Identifying Synonyms - ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning

"Flippant" means lacking proper respect. "Sassy" is the best match because it means cheeky or impertinent.

A "shrewd" individual is perceptive; he or she is quick-witted and skilled at using thinking to solve problems. In other words, a shrewd person is "clever." "Foolish" is clearly an incorrect choice; "bland" means tasteless or boring, and "exciting" refers to an event that causes people to become eager or excited.

A "captivating" person grabs the interest of others and keeps it. When describing someone like this, one might use the phrase "can't tear my eyes away," meaning that it is very difficult to ignore that person. Here, the answer choice with the most similar meaning is "fascinating." "Drab" usually describes something that is dull or boring; "pointless" means meaningless, and "quick" is another word for fast.

The adjective "jocular" describes someone who tends to make jokes or act lighthearted. "Humorous," another term for funny, is the proper choice. You likely already know the meanings of "tired" and "smart," and therefore know that neither word refers to a playful or joking manner. Finally, "exasperated" is a good word to know, though not the correct answer. You've probably felt "exasperated" when you've been annoyed by an irritating situation that has gone on for too long.

"Optimistic" means positive or having a good outlook on the future. "Negative" is the antonym; it means expecting a poor outcome in the future. As for the other answer choices, "frequent" means happening many times or happening often, "courageous" means bold or brave, and "swift" means agile or quick.

"Unruly" means disorderly or rowdy, so "rowdy" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "unruly": "sympathetic" means showing sympathy or compassion; "toxic" means poisonous; "modern" means new and contemporary; and "contagious" means spreading easily from person to person and usually refers to illnesses or diseases.

“Faithful” means devoted or loyal, so "devoted" is the correct answer. To provide further help, “disloyal” means not loyal, “mendacity” is another term for dishonesty or lying, “forcible” means aggressive, and “defamatory” means insulting and slanderous and is used to refer toinformation that is rude and probably not true.

If you are unsure what the word in capital letters means, look at the answer choices. You can eliminate any answer choices that are synonyms of one other, because there isn't more than one right answer. "Morose" and "melancholy" both mean sad, so you can eliminate them. "Solemn" can mean serious. "Festive" is the correct answer because it is closest in meaning to "jovial"; both words mean good-humored or merry.

Think of "unruly" as an adjective meaning not following rules, difficult to control, or rebellious. "Obedient" and "faithful" are antonyms of "unruly" and "rebellious." "Meager" means very small or too small in amount.

"Fascinating" and "intriguing" are synonyms, and both words mean interesting. Eliminate them, because there can be only one right answer. "Exciting" means "amazing," the opposite of "boring." So, "dull" is the correct answer.

“Retentive” means able to hold on to memories, or “having good memory.” To provide further help, “possessions” are things that are owned.

Something that is "discreet" is careful, tactful, or prudent, so "prudent" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "discreet": "obvious" means overt or easy to understand or see; "hopeful" means optimistic; "fraudulent" means deceptive; and "unknown" means not known, as you can tell from the word being a combination of the negative prefix "un-," which here means not, and "known."

If someone is "arrogant," they are known to be proud and pompous, so "pompous," which means full of oneself, is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "arrogant": "modest" means playing down one's own accomplishments and skills, so it is an antonym of "arrogant"; "inferior" means lesser than something else in quality or some characteristic; "secretive" means uncommunicative or not giving out very much information about something; and "content," when used as an adjective, means happy with the one's current situation.

The word "amiable" means having a friendly and pleasant disposition; therefore, "friendly" is the word that most closely matches the definition of "amiable." "Ambivalent" means having mixed feelings and "pious" means extremely religious. Like "responsive," their definitions are unrelated to the meaning of "amiable," making them incorrect answers choices.

You likely know of the word "barbaric" by association with "barbarous" (a direct synonym) or "barbarian." The latter word, "barbarian," likely conjures up many images of men with horned helmets and other such stereotypes. The word actually comes from an insult used by the Greeks to describe persons who did not speak Greek. They seemed to be uncivilized and uncultured; their language sounded like "bar bar bar."

In any case, the word "barbaric" eventually developed to describe the cruel behavior attributed to such people. Thus, a number of words like cruel, savage, and vicious all are synonyms. Likewise, the word "barbaric" is at times used to describe someone who is uncivilized. However, note that being "uneducated" is not exactly the same as being uncivilized. Someone can be generally civilized and able to function in society and still be uneducated. Therefore, the best answer among those provided is "cruel."

When something is "captivating," it is able to take someone "captive"—at least figuratively speaking. That is, it captures your attention because of its forcefully interesting character. Sometimes, the word can be used as a positive description of someone (a captivating personality). Generally speaking, the best use of the term is one that indicates forceful capturing of attention. Therefore, the best option among those provided is "enchanting." Something "enchanting" is very attractive or charming. Such enchanting things are able to capture someone's attention as well. Hence, they are rightly called "captivating."

When we "persist" in something, we keep doing it even though it is difficult. Someone who is "persistent" is a person who continues to work on something no matter what problems or difficulties arise. Persistence is the character trait of such a person. For instance, we would say, "With much persistence, Paul finally finished his long paper and was able to graduate." Although a studious person is persistent in studying, the word "studious" is too particular and really just deals with one type of persistence. The only option that matches the meaning of "persistence" generally speaking is "determined." When we are "determined" in our goals, we have set one goal and "stick to it" until it is completed.

Generally speaking, "dedication" describes a trait that indicates that someone or some thing is "set aside" and "devoted" to some task or cause. When a computer server is "dedicated" to a given task, it is set aside to work solely on that task. When an employee is "dedicated to his or her company, he works hard and remains steadfast in spite of difficulties. The word "steadfast" really means "standing firm," as in the informal expression "stand fast," in which "fast" means firm or certain, not quick. Dedication requires that someone or something "stand fast" or remain firm in resolve. Note that the word "regular" does not necessarily indicate such firmness and therefore is not as good of an option as "steadfast."

Someone who is "adaptive" is good at adjusting to his or her surroundings. Someone who is "flexible" is able to accommodate different types of situations. Therefore, "adaptive" is most similar to "flexible."