Synonyms - HSPT Language Skills

Although it is somewhat normal to use the term “alien” to refer extra terrestrials, you likely also use the term when speaking of “alien peoples,” that is, people who are in a country having come from another. The word is related to the English “alias,” which is an alternative name that someone might use (to disguise his or her identity or merely for professional reasons). Both words come from the Latin for “other.” Thus, something that “alien” is foreign to a given area. The two words are relatively synonymous. The word “bombastic” describes someone who speaks in an overstated style, looking to be impressive with his or her oratory. The word “grandiloquent” literally means “large speaking,” in the sense of having an “inflated” style of speech, which is quite synonymous to “bombastic.”

When someone “intrudes” into a situation or space, he or she thrusts himself or herself into a something in which he or she is not welcome. Such an act could also be described as “encroaching,” which is relatively synonymous. When someone “disregards” something, he or she gives little attention to it—pays it little or no regard. Such an act could fairly be described as “ignoring” as well, which is the best option among those provided.

The Latin word “columen” means “height, peak, or summit. Generally, the word “culmination” is used to describe the “high point” of some activity. For instance, one could say, “The man’s dissertation was the culmination of four years or careful archival research and analysis.” The word can be used metaphorically in the sense of “summit,” meaning “high point.” Thus, the analogy is one of synonymy. The word “nadir,” on the other hand, means “lowest point,” as in, “After ten years of continued failure, George believed he finally had finally reached the nadir of his career and could only improve matters henceforth.” The best option, therefore, is “bottom.”

When we speak of someone’s destiny, we mean thereby to indicate what we believe will unquestionably happen in the future of his or her life. Such a person is believed to have a certain “fate.” Thus, to be “destined” is to be “fated” to something. The words are relatively synonymous. The word “acquitted” is most often used to describe the decision of a jury to declare someone not guilty of a crime, thus freeing that person of guilt. The word “exonerated” means “to forgive someone of guilt after considering the matter in question.” It comes from the Latin literally meaning, “To take the burden off of (someone).” The “-onerate” portion of the word is related to the word “onerous,” which means “burdensome.”

The word “superfluous” literally means “flowing over” in the sense of “being too much for the situation, hence overflowing the needs.” When something is thus overflowing, it is excessive—it exceeds the needs of a situation. Thus, we are looking for a synonym for “slender.” While the word “emaciated” might tempt you, it is far too strong of a word, indicating an unhealthy and sickly thinness. The better option is “lean,” which does not have these additional connotations and is thus a better synonym for “slender.”

When something is described as being “intense,” it is considered as being “to a great degree” with regard to some quality. For instance, “intense winds” are very strong winds and “intense cold” is “extreme cold.” Thus, the words “intense” and “extreme” are relatively synonymous, so a synonym is needed for “expensive.” Among the options provided, several wrong answers are likely tempting like “prohibitive,” “impoverished,” and “penurious.” All of these are distantly related to matters of money and expense, but they do not signify the same meaning as “expensive” itself. Though “costly” might seem to be too simple of a word, here the simplest is indeed the best and correct.

When someone is “lax,” he or she is “loose” with discipline or care. The word is related to “relax.” In the case of “lax,” it is often implied that such “laxity” is a bad character trait for which the person should be judged negatively. Since “negligence” is the failure to perform a necessary or required task with appropriate care, it is a relative synonym for lax. “Malaise” is the state of feeling uneasy, though one cannot exactly explain why this is the case. Thus, the best synonymous answer for this analogy is “uneasiness.”

Perhaps you have heard the expression, “political consensus.” It is used to describe the situation when a group of differing political parties are able to come together in agreement on some topic. The word “consensus” literally means “feeling or sensing together.” (The “con-” prefix means “with,” as in “congregate” and “chili con carne”—chili with meat). Thus, “consensus” is relatively synonymous with “agreement.” Among the options provided for freedom, several might tempt you because of indirect references and relations (like “fighter,” “constitution,” and “political”); however, the best option is “liberty,” which is the only option that is directly synonymous with “freedom.”

When someone is “elated,” he or she is said to be so happy that he or she is “carried out of himself.” (This is somewhat like the word “ecstasy,” which literally means standing outside of oneself). Elation is thus a state of extreme joy—something at least relatively synonymous with being “thrilled.” Thus, we are looking for a synonym for the word “grin.” Among the options, the only word that is synonymous to “grin” is “beam.” This might seem strange at first, but consider “grin” taken as a verb—“to grin.” Although the word “beam” can also mean something completely different—e.g. the wooden beams in a house—as a verb, it can also mean to smile broadly and openly. Perhaps you have seen the present participle: “A beaming smile.”

A glutton is a person who does not control the amount of food that he or she eats, overindulging. Such a person can be called “intemperate.” Although it is usually used to describe the forgoing of alcohol, the word “temperance” also can mean self-control regarding desires more generally considered. An imbecile is a foolish or stupid person. Such a person could be called “unintelligent.”

"Deciduous" plants are those which lose their leaves annually (as opposed to pine and other evergreen trees that retain their needles throughout the winter and into the spring). The word literally comes from Latin roots meaning to fall downward. The “de-” prefix means down from (as in “descend”) and the “-ciduous” is related to the same and similar forms found in “cadence” and “accident.” Etymology aside, the analogy is one of member-to-class. Something deciduous is a type of arboreal plant. ("Arboreal" meaning pertaining to trees). Thus, something “bodily” is best called something “corporeal.” None of the other options name the general class of bodily things. The word "corpulent," which is close (and clearly related in its roots) means fat—like having a lot of “body.”

Something that is tedious is repetitive and boring. Tedium describes the state of being tedious, as when we say, “The class was complete tedium, for the professor lectured about the most obvious facts in the world.” Such things are dull and uninteresting; therefore, the analogy could be rewritten, “Just as a state of tedium is dull, so too is something wondrous X.” Something wondrous might be unknown, but even very familiar things can evoke wonder. In a sense, things that are wondrous can be said to evoke a kind of excitement. Thus “exciting” is at least the most acceptable among the answers provided.

The word “insulated” is likely familiar, describing the material in your house’s walls, used to regulate the temperature. The word originally comes from “island” in Latin, and “insulation” can be understood as making a barrier like water around an island, protecting the inside of your house like water surrounding a small landmass. When the word “insulated” is used to describe a person, it means that he or she has been kept from outside influence. Such a person is likely to be naïve, that is, lacking experience and perhaps innocent. Someone who is cosmopolitan is wise in the ways of the world. The word means “comfortable and free in any nation” and could be expressed by someone as saying, “The world is my city.” Such a person is wise in the ways of the world and likely sophisticated. Thus, the analogy holds: “As an insulated person is likely naïve, so is a cosmopolitan person likely sophisticated.”

"Overjoyed" and "gleeful" are synonyms; therefore a similar word for "miserable" is "gloomy."

"Prudent" means the same thing as "cautious," just as "traitorous" and "backstabbing" are synonyms.

"Luxurious" and "opulent" mean roughly the same thing, just as "dilapidated" and "crumbling" are synonyms.

"Valiant" is another word for "brave," much like "craven" is a synonym for "cowardly."

"Luminous" and "bright" are a pair of synonyms, much like "obscure" means the same as "vague."

"Donated" and "bequeathed" are synonyms, as are "pilfered" and "stolen."

"Stirring" and "inspirational" are similar, just as "organized" and "orderly" are synonyms.