All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Each synonyms question is made up of a word in capital letters followed by five choices. Choose the one word that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
COLOSSAL:
beneficial
magnificent
perilous
immense
diminutive
immense
If something is colossal, it means that it is massive or immense. For example, a mistake can be colossal if it is large.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
A synonym of "immense" is __________.
gargantuan
excited
puny
meddlesome
quiet
gargantuan
"Immense" is an adjective that means "extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "very big." That means that "puny" can't be the correct answer, because "puny" means "small and weak" or "poor in quality, amount, or size," so "puny" is an antonym of "immense." "Gargantuan," however, is an adjective that means "enormous," so "gargantuan" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "immense."
Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
A synonym of “diminutive” is __________.
tremulous
subpar
minute
enormous
fragrant
minute
“Diminutive” is an adjective that means “extremely small,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “very small.” That means that “enormous” cannot be the correct answer, because “enormous” means “very large in size, quantity, or extent,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “diminutive.” “Minute,” however, is a word that means “extremely small” when used as an adjective, and because “minute” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “diminutive,” “minute” is the correct answer.
Example Question #4 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
SOLITARY
Luxurious
Lone
Paired
Married
Guardian
Lone
"Solitary" means lone, alone, or by oneself, so "lone" is the correct answer. To help you, "paired" means put together into a group of two, "guardian" means defender, and "luxurious" means fancy and expensive.
Example Question #5 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
UNIQUE
One-of-a-kind
Commonplace
Young
Regular
One-of-a-kind
When something is "unique," it is the only one of its kind, or at the very least extremely special. For example, people often talk about snowflakes as examples of uniqueness, stating that each snowflake is slightly different. "One-of-a-kind" is the correct choice here. "Commonplace" and "regular" refer to ordinary things, so these words are the opposite of our answer. "Young," which means having so far only been alive for a brief period of time or not old, is an unrelated concept.
Example Question #6 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
PECULIAR
Strange
Intelligent
Uninteresting
Normal
Strange
"Peculiar" is an adjective that means unusual. Therefore, the word "strange" is the correct choice; other synonyms might include odd or abnormal. "Normal" is an antonym of "peculiar," and "intelligent," or smart, is unrelated. "Uninteresting" is also an incorrect choice because a peculiar object is unlikely to be boring.
Example Question #7 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Synonyms: Choose the answer that most closely matches the word in capital letters.
IMMENSE
Huge
Petite
Tiny
Miniscule
Lilliputian
Huge
Immense means massive, huge, or very significant. To further help you, it is an antonym of the other four answer choices, as it has the opposite meaning to them. Miniscule, petite and lilliputian are all synonyms that mean very small.
Example Question #8 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Synonyms: Choose the answer that most closely matches the word in capital letters.
PUNY
Lucky
Bemused
Small
Dazed
Big
Small
"Puny" means weak and small. To further help you, "dazed" means stunned, especially by a blow; "bemused" means confused and puzzled.
Example Question #57 : Synonyms: Adjectives
Synonyms: Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.
COMMON
Normal
Locality
Dedicated
Rare
Normal
"Common" is defined as not rare. "Normal" is the best answer choice, because "normal" describes things that are standard, regular, or natural. "Rare" is an antonym of "common."
Example Question #9 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quantity, Variety, And Size
Synonyms: Select the word that is most nearly the same in meaning as the word in capital letters.
MINUSCULE
Opaque
Magnificent
Tiny
Gigantic
Tiny
"Minuscule" is an adjective that means extremely small. So, the answer choice closest in meaning to "minuscule" is "tiny," an adjective that means very small. None of the other answers are close in meaning to "minuscule": "gigantic" is an antonym of "miniscule" and means very large; "opaque" means not transparent; and "magnificent" means impressively beautiful.
All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
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