SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, and Sensory Imagery

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 :Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

EMACIATED

Possible Answers:

Sensitive

Destroyed

Sad

Fibrous

Gaunt

Correct answer:

Gaunt

Explanation:

If someone or something is “emaciated” they arevery thin and bony. For example, one could write, "After the famine, the farm animals were “emaciated.” “Gaunt” meansthin and bony and usually pale. If you say, "His face looked gaunt," you mean it wasthin, pale, and bony. To further help you ,“fibrous” meansstringy or made of fibres,所以耐嚼,“纤维。”“敏感”的意思easily offended or sympathetic to other people’s feelings.

Example Question #22 :Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

STRIDENT

Possible Answers:

Faint

Dull

Audible

Extended

Piercing

Correct answer:

Piercing

Explanation:

“Strident” is an adjective that is often used to meanharshand loud. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something likeloud. That means that “faint” cannot be the correct answer, because “faint” is an adjective that meansindistinctoralmost 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 meanshrill and loud, and because “piercing” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “strident,” “piercing” is the correct answer.

Example Question #22 :Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

LITHE

Possible Answers:

Bright

Graceful

Heavy

Forbidden

Clumsy

Correct answer:

Graceful

Explanation:

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

Example Question #22 :Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

DISCRETE

Possible Answers:

Inopportune

Individual

Combined

Muddled

Worrisome

Correct answer:

Individual

Explanation:

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

Example Question #23 :Synonyms: Adjectives Describing Appearance, Materiality, And Sensory Imagery

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

RANCID

Possible Answers:

Rotten

Ugly

Gross

Fast

Sane

Correct answer:

Rotten

Explanation:

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

Example Question #25 :Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

FRANGIBLE

Possible Answers:

Gross

Prickly

Fuzzy

Shatterproof

Breakable

Correct answer:

Breakable

Explanation:

“Frangible” is an adjective that means “fragile; brittle,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “fragile.” That means that “shatterproof” cannot be the correct answer, because “shatterproof” means “made so that it does not break easily and will not form sharp, dangerous pieces if it does break,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “frangible.” “Breakable,” however, is an adjective that means “capable of breaking or being broken easily,” and because “breakable” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “frangible,” “breakable” is the correct answer.

Example Question #26 :Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

COMELY

Possible Answers:

Ugly

Imperfect

Perfect

boisterous

Cute

Correct answer:

Cute

Explanation:

"Comely" is an adjective that meansvery cuteorattractive, so "cute" is the correct answer. For clarification, "ugly" meansaesthetically unpleasant, "imperfect" meanshaving flawsornot perfect, "perfect" meanshaving no flaws or errors, and "boisterous" meansloudor不守规矩的.

Example Question #22 :Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

SALIENT

Possible Answers:

Postponed

Qualified

Constituent

Subtle

Conspicuous

Correct answer:

Conspicuous

Explanation:

"Salient" is an adjective that means "most noticeable or important," so we need to pick out a word that means something like "most noticeable." While "constituent" and "conspicuous" might sound quite similar, "constituent" means "being a part of the whole," while "conspicuous" means "standing out so as to be clearly visible" or "attracting notice or attention." Since "conspicuous" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "salient," "conspicuous" is the correct answer.

Example Question #23 :Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

BURLY

Possible Answers:

Comely

Stocky

Lanky

Tall

Portly

Correct answer:

Stocky

Explanation:

Someone who is "burly" isstocky and well-built, so "stocky," a word that meansstrapping,体格魁伟的, orbrawny是正确的答案。瘦长的澄清。" describes someone who istall and skinny, portly meansstoutorfat, and comely meanscuteorattractive.

Example Question #24 :Synonyms: Adjectives And Adverbs

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

INTACT

Possible Answers:

Broken

Social

Accurate

Spoiled

Complete

Correct answer:

Complete

Explanation:

"Intact" meanscomplete. "Broken" is an antonym of "intact" and meanssmashedorshattered. "Spoiled" meanscoddled. "Social" can meanhaving to do with society. "Accurate" meanscorrectorprecise.

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