SSAT Middle Level Verbal › Synonyms: Nouns for Tangible Things
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
CONCRETE
Material
Abstract
Conceptual
Immaterial
Ethereal
"Concrete" and "material" are used to describe things which exist in material reality. The other words are used to describe "abstractions" or things which exist conceptually.
Synonyms: Select the word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
CRUCIBLE
Vessel
Battle
Destiny
Carriage
Field
A “crucible” is a pot in which metals or other substances are heated. "Vessel" is the best answer choice, as it means a container for holding things. To clarify the other terms, “destiny” means fate; a “carriage” is a wheeled vehicle for carrying passengers.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PROXY
Substitute
Corporation
Consequence
Salesman
Surgeon
The noun "proxy" means replacement, substitute, someone who stands in for someone else. Additionally, "surgeon" means doctor who performs operations; a "corporation" is a large business owned by man shareholders; a "consequence" is a result of an action; a "salesman" is someone who sells things.
A synonym of “particle” is __________.
speck
pile
matter
air
dust
“Particle” is a noun that means “a minute portion of matter,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “a minute portion of matter.” That means that “pile” cannot be the correct answer, because “pile” means “a heap of things laid or lying one on top of another,” and “particle” is specifically only one thing. “Speck,” however, is a noun that can mean “a tiny spot” or “a small particle of a substance,” and because “speck” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “particle,” “speck” is the correct answer.
A synonym of "debris" is __________.
detritus
explosion
product
damage
cleanliness
"Debris" is a noun that means "scattered fragments, typically of something wrecked or destroyed," so we need to pick out another word that means something like "fragments." While an explosion might cause debris, "explosion" does not mean the same thing as "debris," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Detritus," however, means "waste or debris of any kind," and because "detritus" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "debris," it is the correct answer.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PASTIME
Hobby
Deity
Prophecy
Memento
Treaty
The noun "pastime" means hobby, recreational activity, something done for the purposes of fun and leisure. Additionally, a "memento" is a souvenir, an object that reminds one of an experience; a "deity" is a God; a "prophecy" is a prediction made about the future; a "treaty" is an agreement of peace terms between two or more conflicting parties.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
LOOT
Spoils
Boot
Saddle
Collision
Cobbler
"Loot" means "spoils," or stolen objects.
"Cobbler" is a person who repairs shoes.
"Collision" means the interaction in which two objects make forceful contact; collisions are typically accidental.
"Saddle" is the device made of leather or cloth worn on a horse's back that provides a seat for the rider.
"Boot" is a type of heavy shoe that goes above the ankle.
Synonyms: pick the word that is most similar in meaning to the word in question.
Tableau
Picture
Furniture
Control
Update
Innocence
A "tableau" is a picture, as of a scene.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FAUNA
Animals
Plants
Cellular
Reptiles
Gulls
"Fauna" means "animals," typically all of the animals in an ecosystem.
"Gulls" are a type of seabird. Gulls are a type of fauna but gulls is not a synonym for fauna.
"Reptiles" are a group of four legged animals such as lizards and turtles. Reptiles are a type of fauna, but reptile is not a synonym for fauna.
"Cellular" means a form of life composed of single cells, or forms of life contained in membranes.
"Plants" are a type of life that gains its energy through photosynthesis; plants are not fauna, but rather flora.
Synonyms: choose the answer that is closest in meaning to the word in question.
Artifact
Relic
Warrior
Civilian
Illustration
Destination
"Artifact" is an article or relic; Warrior is a person who engages in combat; a Civilian is a non-military member of a country; an Illustration is a picture; a Destination means a final location.