All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #441 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Angular is to rounded as __________.
frozen is to ice
sweet is to dessert
formulaic is to clichéd
proud is to ashamed
archaic is to old
proud is to ashamed
“Angular” is an adjective that refers to an object, outline, or shape, and means “having angles or sharp corners,” while “rounded” is an adjective that means “having a smooth, curved surface.” So, “angular” and “rounded” are antonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice that also consists of a pair of antonyms. While “proud is to ashamed,” “archaic is to ancient,” and “formulaic is to conventional” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “formulaic” can mean “produced in accordance with a slavishly followed rule or style; predictable” and “clichéd” means “showing a lack of originality; based on frequently repeated phrases or opinions,” making the two words synonyms, not antonyms. So, “formulaic is to clichéd” cannot be the correct answer. Similarly, “archaic” is an adjective that means “very old or old-fashioned,” so it is a synonym, not an antonym, of “old,” and “archaic is to old” cannot be the correct answer either. “Proud,” however, is an adjective that means “feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one’s own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated,” while “ashamed” means “embarrassed or guilty because of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations.” So, because “proud” is an antonym of “ashamed” just like “angular” is an antonym of “rounded,” “proud is to ashamed” is the correct answer.
Example Question #35 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Potent is to weak as __________.
electricity is to light bulb
silly is to goofy
formal is to casual
start is to begin
unoriginal is to imitative
formal is to casual
“Potent” is an adjective that means powerful or effective, so it is an antonym of “weak.” That means that we need to pick out an answer choice that also consists of a pair of antonyms. While “formal is to casual,” “unoriginal is to imitative,” and “silly is to goofy” might each look like a potentially correct answer choice, “unoriginal” is an adjective that means not original, while “imitative” is an adjective that can mean imitating a previous work and therefore not original. The two words are synonyms, not antonyms, and “unoriginal is to imitative” cannot be the correct answer. Similarly, “silly” and "goofy" are adjectives that each mean foolish, so “silly” and “goofy” are also a pair of synonyms and “silly is to goofy” cannot be the correct answer either. “Formal,” however, is an adjective that can mean done according to rules or stately, while “casual” can mean in a manner that lacks formality. Because “formal” and “casual” are antonyms just as “potent” and “weak” are antonyms, “formal is to casual” is the correct answer.
Example Question #34 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Sparse is to dense as limited is to __________.
sordid
endless
finite
fortunate
morbid
endless
“Sparse” is an adjective that can mean scattered, while “dense” is an adjective that can mean compact or crowded together. So, “sparse” and “dense” are antonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice that is an antonym of “limited,” an adjective that means restricted. So, that means that “finite” cannot be the correct answer, because “finite” is an adjective that can mean having limits, making it a synonym, not an antonym, of “limited.” “Endless,” however, is an adjective that can mean having no end or seeming to have no end. Because “limited” is an antonym of “endless” just like “sparse” is an antonym of “dense,” “endless” is the correct answer.
Example Question #35 : Antonyms
Complete this analogy.
Rise is to fall as facilitate is to __________.
pardon
boast
adorn
hinder
encourage
hinder
“Rise” and “fall” are antonyms, so we need to pick out an answer choice which means the opposite of “facilitate,” a verb that means make a process easier. That means that “encourage” cannot be the correct answer, because "encourage" means help, support, or inspire, making it a synonym, not an antonym, of “facilitate.” “Hinder,” however, is a verb that means create delays in some process, and because “hinder” is an antonym of “facilitate” just as “rise” is an antonym of “fall,” “hinder” is the correct answer.
Example Question #441 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Incriminate is to vindicate as __________.
claw is to paw
color is to red
leave is to remain
frighten is to terrify
help is to assist
leave is to remain
“Incriminate” is a verb that means make someone appear guilty of committing a crime, and “vindicate” is a verb that can mean remove blame or suspicion from someone. “Incriminate” and “vindicate” are thus antonyms, or opposites, and we need to pick out an answer choice that consists of two verbs which are antonyms of each other. That means that neither “frighten is to terrify” nor “help is to assist” can be the correct answer, because each of those answer choices consists of a pair of synonyms, not antonyms. “Leave” is an antonym of “remain,” however, just as “incriminate” is an antonym of “vindicate,” so “leave is to remain” is the correct answer.
Example Question #442 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Surge is to plummet as __________.
nail is to trim
wood is to flammable
dye is to cloth
test is to cheat
catch is to release
catch is to release
"Surge" is a verb that can mean a large and sudden increase while "plummet" is verb that can mean a large and sudden decrease. So, "surge" and "plummet" are antonyms, and we need to pick out an answer choice that consists of a pair of words that are antonyms. Because "catch" and "release" are the only pair of antonyms listed as a possible answer choice, "catch is to release" is the correct answer, because just as "surge" is the opposite of "plummet," "catch" is the opposite of "release."
Example Question #443 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Ornate is to plain as __________.
noise is to shush
conniving is to naive
dull is to uninteresting
sleep is to dream
bird is to egg
conniving is to naive
“Ornate” is an adjective that means adorned with a complicated design, so “ornate” and “plain” are antonyms, or opposites, and we need to pick out an answer choice which also consists of two antonyms. While “conniving is to naive” and “dull is to uninteresting” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “dull” is an adjective that can mean boring, so it is a synonym, not an antonym, of “uninteresting,” and “dull is to uninteresting” cannot be the correct answer. “Conniving,” however, is an adjective that means conspiring to accomplish bad things, while “naive” can mean innocent when describing a person. So, because “conniving” is an antonym of “naive” just as “ornate” is an antonym of “plain,” “conniving is to naive” is the correct answer.
Example Question #444 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Ravenous is to satiated as __________.
proposed is to suggested
nimble is to spry
just is to fair
facetious is to serious
balloon is to helium
facetious is to serious
Since "ravenous" means very hungry and "satiated" means very full, the two words are antonyms. So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the two words are opposites. While "nimble is to spry" might look like a good answer, "nimble" means agile and "spry" means lively and agile, the two words are synonyms, so "nimble is to spry" cannot be the correct answer. "Facetious is to serious," however, consists of a pair of antonyms: "facetious" means flippant and not treating important issues seriously. Because "facetious" is an antonym of "serious" just as "ravenous" is an antonym of "satiated," "facetious is to serious" is the correct answer.
Example Question #445 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Volatile is to stable as boisterous is to __________.
challenging
calm
lively
unstable
energetic
calm
"Volatile" means unstable or dangerous and is an antonym of "stable," which means reliable or unvarying. To solve this analogy, you have to determine the best antonym of "boisterous." "Boisterous" means loud, wild, and energetic, so the best antonym is “calm,” which means peaceful or tranquil. For clarification, "lively" and "energetic" both mean full of energy, "challenging" means presenting difficulties, and "unstable" means unsteady or likely to change.
Example Question #446 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Inflate is to deflate as suitable is to __________.
credible
unsuitable
suited
whirlwind
conform
unsuitable
"Inflate" means to swell up or fill with air while "deflate" means to reduce or release air from. They are antonyms, just like “suitable” and “unsuitable.” To further help you, “credible” means easy to believe or information you can rely on; “conform” is to become similar or the same; “suited” means appropriate, fitting.
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All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
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