SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, and Sensory Imagery

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

GAUNT

Possible Answers:

Portly 

Corpulent

Emaciated 

Fraudulent

Rotund 

Correct answer:

Emaciated 

Explanation:

"Gaunt" means very skinny or skeletal and is most similar in meaning to "emaciated," which means skinny to the point of ill health. So, "emaciated" is the correct answer. "Corpulent," "portly," and "rotund" all mean fat or round and are antonyms of "gaunt" and "emaciated," and "fraudulent" means fake or false.

Example Question #12 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

ROBUST

Possible Answers:

Illiterate

Humorous

Sturdy

Flawed

Fragile

Correct answer:

Sturdy

Explanation:

"Robust" means strong and sturdy, so "sturdy" is the correct answer. "Fragile" is an antonym of "robust" and "sturdy"; it means weak and easily broken. "Flawed" means having defects or problems. "Humorous" means funny or hilarious. "Illiterate" means not knowing how to read or write, as the negative prefix "il-" means not, and "literate" means knowing how to read and write. This makes sense because the root "lit" means having to do with letters; the root appears in other words like "literature" and "alliterate."

Example Question #13 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

GRIMY

Possible Answers:

Immaculate

Energetic

Filthy

Studious

Enormous

Correct answer:

Filthy

Explanation:

"Grimy" means dirty or filthy, so "filthy" is the correct answer. "Immaculate" is an antonym of "grimy" and "filthy"; it means perfectly clean. "Enormous" means very big in size. "Energetic" means lively or having a lot of energy. "Studious" means spending a lot of time on academic work.

Example Question #14 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

TEPID

Possible Answers:

Conclusive 

Stifling 

Lukewarm 

Frigid

Boring 

Correct answer:

Lukewarm 

Explanation:

"Tepid" means of a temperature that is mild, verging on cold. So, it is most similar in meaning to "lukewarm," which means of a moderate temperature, and "lukewarm" is the correct answer. For clarification, "stifling" means very hot, "frigid" means very cold, "boring" means not holding one's attention or interest, and "conclusive" means definitive.

Example Question #15 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

PARCHED

Possible Answers:

Tired

Thirsty

Hungry

Happy

Sad

Correct answer:

Thirsty

Explanation:

Someone who is parched is very thirsty, so "thirsty" is the correct answer. For clarification, "hungry" means needing food, "tired" means lacking energy or needing sleep, "sad" means unhappy and "happy" means glad or cheerful.

Example Question #16 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

NIMBLE

Possible Answers:

Elementary 

Frigid 

Rudimentary

Flexible 

Complex 

Correct answer:

Flexible 

Explanation:

Someone who is "nimble" is highly flexible and agile, so "flexible," which means able to bend, is the correct answer. For clarification, "rudimentary" and "elementary" are synonyms that both mean basic or simple, "complex" is an antonym of "rudimentary" and "elementary" that means complicated, and "frigid" means very cold.

Example Question #17 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

 

PRISTINE

Possible Answers:

Clean

Famous

Intricate

Unyielding

Unconcerned

Correct answer:

Clean

Explanation:

"Pristine" means clean or unused, so "clean" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "pristine": "unyielding" contains the negative prefix "un-," which means not, so you might be able to infer that it means not yielding, or in other words, stiff or inflexible; "famous" means well-known; "intricate" means complex or complicated; and "unconcerned" means not concerned or not interested, which you again might be able to infer from the presence of the prefix "un-."

Example Question #18 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

STIFF

Possible Answers:

Rigid

Boring

Delicious

Flexible

Selfless

Correct answer:

Rigid

Explanation:

"Stiff" means "rigid" or difficult to bend. "Flexible" is an antonym of "rigid"; it means easily changeable or bent. "Delicious" means very tasty. "Boring" means dull or uninteresting. "Selfless" means unselfish or concerned more with others than with oneself.

Example Question #19 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

EMACIATED

Possible Answers:

Very thin 

Very efficient 

Very fat 

Very clever 

Very lazy 

Correct answer:

Very thin 

Explanation:

Someone who is "emaciated" is very thin, to the point of being unhealthy, so "very thin" is the correct answer. "Emaciated" is an antonym of "corpulent," "portly" and "fat."

Example Question #20 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

IMMACULATE

Possible Answers:

Vociferous 

Imperfect 

Spotless 

Zealous 

Frank 

Correct answer:

Spotless 

Explanation:

"Immaculate" means perfectly clean or perfectly behaved, so "spotless," and adjective that also means perfectly clean, is the correct answer. For clarification, "imperfect" means not perfect, as you might guess from the word's use of the negative prefix "im-." It is an antonym of "immaculate." For further clarification, "frank" means honest, "zealous" means passionate, and "vociferous" means vocal or loud.

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