SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Identifying Synonyms

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #291 : Identifying Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

NIMBLE

Possible Answers:

Flexible 

Frigid 

Elementary 

Complex 

Rudimentary

Correct answer:

Flexible 

Explanation:

Someone who is "nimble" is highly flexible and agile, so "flexible," which means able to bend, is the correct answer. For clarification, "rudimentary" and "elementary" are synonyms that both mean basic or simple, "complex" is an antonym of "rudimentary" and "elementary" that means complicated, and "frigid" means very cold.

Example Question #292 : Identifying Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

 

PRISTINE

Possible Answers:

Unconcerned

Intricate

Unyielding

Famous

Clean

Correct answer:

Clean

Explanation:

"Pristine" means clean or unused, so "clean" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "pristine": "unyielding" contains the negative prefix "un-," which means not, so you might be able to infer that it means not yielding, or in other words, stiff or inflexible; "famous" means well-known; "intricate" means complex or complicated; and "unconcerned" means not concerned or not interested, which you again might be able to infer from the presence of the prefix "un-."

Example Question #18 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

STIFF

Possible Answers:

Boring

Flexible

Rigid

Delicious

Selfless

Correct answer:

Rigid

Explanation:

"Stiff" means "rigid" or difficult to bend. "Flexible" is an antonym of "rigid"; it means easily changeable or bent. "Delicious" means very tasty. "Boring" means dull or uninteresting. "Selfless" means unselfish or concerned more with others than with oneself.

Example Question #19 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

EMACIATED

Possible Answers:

Very lazy 

Very fat 

Very efficient 

Very thin 

Very clever 

Correct answer:

Very thin 

Explanation:

Someone who is "emaciated" is very thin, to the point of being unhealthy, so "very thin" is the correct answer. "Emaciated" is an antonym of "corpulent," "portly" and "fat."

Example Question #20 : Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

IMMACULATE

Possible Answers:

Spotless 

Vociferous 

Frank 

Imperfect 

Zealous 

Correct answer:

Spotless 

Explanation:

"Immaculate" means perfectly clean or perfectly behaved, so "spotless," and adjective that also means perfectly clean, is the correct answer. For clarification, "imperfect" means not perfect, as you might guess from the word's use of the negative prefix "im-." It is an antonym of "immaculate." For further clarification, "frank" means honest, "zealous" means passionate, and "vociferous" means vocal or loud.

Example Question #311 : Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

EMACIATED

Possible Answers:

Destroyed

Fibrous 

Sensitive

Sad

Gaunt 

Correct answer:

Gaunt 

Explanation:

If someone or something is “emaciated” they are very thin and bony. For example, one could write, "After the famine, the farm animals were “emaciated.” “Gaunt” means thin and bony and usually pale. If you say, "His face looked gaunt," you mean it was thin, pale, and bony. To further help you ,“fibrous” means stringy or made of fibres, so chewy meat is “fibrous.” “Sensitive” means easily offended or sympathetic to other people’s feelings. 

Example Question #312 : Synonyms

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

STRIDENT

Possible Answers:

Piercing

Extended

Faint

Audible

Dull

Correct answer:

Piercing

Explanation:

“Strident” is an adjective that is often used to mean harsh and loud. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like loud. That means that “faint” cannot be the correct answer, because “faint” is an adjective that means indistinct or almost imperceptible, making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “strident.” “Audible” cannot be the correct answer either, because while a strident noise is audible (perceptible as sounds via listening), “audible” does not mean the same thing as “strident.” “Piercing,” however, is an adjective that can mean shrill and loud, and because “piercing” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “strident,” “piercing” is the correct answer.

Example Question #313 : Synonyms

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

LITHE

Possible Answers:

Forbidden

Heavy

Clumsy

Bright

Graceful

Correct answer:

Graceful

Explanation:

"Lithe" means graceful and limber, like a ballerina, so "graceful" is the correct answer.

Example Question #293 : Identifying Synonyms

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

DISCRETE

Possible Answers:

Inopportune

Muddled

Worrisome

Combined

Individual

Correct answer:

Individual

Explanation:

“Discrete” is an adjective that means separate, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like distinct. That means that “combined” cannot be the correct answer, because “combined” is an adjective that means merged, making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “discrete.” “Individual,” however, when used as an adjective, means separate, and because “individual” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “discrete,” “individual” is the correct answer.

Example Question #315 : Synonyms

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

RANCID

Possible Answers:

Fast

Sane

Gross

Ugly

Rotten

Correct answer:

Rotten

Explanation:

"Rancid" most nearly means rotten, as in "The food that had been left out on the counter top was rancid when the Smiths returned from their two-week vacation."

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