All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #211 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SEEMLY
Ebullient
Congruous
Ephemeral
Fractious
Unsuitable
Congruous
"Seemly" and "congruous" both mean appropriate or suitable. "Unsuitable" means not proper or inappropriate. "Ebullient" means cheerful or full of energy. "Ephemeral" means passing or transient. "Fractious" means grouchy or cross.
Example Question #212 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INDECOROUS
Capricious
Desiccated
Ascetic
Coarse
Acerbic
Coarse
"Indecorous" and "coarse" both mean improper or rude. "Acerbic" means bitter, sharp, or sour. "Ascetic" means self-denying or austere. "Capricious" means given to sudden behavior changes. "Desiccated" means dry or arid.
Example Question #213 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PROFANE
Holy
Manageable
Secular
Considerate
Potential
Secular
"Profane" is a word that when used as an adjective, can mean either "relating or devoted to that which is not sacred or biblical; secular rather than religious" or "not respectful of orthodox religious practice; irreverent" when describing a person or his or her behavior. As a verb, "profane" means "treat something sacred with irreverence or disrespect." However, all of our potential answer choices are adjectives, so we will need to consider "profane" as an adjective. So, "religious" cannot be the correct answer, because "religious" is an antonym of "profane," not a synonym. "Secular," however, is an adjective that means "denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis." So, because "secular" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "profane," it is the correct answer.
Example Question #214 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INCONGROUS
Anomalous
Cacophonous
Divisive
Ambiguous
Apathetic
Anomalous
Because "incongrous" means out of the ordinary or not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something, the answer choice that is its closest synonym is "anomalous," or deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.
Example Question #215 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
COMMENSURATE
Ambiguous
Redundant
Burgeoning
Correspondent
Critical
Correspondent
"Commensurate" is an adjective that means "equal or similar to something in size, amount, or degree; in proportion to," so we need to pick out a word that means "proportionate." While "redundant" may sound like a good answer choice because it also deals with relationships between things, "redundant" actually means "repeating something else and therefore unnecessary," so it is not the word we're looking for. "Correspondent," however, besides meaning "a person who writes letters to a person or a newspaper, especially on a regular basis" as a noun, can also function as an adjective meaning "having a close similarity; matching or agreeing almost exactly." Of the available answer choices, "correspondent" is closest in meaning to "commensurate," so it is the correct answer.
Example Question #42 : Synonyms: Other Adjectives
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ANOMALOUS
Garrulous
Conforming
Intransigent
Incongruous
Floundering
Incongruous
"Anomalous" and "incongruous" both mean deviating from normal or unusual. "Conforming" means agreeing or harmonious. "Garrulous" means talkative. "Floundering" means struggling or stumbling. "Intransigent" means adamant or stubborn.
Example Question #216 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
INSIPID
Appetizing
Avant-garde
Banal
Sedulous
Homogenous
Banal
"Insipid" and "banal" both mean dull or uninteresting. "Appetizing" means delicious or appealing. "Sedulous" means busy or determined. "Avant-garde" means unconventional or forward-thinking. "Homogenous" means similar or comparable.
Example Question #217 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PRETERNATURAL
Germane
Anomalous
Stupefying
Munificent
Voluminous
Anomalous
"Preternatural" and "anomalous" both mean unusual or abnormal. "Germane" means appropriate or applicable. "Munificent" means giving or generous. "Stupefying" means stunning or amazing. "Voluminous" means ample or vast.
Example Question #218 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
POTENT
Stewing
Untainted
Poisonous
Forceful
Drinkable
Forceful
The “pot-” portion of this word is derived from the Latin for able and also power. It is found in many English words like “impotent,” “potency,” “omnipotence,” and “potential.” Someone might say, “The speech was extremely potent in stirring the emotions of the crowd; soon, everyone was marching according to the instructions of the speaker.” Among the options provided, “forceful” best conveys this sense of “power.”
Example Question #219 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FUTILE
Feeble
Useful
Bothersome
Annoying
Ineffectual
Ineffectual
When something is futile, it accomplishes nothing. For example, one could say, “No matter how long Thomas spent in the gym, it felt futile, for he was always unable to lift his goal amount of weights.” When something is “ineffectual,” it is “unable to have an effect.” The word is thus somewhat like “ineffective.”
All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
