All ISEE Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
BIZARRE
Sociable
Sloppy
Dreadful
Usual
Odd
Odd
"Bizarre" means strange or odd. Usual is the antonym; it means ordinary or common. "Sociable" means friendly and eager to interact and speak with other people. "Sloppy" means careless and not cautious. "Dreadful" means causing great fear.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
TRITE
tiny
unimportant
clichéd
parochial
insignificant
clichéd
The word “trite” is often used in expressions like “his trite, meaningless remarks” or “the phrase was rather trite and common.” It often implies that something is insignificant or not important, but this sense follows on the main meaning of the word, namely, overused. It applies to expressions and ideas that have been repeated so often that they have lost their force. They become common knowledge and seem rather uninformative—“everyone knows that trite truth.” Among the options given in the answers, “clichéd” is the best, as it means overused and unoriginal.
Example Question #2 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
DEVIANT
Shunned
Illegal
Imprisoned
Anomalous
Miscreant
Anomalous
We tend to think of “deviant” as used in the phrase “social deviant.” This is often applied to people (perhaps problem-causing children) who are involved in activities that society frowns upon. This usage must not lead us to think that “deviant” means one who does illegal things. It is better understood from the perspective of the word “deviate,” which means to stray beyond the norms. When something is an anomaly, it is just this, namely something that goes away from the norm.
Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
TANTAMOUNT
Bubbly
Cryptic
Same
Stringent
Ironic
Same
"Tantamount" means the same or identical and is typically found in the phrase "X is tantamount to Y." That makes "same" the correct answer; as for the other answer choices, "stringent" means rigid or tight; "ironic" means coincidental or unexpected; "bubbly" means lively or energetic; and "cryptic" means secret or obscure in meaning.
Example Question #4 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ERRATIC
Foolish
Wrong
Forgetful
Irregular
Unreliable
Irregular
Among your options, it might be tempting to choose “unreliable”; however, the closest meaning for “erratic” is “irregular” or unpredictable. The word comes originally from the Latin meaning to stray or wander. When someone “errs,” he or she might make a mistake, but the strict sense is that person “goes the wrong way.” Someone might be “unreliable” because they are erratic; however, that is only because that person is irregular or unpredictable. Because they are so, they are thus unreliable.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PROLIFIC
Abundant
Prominent
Famous
Flowery
Ornate
Abundant
The word “prolific” comes from the Latin for “bearing offspring.” When an animal is “prolific” it bears much fruit or many children. When an artist is prolific, he or she produces many works. An example sentence would be, “The old man had been a prolific author during his lifetime, writing over a hundred best-selling thriller novels.”
Example Question #6 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VAPID
Appropriate
Risky
Steamy
Quick
Dull
Dull
Originally used to describe beverages lacking in flavor, "vapid" came to describe anything that is dull or insipid.
Example Question #7 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
BANAL
Ridiculous
Pitiful
Popular
Profound
Vapid
Vapid
When something is banal, it is extremely overused and has little meaning because of that. For instance, one might speak of a “banal phrase” that is really nothing but empty words or “banal song lyrics” that really express no meaning at all. When something is “vapid,” it does not stimulate at all. The word “vapid” comes from the Latin for “flat” or “tasteless.”
Example Question #8 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FRUITFUL
Blighted
Amiable
Innocuous
Fecund
Growing
Fecund
“Fruitful” means fertile, plentiful, fecund, or producing a lot of something, so "fecund," meaning fertile, is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “innocuous” means harmless; "blighted" means diseased and specifically refers to plants; "amiable" means friendly and warm in demeanor; and "growing" means maturing.
Example Question #9 : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Quality, Quantity, And Variety
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PEDESTRIAN
Languid
Thrilling
Exquisite
Heavy
Uneventful
Uneventful
When used as a noun, "pedestrian" means "a person walking along a road or in a developed area." When used as an adjective, however, "pedestrian" means "lacking inspiration or excitement; dull." "Thrilling" cannot be the correct answer because "thrilling" is an antonym of "vim," and while "languid" may seem close in meaning to "pedestrian," "languid" means "displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed" when describing a person, manner, or gesture, "pleasantly lazy and peaceful" when describing an occasion or period of time, or "weak or faint from illness or fatigue." "Uneventful," an adjective that means "not marked by interesting or exciting events," is the closest synonym to "pedestrian" amongst the listed answer choices, so "uneventful" is the correct answer.
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