SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Using Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots to Identify Synonyms
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Verbal
All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #31 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
IMPUGN
Consider
Rent
Excel
Lurk
Attack
Attack
To "impugn" is to attack someone either verbally or physically. It also means to challenge someone's statements as false. The Latin root word, "pugnare," means to fight.
Example Question #32 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
AMBIGUOUS
Undeniable
Pristine
Indubitable
Ambidextrous
Unclear
Unclear
If you don't recognize a word, it is almost always a good idea to try to use roots to figure out its meaning. You can break the word ambiguous into its component parts fairly easily ("ambi" + "guous"). "Ambi-" is a pretty common prefix, so you should recognize it even if you don't know what the whole word means. It's even in one of the other answer choices: "ambidextrous." The prefix "ambi-" has to do with something that goes in two directions at once. "Ambidextrous," for instance, means able to use both hands to do tasks (e.g. to write). "Ambiguous" means unclear, or having an unclear or undecidable meaning—a meaning that is unclear because it is one among multiple possible meanings. The answer choices "pristine," "indubitable," and "undeniable" each have to do with either clearness or certainty, and we already know what ambidextrous means, so "unclear" is the only choice left.
Example Question #33 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ELUCIDATE
Lucid
Read
Clarify
Intelligent
Learn
Clarify
The word "elucidate" means to clarify or to explain. The best answer choice is "clarify," which means to make clear or to explain. The word "lucid", though related to the verb "elucidate", is not itself a verb. It is an adjective which means clear or easily understood.
Example Question #34 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SIMILITUDE
Pleasantry
Bastion
Felicity
Resemblance
Ardor
Resemblance
"Similitude" is a noun derived from the Latin root "similis", meaning similar. "Resemblance" is a noun meaning the state of being alike, so it is a synonym for "similitude."
Example Question #35 : Synonyms: Roots
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FIDELITY
Ennui
Tint
Inadequacy
Loyalty
Ministry
Loyalty
"Fidelity" is a noun derived from the Latin root fidelis meaning faithfulness. "Loyalty" is a noun meaning a strong feeling of allegiance or faithfulness, and is an appropriate synonym.
Example Question #3014 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal
Synonyms: choose the word closest in meaning to the word in question.
UNORTHODOX
Ordinary
Putrid
Pedestrian
Malevolent
Strange
Strange
"Unorthodox" means unusual or strange or not traditional, so "strange" is the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Roots From Other Languages
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SAVANT
Accumulation
Epicure
Mirage
Irony
Scholar
Scholar
A "savant" is a person of extensive learning, so the best choice is the word "scholar." "Savant" is derived from the French word "savoir," which means to know.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Roots From Anglo Saxon
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
AFOREMENTIONED
Aforesaid
Aforethought
Afoot
Afore
Afoul
Aforesaid
These words all share an anglo-saxon root "afore-." The only two words with closely related meanings are "aforesaid" and "aforementioned," which refer to something that has previously come up in conversation. The other words are not synonymous with "aforementioned."
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All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
