All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #61 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Unsystematic is to orderly as fruitful is to __________.
domesticated
fecund
cogent
feral
abortive
abortive
To begin with "unsystematic" and "orderly" are antonyms, so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices has the opposite meaning to "fruitful." "Fruitful" means productive, prolific, producing many things. So, the best available antonym is "abortive" which means not productive, not successful. Additionally, "cogent" means (of an argument) convincing and reasonable; "feral" means wild, untamed; "domesticated" means tamed, not wild, made into a pet; "fecund" means fertile, abundant, producing a lot of life.
Example Question #312 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Incisive is to vague as __________ is to composed.
alluring
outlandish
irascible
obfuscating
pretentious
irascible
To begin with "vague" means hazy and unclear due to a lack of detail or analysis. And "incisive" means keen, astute, sharp-witted, able to penetrate to the most important point due to the right amount of detail and analysis. These two words are antonyms, so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices is the best available antonym for "composed" which means calm and under control in a potentially stressful situation. The correct answer is therefore "irascible" which means hot-tempered, quick to anger, neither calm nor composed, petulant, crabby. Additionally, "pretentious" means disingenuous and self-important; "alluring" means tempting, attractive; "obfuscating" means obscuring, confusing, designed to conceal the truth through confusion; "outlandish" means bizarre, weird, excessively eccentric and showy, idiosyncratic.
Example Question #62 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Bind is to separating as ________________.
stir is to melting
banish is to returning
engulf is to covering
surge is to failing
reject is to seeming
banish is to returning
To "bind" is to tie together. If you "bind" something, you do so to keep it from separating.
Do you "banish" something (or someone) to keep it from returning? Yes. To "banish" is to send something away or to force someone to leave a country.
If something "surges," is it to keep it from failing? No. And there really isn’t much of a connection. (You could say that if there is a power surge, your electrical items might fail to function, but that’s a long-shot and not the same connection as that of bind and separating.
If you "engulf" something, do you do it to keep it from covering? No. To "engulf" means to cover completely, as in “The house was engulfed in flames in a matter of moments.”
Do you stir something to keep it from melting? Probably not. You might stir something that is melting to keep it from burning or sticking.
Example Question #314 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Garrulous is to taciturn as ______________.
excessive is to verbose
previous is to prior
impervious is to penetrable
average is to standard
spontaneous is to whim
impervious is to penetrable
"Garrulous" means very talkative, while "taciturn" means saying few words. So these are antonyms (opposites).
Is impervious the opposite of penetrable? Yes. "Impervious" means not allowing entrance or passage, like a castle that is impervious to attack. "Penetrable" means allowing things to pass through or penetrate. So "impervious is to penetrable" is the answer.
Is "excessive" the opposite of "verbose"? No. There is a connection: "verbose" means using an excessive number of words to say what could be said in a simpler manner. But they aren’t antonyms.
Are "previous" and "prior" antonyms? No, they’re synonyms, both meaning happening at an earlier time.
Are "spontaneous" and "whim" antonyms? No. "Spontaneous" means occurring without previous thought or planning. ("Our last minute trip to the beach was a spontaneous decision.") A "whim" is a sudden desire or change of mind. (I planned to go shopping, but I had a whim to go to the beach so I changed my plans at the last minute.) "Spontaneous" and "whim" have a connection, but it isn’t that they’re opposites.
"Average" and "standard" are close in meaning, not opposites.
Example Question #215 : Synonyms, Antonyms, And Changes In Intensity
Complete this analogy.
Habitable is to __________ as opaque is to transparent.
tertiary
drastic
inhospitable
menacing
fragrant
inhospitable
"Opaque" means not transparent, not clear, and not allowing light to pass through. "Transparent" means see-through, or in other words, allowing light to pass through. These two words are therefore antonyms, and to solve this analogy, you need to determine which of these words has a meaning opposite that of "habitable." "Habitable" means able to be lived in or able to be inhabited. One might refer to undeveloped land that someone is considering building a house on as being habitable. Which of the answer choices has a meaning that is most clearly the opposite of this one? The correct answer is "inhospitable." You can figure out what this term means by considering its prefix, "in-," which means not. "In-hospitable" means not hospitable, or not welcoming and not able to be inhabited. You might refer to rugged terrain that offers little food, water, or shelter as being "inhospitable." Note that since "habitable" and "hospitable" are close in meaning, the "in-" in "inhospitable" is very helpful in identifying the term as an antonym of "habitable."
Additionally, "menacing" means threatening or suggesting danger; "fragrant" means having a scent that people find pleasant; "drastic" means extreme; and "tertiary" means coming third in a list of something, occurring third.
Example Question #63 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Forthright is to evasive as __________ is to ebullient.
excited
lugubrious
merry
jaunty
buoyant
lugubrious
"Forthright" means honest, open, and willing to discuss something truthfully and openly. "Evasive" means dishonest or not willing to discuss something openly and instead trying to avoid talking about that issue. These two words are therefore antonyms, so to solve this analogy, you need to determine which of the answer choices has a meaning opposite that of "ebullient." "Ebullient" means enthusiastic, excited, cheerful, and bubbly. So, the correct answer is "lugubrious," which means mournful, gloomy, and sorrowful. Additionally, all the other answer choices are loose synonyms of "ebullient."
Example Question #64 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Cognizant is to __________ as irritable is to carefree.
oblivious
unstoppable
salient
wanton
kooky
oblivious
"Irritable" means easily annoyed, easily angered and "carefree" means having few concerns, feeling happy and not easily angered. These two words are therefore antonyms, so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words is an antonym of "cognizant." Well, "cognizant" means aware of, having knowledge of. The correct answer is therefore "oblivious," which means not aware of, not having knowledge of. Additionally, "salient" means relevant, of greater significance; "kooky" means wacky, crazy, zany, quirky; "wanton" means reckless and randomly destructive; "unstoppable" means not capable of being stopped, relentless.
Example Question #65 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Heyday is to nadir as abundance is to __________.
libation
lethargy
paucity
commode
repose
paucity
"Heyday" means a period of an individual's life when they were most successful or prosperous, a high point of a person's life. "Nadir" means low point. So, these two words are antonyms. Which of these answer choices has the opposite meaning to "abundance?" Well, "abundance" means having a plentiful supply of, having more than enough of something. So, the correct answer is "paucity," which means being in scarce supply, having too little of something. Additionally, "lethargy" is a lack of energy and enthusiasm; a "commode" is a room, particularly a bathroom; "repose" means rest, lying down; a "libation" is a religious offering, a liquid offering.
Example Question #66 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Consecrate is to desecrate as demonize is to ________________.
netherworld
solidify
deify
penitentiary
vilify
deify
"Consecrate" means make holy, make sacred and "desecrate" means to take something holy and make it no longer, to destroy or besmirch something holy. So, these two words are antonyms, which of these words has the opposite meaning to "demonize." Well, "demonize" means "vilify," to make someone out as a villain, to portray someone or something as evil. The best available antonym is therefore "deify," which means to make someone out as holy, to praise someone to the extent of making them seem like a God. Additionally, "solidify" means harden, become or make solid; "netherworld" means hell; "penitentiary" means prison, particularly a prison for felons who have committed serious crimes.
Example Question #67 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Superficial is to methodical as _________________ is to depressed.
funereal
collision
frivolous
pugilist
jovial
jovial
"Superficial" means not having much depth, focused only on surface issues, not "methodical." "Methodical" means done in such a manner as to be considered deep and complete, orderly and systematic. These two words are therefore antonyms. To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an antonym of "depressed." The correct answer is "jovial," which means cheerful. Additionally, "collision" means accident, a moment when a crash or impact occurs; "pugilist" means fighter, boxer; "funereal" means having the somber and serious atmosphere of a funeral; "frivolous" means pointless, having little value or purpose.
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