Synonyms: Other Adjectives - ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning

Abortive means failing to produce the intended result, or thwarted.

Arresting means striking, eye-catching, or impactful.

The adjective "adamant" is etymologically related to the word "diamond"—the hardest stone. Someone who is "adamant" is "hard" in the sense of being relentless, unyielding, or insistent.

"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.

"Caustic" and "acerbic" both mean burning or corrosive. "Soothing" means calming or pacifying. "Highfalutin" means pompous or arrogant. "Fledgling" means apprentice or newcomer. "Hapless" means unfortunate or unlucky.

"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.

"Furtive" means secretive or stealthy, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; because of this, the answer choice that is its closest synonym is "clandestine," or kept secret or done secretively, especially because something is illicit.

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 d eviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.

"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.

Instrinsic traits means they are innate or fundamental to a person; they are also described as inborn and natural.

"Fatal" is an adjective that can mean either "causing death" or "leading to failure or disaster." While "fated" may sound like it is related to "fatal," "fated" means "destined to happen, turn out, or act in a particular way," so it cannot be the correct answer because it does not mean the same thing as "fatal." "Lethal," however, is an adjective that can mean either "sufficient to cause death" or "harmful or destructive." Because "lethal" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "fatal," it is the correct answer.

"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.

"Inexorable" is an adjective that means "impossible to stop or prevent," or when describing a person, "impossible to persuade by request or entreaty." So, neither "preventable" nor "persuadable" can be the correct answer because each of those words is an antonym of "inexorable," not a synonym. The correct answer is "unstoppable," an adjective that like "inexorable" means "impossible to stop or prevent."

"Willful" is an adjective that means "intentional; deliberate" when describing an immoral or illegal act or omission, or "having or showing a stubborn and determined intention to do as one wants, regardless of the consequences or effects." Neither "accidental" nor "meek" can be the correct answer, because they are antonyms of the first and second definition of "willful," respectively. "Deliberate" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "willful," so it is the correct answer.

"Seditious" is an adjective that means "inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch." So, "patriotic" cannot be the correct answer because it means "having or expressing devotion to and vigorous support for one's country," so it is an antonym, not a synonym, of "seditious." "Subversive," however, is an adjective that means "seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution," is the answer choice closest in meaning to "seditious," so it is the correct answer.

We are looking for a synonym of "deleterious," which means harmful. Both "helpful" and "beneficial" are the opposite of harmful, and "undone" is unrelated. "Baneful" means harmful.

"Languid" means slow or sluggish, so the best choice for this is lazy.

Both "miniscule" and "modicum" mean a small amount so they are not correct. "Lucid" means clear, and a "hedonist" is someone who lives for pleasure. "Gargantuan" is a synonym for huge.

"Effusive" means to pour out emotions, and "dogmatic" means firmly holding beliefs. "Heinous" means evil, making "evil" the only possible answer choice.

The word “adverse” comes from the Latin meaning to turn toward or, more directly, to the Latin for to be against. The word “adverse” most often is used to describe conditions that are disadvantageous to some undertaking. For instance, a very standard usage is “adverse weather conditions,” meaning weather conditions that are not favorable to activities—either in specific or in general. It can also mean harmful, thus being used in a sentence like, “The adverse effects of the drug were known to cause cancer and heart damage within two years of beginning treatment.” The word “adversary,” meaning opponent, is clearly related to this word.