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

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

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

EMACIATED

Possible Answers:

Sad

Fibrous 

Sensitive

Gaunt 

Destroyed

Correct answer:

Gaunt 

Explanation:

If someone or something is “emaciated” they are very thin and bony. For example, one could write, "After the famine, the farm animals were “emaciated.” “Gaunt” means thin and bony and usually pale. If you say, "His face looked gaunt," you mean it was thin, pale, and bony. To further help you ,“fibrous” means stringy or made of fibres, so chewy meat is “fibrous.” “Sensitive” means easily offended or sympathetic to other people’s feelings

Example Question #22 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

STRIDENT

Possible Answers:

Extended

Dull

Piercing

Faint

Audible

Correct answer:

Piercing

Explanation:

“Strident” is an adjective that is often used to mean harsh and loud. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like loud. That means that “faint” cannot be the correct answer, because “faint” is an adjective that means indistinct or almost imperceptible, making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “strident.” “Audible” cannot be the correct answer either, because while a strident noise is audible (perceptible as sounds via listening), “audible” does not mean the same thing as “strident.” “Piercing,” however, is an adjective that can mean shrill and loud, and because “piercing” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “strident,” “piercing” is the correct answer.

Example Question #23 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

LITHE

Possible Answers:

Forbidden

Graceful

Bright

Heavy

Clumsy

Correct answer:

Graceful

Explanation:

"Lithe" means graceful and limber, like a ballerina, so "graceful" is the correct answer.

Example Question #24 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

DISCRETE

Possible Answers:

Muddled

Individual

Combined

Inopportune

Worrisome

Correct answer:

Individual

Explanation:

“Discrete” is an adjective that means separate, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like distinct. That means that “combined” cannot be the correct answer, because “combined” is an adjective that means merged, making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “discrete.” “Individual,” however, when used as an adjective, means separate, and because “individual” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “discrete,” “individual” is the correct answer.

Example Question #25 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

RANCID

Possible Answers:

Fast

Rotten

Sane

Gross

Ugly

Correct answer:

Rotten

Explanation:

"Rancid" most nearly means rotten, as in "The food that had been left out on the counter top was rancid when the Smiths returned from their two-week vacation."

Example Question #26 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

FRANGIBLE

Possible Answers:

Gross

Fuzzy

Breakable

Shatterproof

Prickly

Correct answer:

Breakable

Explanation:

“Frangible” is an adjective that means “fragile; brittle,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “fragile.” That means that “shatterproof” cannot be the correct answer, because “shatterproof” means “made so that it does not break easily and will not form sharp, dangerous pieces if it does break,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “frangible.” “Breakable,” however, is an adjective that means “capable of breaking or being broken easily,” and because “breakable” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “frangible,” “breakable” is the correct answer.

Example Question #27 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

Select the word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters

COMELY

Possible Answers:

Ugly 

boisterous

Perfect 

Cute 

Imperfect 

Correct answer:

Cute 

Explanation:

"Comely" is an adjective that means very cute or attractive, so "cute" is the correct answer. For clarification, "ugly" means aesthetically unpleasant, "imperfect" means having flaws or not perfect, "perfect" means having no flaws or errors, and "boisterous" means loud or unruly.

Example Question #28 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

SALIENT

Possible Answers:

Conspicuous

Postponed

Qualified

Constituent

Subtle

Correct answer:

Conspicuous

Explanation:

"Salient" is an adjective that means "most noticeable or important," so we need to pick out a word that means something like "most noticeable." While "constituent" and "conspicuous" might sound quite similar, "constituent" means "being a part of the whole," while "conspicuous" means "standing out so as to be clearly visible" or "attracting notice or attention." Since "conspicuous" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "salient," "conspicuous" is the correct answer.

Example Question #29 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

BURLY

Possible Answers:

Comely 

Stocky 

Lanky 

Portly 

Tall

Correct answer:

Stocky 

Explanation:

Someone who is "burly" is stocky and well-built, so "stocky," a word that means strappingheavyset, or brawny, is the correct answer. For clarification, "lanky" describes someone who is tall and skinny, portly means stout or fat, and comely means cute or attractive.

Example Question #30 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

INTACT

Possible Answers:

Broken

Complete

Social

Accurate

Spoiled

Correct answer:

Complete

Explanation:

"Intact" means complete. "Broken" is an antonym of "intact" and means smashed or shattered. "Spoiled" means coddled. "Social" can mean having to do with society. "Accurate" means correct or precise.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors