Synonyms: Nouns for Nonliving Things - ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning

Maybe you have heard your siblings or parents talking about "garment bags." These are bags that are used for carrying clothes. (For instance, a uniform might be carried in a garment bag when going to a football game.) The word "garment" is not about any particular kind of clothing that might be put into such a bag. Instead, the word "garment" simply means clothing item. Thus, the best option provided here is "attire." Perhaps you have heard someone say something like, "He changed his attire so he could look nicer for the dance." "Attire" is a synonym for "clothes." (It does sometimes mean "nice clothes", but it is also fine for simple "clothes" as well!)

A calamity is best described as a disaster or unfortunate event.

"Catastrophe" is a noun that means "an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering; a disaster," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "disaster." "Tranquility" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "tranquility" means "the quality or state of being tranquil; calm," making it an antonym, not a synonym, of "catastrophe." "Calamity," however, is a noun that means "an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster," and because "calamity" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "catastrophe," "calamity" is the correct answer.

"Donation" is a noun that means "something that is given to a charity, especially a sum of money." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "something that is given to a charity." "Price," then, cannot be the correct answer, because while "price" can refer to a sum of money, it specifically means "the amount of money expected, required, or given in payment for something," not "something that is given to a charity." "Contribution," however, is a noun that means "a gift or payment to a common fund or collection," and because "contribution" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "donation," "contribution" is the correct answer.

The best answer choice is "divide," because even though "divide" can be used as a verb that means separate, when used as a noun, "divide" is a synonym for a "gap" or a space. If none of the choices seem obvious to you, consider what other definitions the words you know might have.

A "chasm" is a very deep hole. "Hole" is the best choice as it is a part of the definition of the word "chasm." Considering the other choices, "chance" means luck or an opportunity, a "coup" is the takeover of a government or a clever act or accomplishment, and "criticize" means to find fault in.

The word "abyss" means a very deep hole. "Cavity," which means a hollow place or a hole, is the best answer choice because it has a similar definition to the word "abyss." Considering the other choices, a "bin" is a box for storing things, "scary" means causing fear, and "tall" means great in height.

A "trinket" is something that is small and of little value. The best choice is "junk" as it also refers to things that are of little value or worthless.

The correct answer is "danger," because both "threat" and "danger" mean something that can potentially harm someone. "Safety" is an opposite of "danger," and the other two words do not have to do with "threat."

"Terrain" is land. "Land" is the best choice because it is a part of the definition of the word "terrain."

The correct answer is "feast." "Banquet" and "feast" both mean a very large formal meal featuring many types of dishes. While "dinner" is eaten at a "banquet," "feast" is the better synonym of "banquet," so "feast" is the correct answer.

A "collision" is the event of one object hitting another, or a "crash." An "achievement" is an accomplishment or the completion of some task or goal. "Reign," when used as a noun, means the period when a person rules or governs. "Homonym" refers to a word that is pronounced in the same way as another word, but has a different meaning than that other word. A "route" is a path or road.

A "talon" is the claw of a bird, so "claw" is the correct answer. "Retirement" is the period after a person stops working. A "protagonist" is the main character of a story. A "canyon" is a deep gorge. A "banquet" is a large dinner, usually held to celebrate some event.

A "crater" is a pit or depression in the surface of the earth (or another body in space, like the moon). Think about craters as resembling dents or scoops taken out of the ground. The word "hill" is the opposite of "crater," since it describes a geographical feature that extends upward from the ground, not downward. "Frown," an unhappy expression, and "mirror," a reflective surface, are unrelated terms.

"Fiasco" is another word for an event that fails in a disastrous way. You might call your birthday party a fiasco if it rains all day, everyone gets lost on the way to your house, and the ice cream melts—in other words, if everything goes wrong. So, "disaster" is the word that we're looking for here. "Success" implies that the event went well, and both "boredom" and "numbness" imply a lack of interest or feeling about the situation.

A "remnant" is a fragment of something that remains after most of it is gone. "Fragment" is the best choice, as it is a part of the definition of "remnant." Considering the other choices, "remain" is a verb that means stay, "shut" means close, and "distant" means far off.

A "harbinger" is something or someone that is a sign of a future event. The best choice is "omen," which shares the same definition. Considering the other choices, "chaos" means a state of utter confusion, "auxiliary" means additional, and "guard" means a person that protects someone or something.

A "pamphlet" is a small booklet or packet, so "booklet" is the correct answer. "University" is a school of higher learning. "Quarrel" is a fight or a disagreement. "Connection" means bond or link. "Restaurant" is a place where people go to have food cooked for them and eat it.

"Commotion" means a state of chaotic and noisy confusion. "Uproar" is the word that most closely matches this definition. "Punishment," "conquest," and "restoration" are all unrelated terms.