Synonyms: Adjectives - ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning

If something is colossal, it means that it is massive or immense. For example, a mistake can be colossal if it is large.

"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."

"Compact" is a word that when used as an adjective can mean "closely and neatly packed together; dense," or "having all the necessary components or features neatly fitted into a small space." So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "small." That means that "oversized" can't be the correct answer, because "oversized" can mean "bigger than the usual size," so "oversized" is an antonym of "compact." "Miniature," however, is an adjective that means "of a much smaller size than normal; very small," especially when used of a replica of something, so "miniature" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "compact."

"Ample" is an adjective that means "enough or more than enough; plentiful." So, "meager" cannot be the correct answer, because "meager" means "lacking in quantity or quality" when used to refer to something provided or available," making "meager" an antonym of "ample," not a synonym." "Profuse," however, is an adjective that means "exuberantly plentiful; abundant, especially when used of something offered or discharged." Because "profuse" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "ample," "profuse" is the correct answer.

“Ample” is an adjective that means “plentiful,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “enough” or “plentiful.” That means that “lacking” cannot be the correct answer, because “lacking” means “not available,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “ample.” “Abundant,” however, is an adjective that means “large quantities; plentiful,” and because “abundant” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “ample,” “abundant” is the correct answer.

“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.

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.

"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.

"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."

"Meager" refers to amounts of things and means a very small or too small. "Sparse," which means present only in small amounts or less than is necessary, is the best match.

"Maximum" means most or greatest possible, so "greatest" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "maximum": "meager" means insufficient or not enough; "minor" means relatively small or relatively unimportant; "drastic" means extreme or radical; and "cordial" means friendly and pleasant.

“Substantial” means large, significant, and extensive. To provide further help, “miniscule” and "petite" are synonyms and both mean very small. "Aggressive" means violent and destructive and is an antonym of “passive,” which means peaceful and calm. "Passive" can also be used to mean w eak or easily dominated.

"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.

"Immense" and "colossal" both mean very large, so "colossal" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, "microscopic" and "miniature" both mean very small, though "microscopic" means so small as to need a microscope to be seen and "miniature" means being a smaller version of something else. "Intermediate" means of a difficulty between easy and challenging.

The prefix "mono-" means one, so the word “monotone” means having only one tone. Of the answer choices, it is closest in meaning to “unchanging” which means not changing, staying the same. To provide further help, “variable” means differing; “gullible” means easily tricked; “resolute” means determined; “unifying” means bringing together.

When you have an "abundance" of something, you have a lot of that thing. The word "abounding" means overflowing or i_n a great quantity_. Therefore, "abounding love" means a great amount of love—to the point of overflowing. The best answer is "plentiful," which expresses having a great amount. To say that you have "plenty of corn" is to say that you have a lot of corn. Note, however, that while a fruitful harvest is indeed "plentiful," it does not mean exactly the same thing as "abundant." "Fruitful" means producing a lot or productive, so while "fruitfulness" is a kind of "abundance," is not the same as "abundance" or "abundant."

"Elephantine" means elephant-like, or in other words, extremely large. While elephants produce ivory and are said to have good memories in popular culture, neither "ivory" (off-white) nor "memorable" (significant or easy to remember) is a synonym of "elephantine."

"Solitary" shares its roots with words like "sole" (only, alone) and "solo" (a musical piece performed by one person alone or as a part of a group performance). Given that these other terms each have to do with being by oneself in some way, it's not surprising that "solitary" means done alone or living alone, making "alone" the best answer choice. As for the other answer choices, "paired” means matched up with another; “imaginary” means not real, and instead created in the mind; "communal" means available for the use of anyone in a certain group; and "written" means conveyed in text.

"Minuscule" means "tiny." As for the other answer choices, “gigantic” means very big, and is an antonym of "miniscule." “Talkative” means chatty; “reserved” means not loud or social, quiet and liking to be alone; and “silent” means not making any noise.