Synonyms: Roots from Greek

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ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning › Synonyms: Roots from Greek

Questions 1 - 10
1

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

IDYLLIC

Peaceful

Perfect

Epic

Gregarious

Flawless

Explanation

When something is “idyllic,” it is peaceful or picturesque. The word indirectly comes from the Greek “eidos” meaning form, idea, or picture. Do not confuse “idyllic” with words related to “ideal” in the sense of meaning perfect or best. The best option is “peaceful,” which is most directly related to the definition of “idyllic.”

2

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

COSMOPOLITAN

Multicultural

Arrogant

Wealthy

Vain

Conceited

Explanation

When a person is “cosmopolitan,” he or she is at ease in any culture in the world. The word itself is derived from Greek roots with which you are likely familiar. The “cosmo-” portion comes from the Greek for “world or order.” The “-politan” is related to meanings like “city” and “citizen.” You have experienced this word in “politics” and “politician.” Someone who is “cosmopolitan” is “a citizen of the world.”

3

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

EUPHONIOUS

Pleasant-sounding

Discordant

Harsh

Superfluous

Sensual

Explanation

The prefix "eu-" means good and "-phon-" means sound, so it makes sense that “euphonious” means sounding nice, mellow, and sweet, or "pleasant-sounding."As for the other answer choices, “harsh” means unpleasant, rough and grating; “discordant” means disagreeing or contradictory; “sensual” means relating to, or pleasing to, the senses; and “superfluous” means nonessential.

4

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

SOPHISTRY

Fallacy

Scholastic

Intellectual

Worldly

Cosmopolitan

Explanation

The word “sophistry” is related to the word for wisdom, Sophia, which is found in words like “sophisticated” and “philosophy,” but it is not here used in a positive sense whatsoever. Sophistry conveys the idea that someone is using reasoning in a manner that is not truly honest or correct in order to make misleading arguments. A “fallacy” in logic is a mistake (either intended or unintended) that causes the reasoning to end in an incorrect conclusion. Among the options provided, this is the only word that approaches the meaning of “sophistry.”

5

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

MISANTHROPIC

Antisocial

Disinclined

Impassive

Eccentric

Heinous

Explanation

This word's component parts give you clues as to its meaning: "mis-" is a negative prefix, and "-anthropic" includes the root "anthro," derived from the Greek word for "man." “Misanthropic” thus means disliking people and doing everything possible to avoid people. This is closest in meaning to “antisocial,” which means not social and avoiding people. As for the other answer choices, “disinclined” means not inclined and thus not likely; “impassive” means not caring and not showing emotion; “eccentric” means weird and unconventional; “heinous” means wicked and evil.

6

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

UTOPIAN

Visionary

Robotic

Bombastic

Frightening

Cynical

Explanation

The word “utopia” is used to describe a perfect place with no problems. For instance, someone might imagine a perfect city like Plato did in his Republic. This was perhaps a beautiful idea, but it was practically impossible. This practical impossibility is almost always part of a “utopia.” Someone who is “utopian” is idealistic and somewhat “visionary” in the sense of proposing large, ambitious plans. (Hence, the plans are a lot like a utopia.) Interestingly, the word “utopia” was coined by Thomas More, who wrote the text Utopia, describing just such a city. Its name was a play on words. The “u-” prefix means not. Thus a “utopia” is a “non-place.” It does not and cannot exist. However, the “eu-” prefix means good (as in “euphony” and “eulogy”). A utopia looks good, but it does not exist.

7

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

EGALITARIAN

Democratic

Academic

Oligarchical

Political

Divided

Explanation

The word "egalitarian" comes from roots meaning equal. When a society is egalitarian, it treats all of its members as equals and tries to acknowledge this. The best option among those provided here is "democratic." This does not have to do directly with the current American political party that goes by this name. Instead, "democratic" is based on a particular Greek notion of one kind of government that bases itself on the equality of all the people. None of the other options express this kind of egalitarianism.

8

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

ALEXIA

Illiteracy

Infamy

Notoriety

Capacity

Polygamy

Explanation

The Greek root -lex- means word, read, write, as in "lexicon," which means vocabulary. So, "alexia" means the loss of the ability to write. This is closest in meaning to "illiteracy," which means the inability to read and write. Additionally, "infamy" and "notoriety" both mean the quality of being famous for the wrong reasons; "polygamy" is the practice of having more than one spouse or partner; "capacity" means ability.

9

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

HYPOTHERMIC

Freezing

Stifling

Arid

Moist

Infected

Explanation

There are two relevant roots in "hypothermic." The Greek prefix hypo- means under, having too little of and the root -therm- means related to temperature. So, "hypothermic" means (of the body) very cold, freezing. Additionally, "arid" means dry; "moist" means wet; "infected" means sick with; "stifling" means uncomfortably hot.

10

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

DYNAMIC

Vigorous

Explosive

Effective

Successful

Stupendous

Explanation

The word "dynamic" comes from the Greek word for power. Think of dynamite, which creates a very powerful explosion. Now, the primary meaning of "dynamic" in English is energetic or having much energy or vitality. Thus, the word "vigorous" is the best option among those provided, for it means having much energy. While we might think of dynamic people as being "successful," "effective," and perhaps even "stupendous," these are not the immediate meanings of "dynamic."

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