All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #322 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Undulating is to wavy as fatigued is to ___________.
breakfast
tired
awake
night
starved
tired
If something is “undulating,” it is wavy. If someone is “fatigued,” they are tired. To clarify, “starved” means very hungry.
Example Question #323 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Stoic is to unemotional as sanguine is to __________.
optimistic
pessimistic
fantastic
unrealistic
realistic
optimistic
If you are “stoic,” you are a person who accepts what happens without complaining or showing emotion. It is similar in meaning to “unemotional.” “Sanguine” means confident and hopeful, which is similar in meaning to "optimistic." “Pessimistic” is the opposite of “optimistic.”
Example Question #324 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Grieve is to mourn as sensation is to ___________.
reticent
griddle
numb
feeling
fabulous
feeling
“Grieve” and “mourn” are synonyms, since they both mean to express sadness. Similarly, “sensation” and "feeling" are synonyms. To clarify the other terms, a “griddle” is a flat cooking surface; “fabulous” means very good or amazing; “numb” means unfeeling; “reticent” means reserved or untalkative.
Example Question #325 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Draconian is to severe as preference is to __________.
beef
taste
friend
wall
deaf
taste
If a leader is “draconian,” his laws and rules are “severe.” The meanings of the words are the same, so they are synonyms. Your “preference” can be described as your "taste" in something, so we can also say that "preference" and "taste" are synonyms.
Example Question #326 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Enhance is to augment as fanciful is to __________.
outlandish
comely
corpulent
extravagant
whimsical
whimsical
“Enhance” and “augment” are synonyms of one another, both words mean to add to something to make it better. To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices is the best available synonym for “fanciful.” “Fanciful” means pretend, elaborate and imagined, fantastic, as such it is closest in meaning to “whimsical” which means quirky, silly and seemingly unreal. To provide further help, “outlandish” means bizarre or weird; “extravagant” means fancy or luxurious; “comely” means cute and “corpulent” means fat.
Example Question #327 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Conglomerate is to accumulate as monologue is to __________.
soliloquy
reliquary
conversation
denizen
bastion
soliloquy
“Conglomerate” means to gather into a mass or coherent whole,which is very similar to the meaning of “accumulate.” A “monologue” is a long speech given by a character in a story, movie, or play. The most similar word to “monologue” is “soliloquy,” which is a speech made by a character to themselves or the audience in a play to reveal their thoughts. You could for instance call a villain telling their plan to a hero, without the hero talking, a “soliloquy.” To help you with the other terms: “reliquary” is a container that is used to hold holy objects; “bastion” is a fortified area or position; and “denizen” is a person, animal, or plant that lives in or often is found in a particular place or region, so a fish is a “denizen” of the ocean.
Example Question #328 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Nautical is to maritime as __________.
deliberate is to accidental
lucky is to unfortunate
ship is to ocean
complicate is to intricate
obscure is to indeterminate
obscure is to indeterminate
“Nautical” is an adjective that means having to do with sailors and sailing, and “maritime” is an adjective that can mean having to do with the sea or seafaring or located near the sea. So, “nautical” and “maritime” are synonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice that also consists of a pair of synonyms. “Lucky is to unfortunate” and “deliberate is to accidental” are both pairs of antonyms, not synonyms, so neither can be the correct answer. “Complicate is to intricate” might look like a potentially correct answer, but “complicate” is a verb, not an adjective. So, while one might complicate something to make it intricate, “complicate” is not a synonym of “intricate.” “Obscure” is an adjective that means cryptic, uncertain, or unclear, and “indeterminate” is an adjective that means undetermined or indefinite, so just as “nautical” and “maritime” are synonyms, so are “obscure” and “indeterminate” synonyms, making “obscure is to indeterminate” the correct answer.
Example Question #328 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Bilk is to defraud as genteel is to __________.
refined
aloof
fidgety
tame
negligent
refined
Since "bilk" is a word that means "defraud," we need to pick out a word that means the same thing as "genteel." While "tame" may look like a good answer because "genteel" sounds like "gentle" and "gentle" is similar in meaning to "tame," "genteel" does not mean the same thing as "gentle," so "tame" cannot be the correct answer. Because "genteel" means refined, often in an affected manner, "refined" is closest in meaning to "genteel," so "refined" is the correct answer.
Example Question #329 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Fetter is to restrain as __________.
metal is to chain
run is to dash
sight is to color
radio is to music
cow is to milk
run is to dash
"Fetter" is a word that as a verb means bind and as a noun means shackles used on the the feet or more broadly, a restraint. Since "fetter" as a verb means the same thing as "restrain," we need to pick out an answer that consists of a pair of synonyms. While "link is to chain" may look like a good option because "fetter" as a noun means shackles used on the feet and could involve chains, "metal" and "chain" are not synonyms, so "metal is to chain" cannot be the correct answer. "Run" and "dash" are synonyms, however, so the correct answer is "run is to dash."
Example Question #331 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Connive is to plot as lament is to __________.
mourn
minimize
embrace
celebrate
reject
mourn
"Connive" means come up with a scheme or plot, so to solve this analogy, you have to identify the best synonym of "lament." "Lament" means express sadness and grief and is most similar in meaning to “mourn.” So, "mourn" is the correct answer. For clarification, "embrace" means hug or accept and is an antonym of "reject," which means refuse to accept. "Celebrate" means commemorate a happy event and is an antonym of "lament" and "mourn." "Minimize" means make smaller.
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