SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Identifying Synonyms

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #291 : Identifying Synonyms

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

NIMBLE

Possible Answers:

Flexible 

Elementary 

Frigid 

Complex 

Rudimentary

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 #292 : Identifying Synonyms

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 #293 : Identifying Synonyms

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

STIFF

Possible Answers:

Selfless

Delicious

Rigid

Boring

Flexible

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 #294 : Identifying Synonyms

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

EMACIATED

Possible Answers:

Very efficient 

Very thin 

Very clever 

Very lazy 

Very fat 

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 #295 : Identifying Synonyms

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

IMMACULATE

Possible Answers:

Frank 

Spotless 

Zealous 

Vociferous 

Imperfect 

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.

Example Question #296 : Identifying Synonyms

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

EMACIATED

Possible Answers:

Sad

Fibrous 

Destroyed

Gaunt 

Sensitive

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 #297 : Identifying Synonyms

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

STRIDENT

Possible Answers:

Dull

Piercing

Faint

Audible

Extended

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 #298 : Identifying Synonyms

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

LITHE

Possible Answers:

Clumsy

Graceful

Forbidden

Heavy

Bright

Correct answer:

Graceful

Explanation:

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

Example Question #299 : Identifying Synonyms

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 #300 : Identifying Synonyms

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

RANCID

Possible Answers:

Rotten

Ugly

Gross

Sane

Fast

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."

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