SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Synonyms: Nouns for Abstract Concepts

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

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #111 : Synonyms

A synonym of “nuisance” is __________.

Possible Answers:

support

annoyance

length

formality

boredom

Correct answer:

annoyance

Explanation:

“Nuisance” is a noun that means “a person, thing, or circumstance causing inconvenience or annoyance,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “something or someone causing inconvenience.” That means that “comfort” cannot be the correct answer, because “comfort,” when used as a noun, can mean “a person or thing that gives consolation,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “nuisance.” “Annoyance,” however, is a noun that can mean “a thing that annoys someone; a nuisance,” and because “annoyance” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “nuisance,” “annoyance” is the correct answer.

Example Question #112 : Synonyms

A synonym of “sabotage” is __________.

Possible Answers:

renovate

supplant

narrow

wreck

reconsider

Correct answer:

wreck

Explanation:

“Sabotage” is a word that can be used as a verb or a noun, but because all of the potential answer choices are verbs, we will need to consider it as a noun. When “sabotage” is used as a verb, it means “deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “deliberately destroy.” That means that “renovate” cannot be the correct answer, because “renovate” is a verb that means “restore (something old, especially a building) to a good state of repair,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “sabotage.” “Wreck,” however, is a word that when used as a verb, can mean “destroy or severely damage (a structure or vehicle),” and because “wreck” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “sabotage,” “wreck” is the correct answer.

Example Question #113 : Synonyms

A synonym of “assembly” is __________.

Possible Answers:

facet

meeting

preparation

network

individual

Correct answer:

meeting

Explanation:

“Assembly” is a noun that can mean “a group of people gathered together in one place for a common purpose,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “a group of people gathered together with a common goal.” That means that “individual” cannot be the correct answer, because “individual,” when used as a noun, means “a single human being as distinct from a group, class, or family,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “assembly.” “Meeting,” however, is a noun that means “an assembly of people, especially the members of a society or committee, for discussion or entertainment,” and because “meeting” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “assembly,” “meeting” is the correct answer.

Example Question #121 : Synonyms

A synonym of “finesse” is __________.

Possible Answers:

tact

ineptness

nemesis

delirium

hierarchy

Correct answer:

tact

Explanation:

“Finesse” is a word that can be used as a noun or a verb, but because all of the possible answer choices are nouns, we will need to consider “finesse” as a noun. When used as a noun, “finesse” means either “intricate and refined delicacy” or “artful subtlety, typically that needed for tactful handling of a difficulty.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “refined delicacy” or “artful subtlety.” That means that “ineptness” cannot be the correct answer, because “ineptness” means “the quality of having or showing no skill; clumsiness,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “finesse.” “Tact,” however, is a noun that means “adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues,” and because “tact” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “finesse,” “tact” is the correct answer.

Example Question #15 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

Choose the best synonym for the word in capital letters.

CUSTOM

Possible Answers:

trick

convention

correlation

race

craft

Correct answer:

convention

Explanation:

custom is a tradition or convention.

Example Question #122 : Synonyms

A synonym of “yearning” is __________.

Possible Answers:

emotion

luster

conversation

avoidance

desire

Correct answer:

desire

Explanation:

“Yearning” is a noun that means “a feeling of intense longing for something,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “intense longing.” That means that “avoidance” cannot be the correct answer, because “avoidance” means “the act of keeping away from or stopping oneself,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “yearning.” “Desire,” however, is a noun that can mean “a strong feeling of wishing for something to happen,” and because “desire” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “yearning,” “desire” is the correct answer.

Example Question #16 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Hiatus

Possible Answers:

Break

Beggar

Enrollment

Intellect

Surrender

Correct answer:

Break

Explanation:

"Hiatus" means a break or interruption.

Example Question #18 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Brevity

Possible Answers:

Consistency

Preparation

Selection

Duct

Shortness

Correct answer:

Shortness

Explanation:

"Brevity" means a shortness of time or duration. It also means expressing a lot in few words.

Example Question #16 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Correlation

Possible Answers:

Relationship

Influence

Propulsion

Recognition 

Caution

Correct answer:

Relationship

Explanation:

A "correlation" is a relationship between two or more things.

Example Question #913 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Peril

Possible Answers:

Narrative

Principal

Introversion

Danger

Vertex

Correct answer:

Danger

Explanation:

"Peril" means danger.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors