Synonyms: Using Roots to Identify Synonyms

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SSAT Elementary Level Verbal › Synonyms: Using Roots to Identify Synonyms

Questions 1 - 10
1

Synonyms: Choose the answer that most closely matches the word in capital letters.

DESPAIR

Anguish

Denigrate

Ironic

Disadvantage

Jubilation

Explanation

“Despair” means great suffering or sadness, which is similar in meaning to "anguish." The prefix "de-" is often used to mean down, going away, such as in “descend,” which means dropping down or “despair,” which means going down into the pits of sadness. To provide further help, “jubilation” means great happiness; “denigrate” means put down, make someone feel worse; “disadvantage” means difficulty, shortcoming; “ironic” means not serious, intended to mock something.

2

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

TRANSFORM

Change

Remedy

Mar

Deft

Soothe

Explanation

The prefix "trans­-" means to change shape, so the word “transform” can most simply be defined as “change.” To provide further help, “mar” means ruin; “remedy” means make better, fix; “soothe” means make better, calm; “deft” means highly skilled.

3

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

CONTRADICT

Disagree

Observe

Support

Encourage

Depict

Explanation

The prefix "contra_-_" means against or opposite and the root _"_dict" means speak, so “contradict” means to speak against someone and say that their ideas are wrong or when referring to ideas, to oppose an idea by providing evidence or demonstration that it is false. The correct answer is “disagree.” To provide further help, “encourage” means to offer support for someone, and “depict” means represent or show.

4

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

FOREMOST

Primary

Secondary

Genuine

Lasting

Vast

Explanation

The prefix "fore_-_" means before or coming first, so “foremost” means "primary," or first in order or importance. To provide further help, “secondary” means coming second in an order or of less importance than other things. Additionally, “vast” means very large; “genuine” means real; and “lasting” means existing for a long time.

5

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

INTACT

Undamaged

Ripped

Soggy

Burdened

Intense

Explanation

The suffix "-tact" means related to touch, so something that is “intact” is something that has not been broken by people touching it. This is most similar in meaning to the word “undamaged,” where “damaged” means defaced or wrecked and the prefix "un-" means not, causing “undamaged” to mean not defaced or wrecked; in the same condition something was in before an event that could have potentially damaged it. To provide further help, “ripped” means torn; "intense" means of great power or degree, and “soggy” means damp or wet; and “burdened” means weighed down with things or responsibilities

6

Synonyms: Choose the answer that most closely matches the word in capital letters.

SYNCHRONIZE

Coordinate

Detract

Debacle

Assailable

Catastrophe

Explanation

The prefix "sync-" means to act together, to be unified. When we “synchronize” we make things work at or on the same time. For instance, we could synchronize our watches so that the time on them reads the same. This is closest in meaning to “coordinate.” The prefix "co-" is used similarly to the prefix "sync-." To provide further help, “detract” means take away from something; “debacle” means catastrophe, something that has gone horribly wrong; “assailable” means able to be attacked or conquered.

7

Synonyms: Select the word whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

COMBINE

Merge

Fight

Retort

Access

Outline

Explanation

The prefix "com_-_" means with or together. Thus, it makes sense that the word “combine” means merge together. So, the correct answer is "merge," because "merge" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "combine." None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "combine": “access,” when used as a verb, means be able to use; “retort” means answer back in an argument, often in an incisive or angry way; and “outline” means sketch or draw up a plan for something; and "fight," when used as a verb, means get into a physically violent dispute with.

8

Synonyms: Select the word whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

PERCEIVE

Notice

Seclude

Justify

Amplify

Consider

Explanation

The prefix "per_-_" means through, and the word “perceive” means become aware of something or notice something through sight. This means that the correct answer is “notice.” None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "perceive": “seclude” means make a person or oneself be apart from others; “justify” means give logical reasons for; “amplify” means increase or intensify; and “consider” means carefully think about.

9

Synonyms: Select the word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

DESTITUTE

Impoverished

Willpower

Fate

Polished

Generational

Explanation

The word “destitute” is related to the root word "stature." Your “stature” is your social standing. If you add the negative prefix “de-,” it means the removal of your social position. So “destitute” means extremely poor. Another word that means extremely poor is “impoverished.” To further help you, “generational” means relating to a group of people born at the same time. We can say that taste in musi_c_ is "generational."

10

A synonym of "inconsiderate" is . . .

rude

polite

abismal

unusual

unsure

Explanation

"Inconsiderate" is an adjective that means "thoughtlessly causing hurt or inconvenience to others," so we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "thoughtlessly hurting or inconveniencing others." While both "unusual" and "unsure" begin with "un-," a negative prefix, just as "inconsiderate" begin with "in-," another negative prefix, "unusual" means "not usual" and "unsure" means "not sure," whereas "inconsiderate" means "not considerate." So, because neither "unusual" nor "unsure" mean the same thing as "inconsiderate," neither can be the correct answer. "Rude," however, is an adjective that means "offensively impolite or ill-mannered," and because "rude" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "inconsiderate," "rude" is the correct answer.

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