SSAT Upper Level Verbal : SSAT Upper Level Verbal

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #83 : Identifying Synonyms

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

ORDURE

Possible Answers:

Larceny

Domicile

Lechery

Sewage

Quirk

Correct answer:

Sewage

Explanation:

"Ordure" is filth or "sewage." "Larceny" is another term for theft, and "lechery" is another term for lust. A "domicile" is an abode or a home. A "quirk" is an idiosyncrasy or eccentric trait.

Example Question #84 : Identifying Synonyms

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

ARIDITY

Possible Answers:

Fertility

Harangue

Invective

Timber

Dryness

Correct answer:

Dryness

Explanation:

"Aridity" is a synonym for extreme "dryness." A "harangue" is a rant or a diatribe. "Timber" is lumber, wood for building. "Invective" is a tirade or verbal abuse. Another word for "fertility" is fecundity.

Example Question #85 : Identifying Synonyms

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

ARDOR

Possible Answers:

Navigation

Horror

Passion

Skill

Melancholy

Correct answer:

Passion

Explanation:

"Ardor" is "passion" or fervor. Another word for "skill" is adroitness, and another word for "melancholy" is sorrow. "Navigation" is the process of following or mapping a route. "Horror" is a synonym for "terror."

Example Question #86 : Identifying Synonyms

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

ACOLYTE

Possible Answers:

Mentor

Mediator

Assistant

Superior

Helper

Correct answer:

Assistant

Explanation:

An "acolyte" is an assistant (particularly for a religious occasion). Additionally, a "mentor" is someone with experience who helps guide someone else who has less experience; a "mediator" is someone who acts as a peacemaker between two disputing parties.

Example Question #87 : Identifying Synonyms

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

SOVEREIGN

Possible Answers:

Charlatan

Surgeon

Quack

Monarch

Professor

Correct answer:

Monarch

Explanation:

The noun "sovereign" means person who rules, person who has power in a particular government. This is closest in meaning to "monarch" which means king or queen. Additionally, "quack" and "charlatan" are synonyms - both words mean person who claims to know what they are doing but is in fact a phony.

Example Question #89 : Identifying Synonyms

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

IMPRESARIO

Possible Answers:

Mountebank

Producer

Surrogate

Physician

Magician

Correct answer:

Producer

Explanation:

An "impresario" is a person who produced or managed theatrical performances. This is not the same thing as a "magician" or a mountebank (trickster). A "physician" is a doctor, and a "surrogate" is a stand-in, a substitute.

Example Question #132 : Synonyms

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

AMANUESIS

Possible Answers:

Assistant

Ignoramus

Fugitive

Philanderer

Gourmand

Correct answer:

Assistant

Explanation:

An "amanuensis" is an "assistant," specifically one for musical or artistic endeavors. A "fugitive" is an outlaw, while a "philanderer" is an adulterer or lothario. A "gourmand" is a glutton, someone who eats too much. An "ignoramus" is another word for an ignorant person or a dunce.

Example Question #133 : Synonyms

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

APOTHECARY

Possible Answers:

Bumpkin

Charlatan

Pharmacist

Outlaw

Mercenary

Correct answer:

Pharmacist

Explanation:

An "apothecary" is an old-fashioned "pharmacist" or herbalist. A "charlatan" is a trickster or a hack, and a "bumpkin" is a crude, rustic person. A "mercenary" is a soldier-for-hire, a brigand. An "outlaw" is someone on the run from the law, a fugitive.

Example Question #134 : Synonyms

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

MENDICANT

Possible Answers:

Nomad

Hustler

Pugilist

Debtor

Beggar

Correct answer:

Beggar

Explanation:

The noun "mendicant" means beggar, person who lives on the street and begs for money. Additionally, a "pugilist" is a fighter, a boxer; a "nomad" is someone who wanders from place to place, without a permanent home; a "debtor" is someone who owes money; a "hustler" is someone who tricks people out of money.

Example Question #881 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

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

CHARLATAN

Possible Answers:

Quack

Curate

Pariah

Cleric

Wraith

Correct answer:

Quack

Explanation:

A "charlatan" is a "quack," a swindler. A "pariah" is an outcast, and a "cleric" is a religious leader. Similarly, a "curate" is a clergyman. A "wraith" is a ghost, a phantom.

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