Synonyms: Using Prefixes to Identify Synonyms - ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning

In the word "enrage," the prefix "en-" means into and is derived from French. So, the word “enrage” means make angry. The answer choice closest in meaning to "enrage" is “infuriate.” Notice how the word “enrage” has the root _"_rage" in it and the word “infuriate” has the root "fury" in it; "rage" and "fury" both mean intense anger. To provide further help, “toss” means throw when used as a verb or a throw when used as a noun; “equate” means compare to as being equal; “jest” means joke when used as a noun or as a verb; and “remedy” means fix or make better when used as a verb, and something that fixes a problem when used as a noun.

“Lawful” means allowed or within the law so “unlawful” must mean not allowed or not within the law. “Illegal” is the closest synonym. To provide further help, “despite” means regardless of something; a “famine” is a massive scarcity of food; “malevolent” means bad-natured and “benevolent” means good-natured.

The word "preamble" is composed of two parts. The prefix "pre-" means before—as you likely know from words like "precede" and, of course, "prefix." The "-amble" portion is a bit rarer. It comes from the Latin for to walk and is found in words like "amble" and "ambulatory." (The latter means able to walk.) The "preamble" of a document is the beginning portion—the part that "walks before" the rest of the document. It is the "introduction" to the document. It does not necessarily outline or explain the document, though it can. Primarily, what it means to be a "preamble" is to be an introduction or a beginning to a text.

Even if you have never seen the word "polychromatic," you can find the correct answer by breaking the word into parts. Notice the prefix, "poly-," that precedes "chromatic." "Poly-" is a Greek prefix that means "many." Have you ever heard of a "polygon," or a closed shape formed of many line segments? Or the lesser-known term "polyglot," referring to a speaker of many languages? It can also help to know that "chromatic" refers to color or hue. As for the incorrect answers, "rare" means unusual, "livid" means furiously angry, and "malevolent" describes someone who has evil or cruel intentions. Lastly, a "porous" object is one with many holes.

Though you may not be familiar with this word, you've almost certainly seen the prefix "in-" many times. Just think of the words "incapable" (not capable), "insufficient" (not sufficient), or even "inexplicable" (not able to be explained). As these examples show, the addition of "in-" to a root word generally gives it an opposite meaning. Now, the only step left is to look at "-equity," a word that refers to equality or sameness. "Inequity," then, is inequality or "unfairness," which is the correct answer choice. "Equality" is the opposite of the choice we're looking for, while "benefit," "quality," and "relaxation" are not relevant.

An "antonym" is a word that has a meaning that is the opposite of another word. (This makes sense, given that the word "antonym" is derived from the Greek prefix "anti," which can mean opposite of, and "-onym," which is from the Greek for name.) Therefore, the synonym for this word would be "opposite."Both words mean the same thing, although "antonym"is used specifically for defining the meanings of words. All the other answer choices are not related to the concept of opposites and are therefore incorrect.

The prefix "ex-" means outside of, so it makes sense that the word “exterior” means the outside of something. It is the opposite of “interior,” which means the inside of something. The "opposition" is the people who disagree with you or your group, taken as a whole.

The prefix "in-" means not, and "sane" means mentally stable and healthy, so it makes sense that "insane" means not mentally stable and healthy, or "crazy." As for the other answer choices, “intelligent” means smart, and “exuberant” means lively and excited.

The prefix "im-" can mean into, so it makes sense that "immigrant" means someone who moves to a new country. "Settler" is thus the answer choice closest in meaning to "immigrant." As for the other answer choices, a “native” is someone who was born and raised in the place in which they live; “commerce” is trade or the buying and selling things; “pinnacle” means the high point of something or the peak of accomplishment; and a "traveler" is a tourist, nomad, or wanderer.

The prefix "re-" means again or new and "locate" means find or position, so it makes sense that "relocate" means move to a new place. As for the other answer choices, "assume” means think you know something without evidence; “crave” means want; “create” means make; and "explain" means give reasons for an action or decision.

The prefix "over-" means excessively, so “overconfident” means excessively confident, or "arrogant." As for the other answer choices, “meek” means shy and quiet; “cantankerous” means grumpy, angry, and easily annoyed; “quaint” means old-fashioned and charming; and "rude" means disrespectful.

The prefix "mid-" means middle, so it makes sense that "midway" through something is "halfway" through it. As for the other answer choices, “period” is a specific length of time or a time in history, like the Revolutionary period in the United States. “Length” is how long something is. A “coastline” is the part of a country that touches the sea.

The prefix "non-" means not or without, so "nonsense" means not making any sense when used as an adjective and writing or speech that doesn't make any sense, or "gibberish," when used as a noun. As for the other answer choices, "standard” means normal or typical; “logical” means making sense according to logical principles; “profound” means great, intense, or significant and refers to emotions; and "fantastic" means imaginary or of very high quality.

When used as a verb, "function" means work. The prefix "mal_-"_ means bad, so if something “malfunctions,” it stops working, works incorrectly, or breaks. "Break" is thus the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “repair” means fix; "overlook" means miss some detail when considering the bigger picture, "trace" means outline or track down; and "mechanize" means begin to use machines to do something that previously wasn't done by machines.

The prefix "re-" means again or back, so it makes sense that a “reaction” is a response to an action. How you behave after hearing or seeing something is your “reaction” to it. This is closest to “response.” As for the other answer choices, "reproach" can be used as a noun meaning something conveying that one is not happy with something someone else has done; a "misstep" is a step where one shouldn't step, or more generally, a mistake; a "rest" is a break, especially from physical exertion; and a "demand" is something a person or group requires before they will agree to do something.

In order to solve this synonym problem you have to consider both the prefix and suffix of the word "omnipresent." The prefix omni- means every, all and the suffix -present means place, where. So the word "omnipresent" means everywhere, in all places. To provide further help, "greedy" means wanting more than you have/need; "fortunate" means lucky and "unfortunate" means unlucky. Notice the impact of the prefix un-.

The prefix anti- means against. So an "antidote" is something used against poisons, used to provide a solution to poison. This is closest in meaning to "medicine."

To solve this synonym you need to rely on your knowledge of prefixes. The prefix du- means two of, so a "duplicate" is a second copy of something. It is common to make a "duplicate" of something if it is important and you do not want to lose it, like a "duplicate" key.

To solve this synonym you will again need to rely on your knowledge of prefixes. The prefix dis- means away. So to "dispatch" something is to send it away. To provide further help, "lent" means let someone borrow.