All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #601 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Comedy is to humorous as tragedy is to _________.
gloomy
romantic
dramatic
entertaining
horrifying
gloomy
A quality of a comedy is to be humorous, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is a quality commonly associated with a tragedy. A tragedy is sad, so the correct answer is “gloomy," which means sad and disspirited.
Example Question #602 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy
Ungainly is to balance as lethargic is to __________.
energy
money
friends
time
happiness
energy
"Ungainly" means clumsy, so someone who is ungainly lacks balance. To solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices is lacking in someone who is lethargic. "Lethargic" means lazy or very tired, so the correct answer is “energy.”
Example Question #603 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Food is to starving as water is to __________.
eat
drink
liquid
thirsty
compound
thirsty
When you are "starving" you eat food, when you are “thirsty” you drink water.
Example Question #604 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Dehydration is to water as scurvy is to __________.
Money
Oxygen
Paper
Love
Fruit
Fruit
"Dehydration" is a condition wherein someone or something chronically requires water. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine what someone suffering from "scurvy" requires. "Scurvy" is a disease commonly experienced by sailors in years gone by, where the affected person becomes unhealthy due to a lack of fruit and vitamins. So, "fruit" is the correct answer.
Example Question #605 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Lethargic is to sleep as emaciated is to __________.
Exercise
Air
Water
Food
Tired
Food
"Lethargic" means tired and in need of sleep, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine what it is that someone who is "emaciated" needs. Someone who is "emaciated" would be very thin and unhealthy, so he or she would require “food.”
Example Question #606 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Ice is to frozen as water is to __________.
snow
rain
perspire
drink
melted
melted
"Ice" is water molecules in their frozen state, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what state of matter water molecules are in when we refer to them simply as water. The correct answer is “melted.” For clarification, "perspire" means to sweat.
Example Question #607 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Guile is to sly as gumption is to ___________.
adamant
capricious
confident
intelligent
sagacious
confident
Someone who has "guile" is "sly," so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is a characteristic possessed by someone who has "gumption." If you have "gumption," you possess boldness and confidence, so "confident" is the correct answer. For clarification, "guile" means cunning or sneakiness, "adamant" means insistent or persistent, "capricious" means hard to predict, and "sagacious" means wise.
Example Question #608 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
Winter is to frigid as summer is to __________.
cold
whet
stifling
frosty
glacial
stifling
"Frigid" means very cold and describes temperatures common during "winter." To solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices describes temperatures common during summer. The correct answer is “stifling,” which means hot and restrictive. For clarification, "whet" means sharpen or stimulate, and "glacial," "frosty," and "cold" are all synonyms of "frigid" and antonyms of "stifling."
Example Question #609 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Fearless is to dread as guileless is to __________.
temerity
fortitude
happiness
eloquence
cunning
cunning
“Dread” means fear, and the suffix "-less" means without or not having, so someone who is “fearless” is brave and does not dread anything. To solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is a characteristic least likely to be found in someone who is “guileless.” “Guile” means cunning, so someone who is “guileless” has no cunning, and "cunning" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: “eloquence” is the ability to speak clearly and intelligently; “temerity” is nerve or audacity; and “fortitude” means strength or perseverance.
Example Question #610 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Color is to colorblind as melody is to __________.
musical
limping
silent
tone-deaf
agile
tone-deaf
Someone who is colorblind cannot perceive color, so we need to pick out an answer that describes someone who cannot perceive “melody,” which means either a simple piece of music formed out of a series of notes. “Tone-deaf” is an adjective that is used of a person and means unable to differentiate different musical pitches, so, just as someone who cannot perceive color is colorblind, someone who cannot perceive melody is tone-deaf, making “tone-deaf” the correct answer.
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