All ISEE Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #915 : Synonyms
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
INTRICATE
Intimate
Mysterious
Complex
Misleading
Sneaky
Complex
"Intricate" means complicated or complex, so "complex" is the correct answer.
Example Question #553 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FLORID
Ornate
Fortunate
Passionate
Avoidable
Verdant
Ornate
"Florid" is an adjective that either means reddish or more complicated than is necessary, so "ornate" is the correct answer. "Verdant" (lush and green) may look like a potentially correct answer because "florid" does derive from the Latin for "flower"; however, the modern meaning of "florid" does not have to do with flowers, so "verdant" is not the correct answer.
Example Question #554 : Identifying Synonyms
Synonyms: Select the word or phrase that best matches the word in capital letters.
COLOSSAL
Immense
Miniscule
Serendipitous
Tiny
Circumstantial
Immense
"Colossal" means very big, so the correct answer is “immense,” which means huge or severe. To further help you, "miniscule" is a synonym of tiny and is the origin of the word “mini;” "serendipitous" means unexpected good fortune; "circumstantial" means incidental or owed to specific circumstances.
Example Question #555 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
MINUSCULE
Predictable
Nimble
Tiny
Corrupt
Vast
Tiny
"Minuscule" means very small, so "tiny" is the best match. "Vast" usually refers to areas of land or bodies of water and means very wide, so it is an antonym, or opposite, of "minuscule."
Example Question #556 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
DORMANT
Deplorable
Energetic
Asleep
Exhausted
Domesticated
Asleep
“Dormant” means asleep or in a period of inactivity, so "quiescent" is the correct answer, as "quiescent" means dormant or inactive. As for the other answer choices, “energetic” means full of energy; “domestic” means having to do with the home or tamed and not wild; “deplorable” means heinous and inexcusable; and “exhausted” means very tired or used up.
Example Question #557 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ANCILLARY
Angular
Complementary
Supplementary
Docile
Toxic
Supplementary
“Ancillary” means not necessary but supporting or helping the main part of something. This is identical in meaning to the word “supplementary.” As for the other answer choices, “complementary” means working well with something or provided for free; “toxic” means poisonous; “docile” means quiet and easily controlled; and "angular" means containing many angles instead of curves.
Example Question #558 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
APT
Jarring
Explicable
Dull
Applicable
Appropriate
Appropriate
“Apt” means appropriate, right, and correct for a given situation, so "appropriate" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “applicable” means able to be applied or related to a situation or circumstance; “explicable” means able to be explained; "jarring" means sudden and shocking or rattling and jolting; and "dull" means blunt and not sharp or boring.
Example Question #561 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
AMBIGUOUS
Imprecise
Able
Argumentative
Mammalian
Dexterous
Imprecise
When something is ambiguous, it is not distinct. For example, someone might shrug his or her shoulders. This action may indicate either not caring or meaning that the person is okay with what was said (or perhaps something entirely different). Such a gesture is thus said to be "ambiguous," for its meaning can go many different ways. (The word comes from roots that mean driving or going both ways at once. You might know the ambi- prefix, which means both. It is related to the word ambidextrous, which means using both hands ably.) Thus, the best option among those provided is imprecise. When something is "precise," it is exact. The "im-" prefix here is what is called a "privitive prefix." It is a prefix that means not. Therefore, "imprecise" means not precise—quite like being ambiguous!
Example Question #562 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
COVERT
Undercover
Attitude
Denied
Blanket
Visible
Undercover
"Covert" means hidden or undercover. Spies often go on covert operations which means that it is a secret operation. "Visible" means able to be seen. "Blanket" is a concrete noun referring to a cloth object used as a cover for warmth. "
Example Question #563 : Identifying Synonyms
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INTENTIONAL
Ambiguous
Deliberate
Blurry
Indeterminate
Relatable
Deliberate
Look at your answer choices--how would you categorize the words? "Indeterminate," "ambiguous," and "blurry" all refer to something that is not easily known, understood, or perceived. "Relatable" means that you can easily relate to or connect with that that person or thing. "Deliberate" means that there is a clear intention to the action described; in other words, it is "intentional."
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