SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #322 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Undulating is to wavy as fatigued is to ___________.

Possible Answers:

breakfast

tired

awake

night

starved

Correct answer:

tired

Explanation:

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 __________.

Possible Answers:

optimistic

pessimistic

fantastic

unrealistic

realistic

Correct answer:

optimistic

Explanation:

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 ___________.

Possible Answers:

reticent

griddle

numb

feeling

fabulous

Correct answer:

feeling

Explanation:

“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 __________.

Possible Answers:

beef

taste

friend

wall

deaf

Correct answer:

taste

Explanation:

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 __________

Possible Answers:

outlandish

comely 

corpulent 

extravagant 

whimsical 

Correct answer:

whimsical 

Explanation:

“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 __________.

Possible Answers:

soliloquy

reliquary

conversation

denizen

bastion

Correct answer:

soliloquy

Explanation:

“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 __________.

Possible Answers:

deliberate is to accidental

lucky is to unfortunate

ship is to ocean

complicate is to intricate

obscure is to indeterminate

Correct answer:

obscure is to indeterminate

Explanation:

“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 indefiniteso 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 __________.

Possible Answers:

refined

aloof

fidgety

tame

negligent

Correct answer:

refined

Explanation:

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 __________.

Possible Answers:

metal is to chain

run is to dash

sight is to color

radio is to music

cow is to milk

Correct answer:

run is to dash

Explanation:

"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 __________.

Possible Answers:

mourn 

minimize

embrace 

celebrate 

reject 

Correct answer:

mourn 

Explanation:

"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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