Synonyms: Adjectives - ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning

Something that is "compressed" is forced into a smaller space. Something that is "condensed" is reduced from a larger size into a smaller size while still holding the same amount of material. Given the similarities between these two words, they are synonyms.

Something that is "unkempt" is disorderly and disorganized in appearance. The word from the answer choices that most closely means this is "messy," which is therefore the correct answer.

Something that is "frail" is easily broken. Something that is "weak" is lacking strength, and therefore also breaks very easily. Given the similarities between these two words, "weak"is the best synonym for "frail_._"

The adjective "pliable" describes the quality of being easy to bend; a pliable material, therefore, is not stiff or "unyielding." Instead, it is "flexible," which is our correct synonym. The two remaining answer choices, though also adjectives in at least some cases, are unrelated to this term. "Askew" refers to the quality of being crooked, as in a poster that is hung at a slant on the wall. "Routine," our final choice, can describe an activity that is unremarkable or part of a regular schedule. Note that "routine" can also be used as a noun, as in our "daily routine." Finally, "honest" means truthful.

While all four of these answer choices are adjectives, only one shares its meaning with "raucous," which is often used to describe loud, discordant, overly rowdy situations or groups of people. Here, "noisy" is our best answer. "Silent" and "melodic," both of which also relate to sound, are near antonyms. Something that is "silent" makes no noise at all, while a "melodic" sound would be musical and pleasant, not harsh or unpleasantly loud. "Melancholy" describes a deeply sad or depressed mood and can therefore be eliminated, and "sharp" describes pointed ends or well-honed edges that can prick or split things.

"Shrouded"means cloaked or veiled. Thus, something that is "shrouded" is "covered," making "covered"the best synonym. While something that is "shrouded" may be "dark," those words are not the same in meaning. Therefore, "dark"is a tempting wrong answer choice.

A “fever” is a type of sickness or illness in which one feels very hot, tired, and physically weak. If one is "feverish," one is "hot."

The “aroma” of something is how it smells, so one could say that a flower has a nice aroma.

“Handsome” means attractive and good looking, and in contemporary usage, it is most often used to describe a man. So, "attractive" is the correct answer.

Something that is “murky” is dismal and dark, so "dark" is the correct answer. So, water might be “murky” if it were very dirty. “Murky” is also the opposite of “clear,” which means transparent and unclouded. “Sore” means in pain due to overexertion of muscles; “intentional” means done on purpose; and “mighty” means strong.

“Slender” means skinny or"slim." As for the other answer choices, the word “clever” means quick-witted; “resolute” means determined; "dreary” means drab in appearance and causing sadness; and "pointed" means coming to a sharp, narrow tip.

Have you ever been in a friend's house that seems almost too clean? Or walked by a lawn that was perfectly manicured? In situations like these, you could use the adjective "pristine," which means perfectly clean or untouched. The best choice for a synonym is clearly "spotless," which could also describe an impeccably clean environment. Both "dirty" and "marred" are antonyms, and "self-assured" simply describes a confident or assertive person.

"Visible" means able to be seen. The best choice is "noticeable," which means able to be noticed. Something that is "noticeable" can be seen. Considering the other choices, "permeable" means full of small holes so certain things may pass through , "cloudy" means not clear, and "vision" is sight. Even though "vision" is related to "visible," it is a noun while "visible" is an adjective. Since "noticeable" is both close in definition to "visible" and an adjective, it is the best choice.

Immaterial suggests that something is deemed unimportant or it lacks significance. In this question, it calls upon the first definition of immaterial; the other definition of immaterial defines something as spiritual rather than physical.

For something to be "fanciful," it means that it is whimsical and imaginary; it is opposite of something that is real and reasonable.

"Ephemeral" is an adjective that means "lasting for a very short time." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "lasting for a short time." "Permanent" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "permanent" is an antonym of "lasting for a short time." "Transitory," however, is an adjective that means "not permanent," or in other words, "of brief duration : temporary," and because it is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "ephemeral," "transitory" is the correct answer.

"Ludicrous" is an adjective that means "so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "ridiculous." "Sensible" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "sensible" is an antonym of "ridiculous." "Preposterous," however, is an adjective that means "contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous," and because it is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "ludicrous," "preposterous" is the correct answer.

"Improbable" is an adjective that means either "not likely to be true or to happen" or "unexpected and apparently inauthentic." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "not likely." "Expected" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "expected" means "regarded as likely to happen," making it an antonym, not a synonym, or "improbable." "Unlikely," however, is an adjective that means "not likely to happen, be done, or be true; improbable," and because "unlikely" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "improbable," "unlikely" is the correct answer.

"Incredible" means not able to be believed. "Unbelievable" is a synonym of "incredible." None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "incredible": "recognizable" means able to be recognized or noticeable; "acceptable" means passable or just meeting a standard; and "edible" means able to be eaten.

"Implicit" is an adjective that means recognized but not actually stated. So, the best answer choice is "implied," which also means recognized but not actually stated. While all of the incorrect answer choices also begin with "im-," none of them are close in meaning to "implicit": "implicated" means accused of a crime; "implacable" means unable to be appeased; and "impecunious" means having no money or very poor.