "sufficient" means "enough" or "adequate," "sufficient" is an opposite of "lacking," so it can't be the correct answer. "Paltry," however, is an adjective that means "small or meager" and is used to describe amounts. Since "paltry" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "meager," "paltry" is the correct answer.

Example Question #4 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, Regularity, And Size

A synonym of “uniform” is __________.

Possible Answers:

consistent

demonstrated

potential

varying

gargantuan

Correct answer:

consistent

Explanation:

“Uniform,” when used as an adjective, means “not changing in form or character; remaining the same,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “not changing” or “similar to others.” That means that “varying” cannot be the correct answer, because when used as an adjective, “varying” means “differing in size, amount, degree, or nature from something else of the same general class,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “uniform.” “Consistent,” however, is an adjective that refers to a person, behavior, or process, and means “unchanging over a period of time,” and because “consistent” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “uniform,” “consistent” is the correct answer.

Example Question #606 : Synonyms

Which word could have a similar meaning to the underlined word?

The girl piled a substantial amount of potatoes onto her plate.

Possible Answers:

medium

tiny

small

large

None of the above

Correct answer:

large

Explanation:

"Large" could replace "substantial" to maintain the meaning of the sentence. 

Example Question #1250 : Ssat Elementary Level Verbal

Which word has a similar meaning to the underlined word?

I cannot believe he ate the entire pizza!

Possible Answers:

whole

sausage

portion

part

None of the other answers

Correct answer:

whole

Explanation:

"Whole" and "entire" have the same meaning. 

Example Question #7 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, Regularity, And Size

Synonyms: choose the answer with the meaning closest to the word in question.

Enormous

Possible Answers:

Tiny

Famous

Medium

Smooth

Large

Correct answer:

Large

Explanation:

"Enormous" means extremely large.

Example Question #8 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, Regularity, And Size

Synonyms: choose the answer with the meaning closest to the word in question.

Several

Possible Answers:

None

One

A few

Too much

Couple

Correct answer:

A few

Explanation:

"Several" means a number of, but more than a couple.

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