ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Synonyms

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #351 : Synonyms

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

REVELRY

Possible Answers:

Festivity

Rouge

Disclosure

Tempestuous

Awakening

Correct answer:

Festivity

Explanation:

Revelry is a rambunctious or noisy form of partying. Often, it comes with the implication that the partying is accompanied by heavy drinking of alcohol. Among the answers, the word “festivity” best signifies this sense of partying.

Example Question #352 : Synonyms

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

VILLAINY

Possible Answers:

Superb

Accusation

Indictable

Squeamish

Wickedness

Correct answer:

Wickedness

Explanation:

Clearly, the word “villainy” is related to “villain.” It is a noun meaning “an action that is immoral,” often implying some kind of illegality. For example, one could say, “The mafia boss committed many acts of villainy, often killing his enemies in a brutal manner without any regret.”

Example Question #353 : Synonyms

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

LIBATION

Possible Answers:

Offering

Unfettered

Indeterminate

Permissive

Freedom

Correct answer:

Offering

Explanation:

The word libation comes from the Latin meaning “to pour out,” generally implying that it is being done as a sacrifice to the God. Such a “libation” would be poured as a type of sacrifice. The term has been made to be somewhat informal in regular speech and is often used to refer to a drink in general. To say, “Let us share a libation,” can sound far more refined than a mere, “Let us share a drink.” Among the options provided, the only one that matches either sense is “offering.”

Example Question #354 : Synonyms

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

WEAL

Possible Answers:

Congratulation

Forgiveness

Interest

Horror

Sadness

Correct answer:

Interest

Explanation:

The word “weal” is perhaps a bit strange in its usage, but it is found in a number of other words. It is related to the word “wealth,” thus meaning something like “good” or “interest” or “wealth.” A commonwealth is a governmental body that comes together for the common interest or good of the group. Likewise, to say that you will stay with someone in “weal and woe” is to say that you will stay with that person in good times and in bad. Thus, the word can be used to express something that is in the interest of a party and is thus used in expressions like, “For the public weal, I must keep this secret, for it would destroy society to know its details.”

Example Question #132 : Synonyms: Nouns

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

WOE

Possible Answers:

Bury

Tragedy

Forget

Sorrow

Illness

Correct answer:

Sorrow

Explanation:

The word “woe,” is often used in interjections like, “Woe is me! Such horrible things always happen to me!” The sense implied is, “How unhappy and unfortunate I am!” The word “woe” more generally can be used as a noun meaning “sorrow” or “great sadness.” For instance, you could say, “By age ten, the young man had already experienced many more woes than his classmates, whose lives were passed in relative bliss and joy.”

Example Question #91 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

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

FRAUD

Possible Answers:

Larceny

Sham

Robber

Theft

Extended

Correct answer:

Sham

Explanation:

The word “fraud” is related to Latin words for “deceit.” Although its strict meaning is a lie that is meant to gain something (money, fame, etc), fraud can mean any willful deception done by a person who claims to be something that he or she is not. Among the options provided, “sham” best matches this general sense. Several of the other options (such as “robber,” “theft,” and “larceny”) are far too specific.

Example Question #134 : Synonyms: Nouns

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

HIATUS

Possible Answers:

Peril

Interval

Vacation

Quirk

Adventure

Correct answer:

Interval

Explanation:

The word “hiatus” comes from the Latin for “gap.” For instance, the word would be used in a sentence, “After a three year hiatus, the two men were once again friends, acting as though they had not spent those years apart and out of contact.” In general, the term can mean any interval, though it is often mean to indicate an interval of time.

Example Question #135 : Synonyms: Nouns

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

ADULATION

Possible Answers:

Adoration

Applause

Review

Appraisal

Acceptance

Correct answer:

Adoration

Explanation:

The word “adulation” comes from Latin roots related to “to fawn upon.”   When someone “fawns,” he or she praises someone in order to gain that person’s favor. Adulation can described as an act of “adoration.” Though this synonym overlooks some of the flattery involved, it is far better than the other, weaker options provided for this question.

Example Question #136 : Synonyms: Nouns

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

TESTAMENT

Possible Answers:

Judicious

Enlightened

Sanctified

Evidence

Religious

Correct answer:

Evidence

Explanation:

The word “testament” comes from the Latin for “a will.” Often, we still speak of someone’s “last will and testament,” as though we wish to say that this document gives the final evidence of that person’s wishes. Also, the word is often used with the preposition “to” as in, “John’s devoted assistance to Michael during the latter’s illness was a testament to his deep regard for his sick friend.”

Example Question #92 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

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

ZEAL

Possible Answers:

Agitation

Annoyance

Anger

Passion

Opinion

Correct answer:

Passion

Explanation:

When someone is “zealous,” he or she has great energy in pursuing a cause. It is for this reason that such a person is often called a “zealot,” or one who untiringly pursues something, often in a very pushy and judgmental manner, though that need not always be the case. The word originally comes from a similar Greek word, basically meaning zeal; however, as the word came into Latin, it took on the meaning “jealous” as well. When someone “jealously guards” something, it is not merely a matter of trying to keep that thing exclusively to himself or herself, though that is partially implied. It also is a matter of guarding it with great devotion and zeal.

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