ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning › Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance and Sensory Imagery
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
EDIBLE
Digestible
Delicious
Nutritious
Decadent
The correct answer is "digestible." "Edible" and "digestible" both mean able to be eaten. The other words have to do with food, but do not have to do with the ability of something to be eaten.
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
DELECTABLE
Delicious
Unpalatable
Disgusting
Putrid
"Delectable" and "delicious" are synonyms, each meaning pleasant-tasting. "Unpalatable," "disgusting," and "putrid" are antonyms, or opposites, of "delectable" and "delicious."
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
EXQUISITE
Stunning
Crude
Rough
Grotesque
"Exquisite" and "stunning" mean beautiful, or beautifully made. "Crude" and "rough" can mean vulgar or badly made. "Grotesque" means ugly. If you can figure out that "crude" and "rough" are synonyms and "grotesque" means ugly, you should be able to deduce that "stunning" is a synonym of "exquisite," even if you don't know what "exquisite" means.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SLENDER
Slim
Clever
Resolute
Dreary
Pointed
“Slender” means skinny or"slim." As for the other answer choices, the word “clever” means quick-witted; “resolute” means determined; "dreary” means drab in appearance and causing sadness; and "pointed" means coming to a sharp, narrow tip.
Synonyms: Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.
DRY
Arid
Feisty
Daring
Moist
"Dry" is defined as without moisture or liquid. Since "arid" climates are characterized as dry and having little rain, "arid" is the best answer choice. "Moist" is an antonym of "dry."
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
VACANT
Empty
Lively
Absent
Evacuate
"Vacant" means empty. "Empty" is the best choice because it is a part of the definiton for "vacant." Considering the other choices, "lively" means energetic, "absent" means away or missing, and "evacuate" means to leave an area because it is dangerous. "Evacuate" is not as good a choice because it is a verb, while "vacant" is an adjective.
A synonym of "durable" is __________.
hardy
fragile
meager
exact
ominous
"Durable" is an adjective that means "able to withstand wear, pressure, or damage; hard-wearing," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "able to withstand wear." "Fragile" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "fragile" means the opposite of "durable," so it is an antonym, not a synonym, of "durable." "Hardy," however, is an adjective that means "robust; capable of enduring difficult conditions" and because "hardy" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "durable," "hardy" is the correct answer.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ILLUSION
Appearance
Replica
Copy
Transcription
Viewpoint
Whenever something is an "illusion," it appears one way, though the reality is really something else. For example, you could say, "Peter's many books gave the illusion that he was very intelligent, when he in fact did not know much at all!" The only option that expresses this idea is "appearance." This is not always going to be a synonym for illusion, but in this case, it functions well enough, given that no other options are as good as this one.
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
HOARSE
Raspy
Smooth
Artistic
Mountainous
Don't get this word confused with "horse," the animal! "Hoarse" means raspy or rough-sounding, especially when describing someone's voice. You've probably had a hoarse voice after getting a sore throat. "Smooth" means even or free of bumps; "artistic" means talented at art or creative activities, and "mountainous" refers to areas of land and means containing mountains.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
MURKY
Dark
Clear
Mighty
Sore
Intentional
Something that is “murky” is dismal and dark, so "dark" is the correct answer. So, water might be “murky” if it were very dirty. “Murky” is also the opposite of “clear,” which means transparent and unclouded. “Sore” means in pain due to overexertion of muscles; “intentional” means done on purpose; and “mighty” means strong.