Identifying Synonyms - ISEE Middle Level Verbal Reasoning

Since "income" is a noun that means money received on a regular basis for work, we're looking for another noun that also means earnings. "Debt" may sound like a potential answer because it is a noun that has to do with finances and often discussed along with "income," but "debt" refers to money that is owed to someone else, so it is actually an antonym of income and not the correct answer. "Salary," on the other hand, means a fixed regular payment made by an employer to an employee, so it is the closest in meaning to "income" and the correct answer.

"Predicament" is a noun meaning " a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation," so we need to pick out an answer choice which is a noun meaning something like "a problem." While "prediction" might sound like "predicament," a "prediction" is "a thing predicted; a forecast" or "the action of predicting something;" since the meaning of "prediction" isn't close to "a problem," it can't be the correct answer. "Plight," however, when used as a noun means "a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation." Since "plight" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "predicament," it is the correct answer.

"Tirade" is a noun that means "a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like " a long, angry speech." While "conversation" has to do with speech just like "tirade" does, "conversation" means "an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way," so it cannot be the correct answer because "conversation" does not include any angry connotations like "diatribe" does, and it's a conversation in which two people participate instead of a one-sided speech like "tirade" describes. "Rant," however, when used as a noun, means "a spell of ranting; a tirade," and when used as a verb, it means "speak or shout at length in a wild, impassioned way." Because "rant" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "tirade," "rant" is the correct answer.

Adage typically refers to a motto or saying of conventional wisdom. For example, "he relentlessly repeated the familiar adage."

Most of the other words are antonyms, with the exception of "desire" which is unrelated.

"Upheaval" is a noun meaning "a violent or sudden change or disruption to something," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "disruption." While "occurrence" may seem like a good answer choice because it means "an incident or event," "disturbance" is actually the better answer because it means "the interruption of a settled and peaceful condition." Because both "upheaval" and "disturbance" involve interruptions, but "occurrence" does not, "disturbance" is the correct answer.

"Pandemonium" is a noun meaning "wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "wild disorder." "Pandemic" may sound like a potentially correct answer because like "pandemonium," it also begins with the "pan-" prefix (which means "including or relating to all the places or people in a particular group"). However, "pandemic" means "an outbreak of a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world." Because "pandemic" does not mean the same thing as "pandemonium," it cannot be the correct answer. "Mayhem," however, means "violent or damaging disorder; chaos," and is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "pandemonium."

"Jest" is a word that when used as a noun, means "a thing said or done for amusement; a joke," and when used as a verb, means "speak or act in a joking manner." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that is either a noun meaning something like "joke" or a verb meaning something like "act in a joking manner." While "just" may sound like "jest," "just" has a variety of meanings including "based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair" when used as an adjective, and when used as an adverb, "exactly," "very recently," "barely," "simply," or "expressing agreement." So, "just" cannot be the correct answer. "Joke," however, means the same thing as "jest," so "joke" is the correct answer.

"Genre" is a noun that means "a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter." While books and songs may be categorized as belonging to different genres of literature or music, neither "book" nor "song" is a synonym of "genre," so neither of those answers can be correct. "Category" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "genre," so it is the correct answer.

A paradox is "a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory." So, neither "agreement" nor "consistency" can be a synonym of "paradox" becauase both "agreement" and "consistency" refer to things that go together well or make sense together, unlike paradoxes. "Allusion" refers to "an indirect or passing reference," so it has nothing to do with "paradox" and isn't the correct answer. "Confusion" might look like the best answer, but "contradiction" is actually the closest synonym to "paradox" because "contradiction" is defined as "a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another" or "a difference or disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true." Because "contradiction" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "paradox," "contradiction" is the correct answer.

"Rancor" is a noun that means "bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long-standing." While "teasing" and "anger" both have negative connotations similar to that of "rancor," only "resentment," which means "bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly," is close in meaning to "rancor," so "resentment" is the correct answer.

"Ennui" is a noun that means "a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement." While all of the potential answer choices refer to feelings, only "mediocrity," "terror," and "boredom" refer to negatively-connoted emotions. "Terror" is not close in meaning to "ennui," and while "mediocrity" may seem like a potentially correct answer, "boredom" is the best answer choice because it is the closest synonym of "ennui."

"Parody" is a word that when used as a noun means "an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect." So, while a comedy, tragedy, book, or song might each be a parody, none of those answer choices are synonymous with parody, so none of them can be the correct answer. "Imitation," a noun meaning "a thing intended to simulate or copy something else," is the answer choice closest in meaning to "parody," so it is the correct answer.

"Getaway" is a noun that means "an escape or quick departure, especially after committing a crime." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun and means something like "escape." While "flee" may look like a potentially correct answer choice because "flee" and "escape" are synonyms when both words are used as verbs, "flee" cannot be used as a noun like "escape" can, so "escape" is the correct answer because it can be used as a noun and "getaway" is a noun.

"Impediment" is a noun that means "a hindrance or obstruction in doing something," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "obstruction." "Tool" cannot be the correct answer, then, because while one might use a tool to remove an obstruction, "tool" does not mean the same thing as "obstruction," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Obstacle," however, is an adjective that means "a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress," and because it is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "impediment," "obstacle" is the correct answer.

"Hiatus" is a noun that means "a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "a pause or gap." "Continuation," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "continuation" means "the action of carrying something on over a period of time or the process of being carried on," making it an antonym of "hiatus." "Break," however, when used as a noun, can mean "a pause in work or during an activity or event," and because "break" is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "hiatus," "break" is the correct answer.

"Penchant" means a liking or fondness. For example, if someone has a "penchant for chocolate cake," they really like chocolate cake. "Fondness" is thus the correct answer.

"Remedy" means a treatment or medicine.

"Condolence" is a noun that is usually used in its plural form and means "an expression of sympathy, especially on the occasion of a death." So, we need to pick out an answer that means something like "an expression or sympathy." "Indifference," then, cannot be the correct answer because "indifference" is a noun that can mean "lack of interest, concern, or sympathy," making it an antonym, not a synonym, of "condolence." "Compassion," however, is a noun that can mean "sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others," and because "compassion" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "condolence," "compassion" is the correct answer.

"Mirth" is a noun that means "amusement, especially as expressed in laughter," so we need to pick out a noun that means something like "amusement." "Depression," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "depression" means " severe despondency and dejection, typically felt over a period of time and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy," making it an antonym, not a synonym, of "mirth." "Gaiety," however, is a noun that can mean "the state or quality of being lighthearted or cheerful" or "merrymaking or festivity," and because "gaiety" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "mirth," "gaiety" is the correct answer.