SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Synonyms

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Verbal

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #2231 : Identifying Synonyms

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

DESOLATE

Possible Answers:

Ambitious

Belligerent

Rash

Passive

Deserted

Correct answer:

Deserted

Explanation:

"Desolate" means "deserted" or lacking in people or inhabitants. "Ambitious" means determined to succeed in the future. "Passive" means submissive or not engaged in what is happening. "Belligerent" means aggressive or warlike. "Rash" means reckless or not careful.

Example Question #1061 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

PALATIAL

Possible Answers:

Luxurious

Local

Nasty

Opaque

Delicious

Correct answer:

Luxurious

Explanation:

Palatial means resembling a palace or when describing a building or room, large, like a palace. "Luxurious" means comfortable and wealthy, so "luxurious" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "palatial." None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "palatial": "delicious" means tasting good, "opaque" means not transparent, "local" means from a nearby area, and "nasty" means gross or unpleasant.

Example Question #2232 : Identifying Synonyms

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

STREWN

Possible Answers:

Coalesced 

Scattered 

Used 

Abused 

Improved 

Correct answer:

Scattered 

Explanation:

“Strewn" means scattered around untidily, so "scattered" is the correct answer.

Example Question #2233 : Identifying Synonyms

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

FECUND

Possible Answers:

Corpulent 

Intelligent 

Baleful 

Fertile 

Spherical

Correct answer:

Fertile 

Explanation:

“Fecund” means fertile or capable of producing many children, so "fertile" is the correct answer. For clarification, "spherical" means round, shaped like a sphere; "corpulent" means fat; "baleful" means menacing; and "intelligent" means smart.

Example Question #2241 : Identifying Synonyms

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

DISCRETE

Possible Answers:

Malignant

Serious

Flowery

Imaginative

Separate

Correct answer:

Separate

Explanation:

"Discrete" and "separate" are both words to describe things that are distinctive from one another.

Example Question #2242 : Identifying Synonyms

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

PERVASIVE

Possible Answers:

Threatening

Extensive

Underground

Wealthy

Hand-crafted

Correct answer:

Extensive

Explanation:

"Pervasive" means widely prevalent, or "extensive." One might talk about the "pervasive influence" of a new idea or invention.

Example Question #2243 : Identifying Synonyms

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

RUSTIC

Possible Answers:

Rural

Oxidized

Petite

Ordinary

Shabby

Correct answer:

Rural

Explanation:

"Rustic" means relating to the countryside, or "rural."

Example Question #2244 : Identifying Synonyms

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

BUCOLIC

Possible Answers:

Urbane

Lighthearted

Pastoral

Welcoming

Futuristic

Correct answer:

Pastoral

Explanation:

"Bucolic" is an adjective meaning "of or relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life." While "lighthearted" and "welcoming" might seem like good answers because of the "pleasant" connotation of "bucolic," "pastoral" is the closest synonym of "bucolic" amongst the answer choices because one meaning of "pastoral" is "portraying or evoking country life, typically in a romanticized or idealized form," usually used to refer to works of art. So, the correct answer is "pastoral."

Example Question #2245 : Identifying Synonyms

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

LATTER

Possible Answers:

Developed

Final

Adorable

Unstable

Morose

Correct answer:

Final

Explanation:

Latter means occuring towards the end, or the second of two things.

Example Question #2246 : Identifying Synonyms

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

DIVERGENT

Possible Answers:

Intelligent

Sneaky

Wayward

Bold

Careful

Correct answer:

Wayward

Explanation:

Something that is "divergent" is something that is going off in its own direction or moving away from the pack, so "wayward" is the synonym you want.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors