Synonyms: Nouns for People - ISEE Middle Level Verbal Reasoning

"Tyrant" is a noun that means either "a cruel and oppressive ruler" or "a person exercising power or control in a cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary way," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "a cruel ruler." While "king" may seem like a good answer choice because a king is a kind of ruler, a king is not necessarily a cruel ruler like a tyrant is. "Despot," however, means "a ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way." Because "despot" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "tyrant," "despot" is the correct answer.

"Buffoon" is a noun meaning "a ridiculous but amusing person; a clown," so we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun and means "a ridiculous, but amusing person." Of the possible answer choices, "erudite" is not a noun but an adjective, so it cannot be the correct answer. Picking between "fool," "liberator," "patriarch," and "chaperone," "fool" is the best answer choice because "fool" means "a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person," or "a jester or clown, especially one retained in a noble household."

"Rabble" is a noun that means "a disorderly crowd; a mob," or when used as "the rabble," "ordinary people, especially when regarded as socially inferior or uncouth." While "rabble" may sound like "rubble," a noun that "rocks" or "debris" could be considered synonyms of, "rubble" does not mean the same thing as "rabble," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Crowd," however, when used as a noun, is the answer choice closest in meaning to "rabble," so it is the correct answer.

"Insurgent" is a word that when used as an adjective, means "rising in active revolt" or "of or relating to rebels" and when used as a noun, means "a rebel or revolutionary." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "rebel." "Loyalist" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "loyalist" means "a person who remains loyal to the established ruler or government, especially in the face of a revolt," so it is an antonym of "rebel." "Rebel" is an available answer choice, and because it is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "insurgent," "rebel" is the correct answer.

A glutton is someone who eats or consumes too much, so "overeater" is the correct answer. "Curmudgeon" means a grumpy or bad-tempered person, "benefactor" means donator, and "abstainer" means someone who holds themself back from doing something.

"Monarch" means ruler or king, so "king" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "monarch": a "narrator" is a person who tells a story; an "achievement" is the completion of a task or goal; a "document" is a paper with written material on it; and a "protagonist" is the main character in a novel or movie.

A "guerrilla" is a soldier who uses surprise tactics, not to be confused with "gorilla," the animal. So, "soldier" is the correct answer.

A "scribe" is a professional record keeper or copyist. The best choice is "clerk," as one of the jobs of a clerk is to copy and record documents. Considering the other choices, "scribble" means write carelessly, "written" means formed by characters visible on a surface, and a "scripture" is a religious text.

A "chaperone" is a supervisor or a person who looks after another person or group, so "supervisor" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "chaperone": a "voyage" is a journey made by traveling via ship; a "protagonist" is the main character of a story; a "catastrophe" is a disaster or great event of terror and suffering; and "destruction" is the action of causing great damage.

A “nomad” is a person who does not have a permanent home and who wanders from place to place, so "wanderer" is the best answer choice. As for the other answer choices, an “educator” is someone who educates ora teacher, and a "moderator" is someone who acts as a third party in an argument or debate to help each side express itself.

A “bystander” is someone who witnesses something happening, but is not involved, so "witness" is the best answer choice. A “prosecutor” is someone who tries to convict a criminal in court; a “guardian” is someone who protects someone else or something; a “philosopher” is someone who thinks about the nature of things, being, and knowledge; and a “demonstrator” is someone who is participating in a protest.

A “benefactor” is someone who funds something in order that it can happen; this is closest in meaning to a “patron,” or someone who gives money to sponsor something. As for the other answer choices, “official” means officeholder or representative; a "referee" is the person who is in charge of running a game and making decisions about contested situations that arise in it; an "artist" is someone who creates works of art, and “narrative” means story.

An “entourage” is a group of people who accompany one person, or an “escort.” A “debut” is the act of doing something, often publicly, for the first time; and “corruption” means dishonesty.

The word "inhabitant" comes from Latin roots meaning to live or to live in. For example, consider the sentence, "The twenty people inhabited a small plot of land in the hills, each having a private house." This means that the people lived on the land. These people could be called "inhabitants" of the hill property. Thus, among the options provided, the best answer is "occupant", which basically means "inhabitant."

An "accomplice" is often associated with crimes, but really applies to anyone that assists someone with an activity. It is almost always considered a negative activity. You wouldn't say, "I was Mrs. Turner's accomplice in cleaning the classroom." That would be considered a positive activity. You might say, "I was Sandra's accomplice when she pranked Mrs. Turner." An "accessory" can mean either an extra piece of clothing, like a scarf, or, in this case, it means a_n assistant to a crime_. "Sean drove the get-away car in the robbery and was therefore an accessory to the crime."

An "occupant" is a resident, a person who lives in a house. To provide further help, a "preacher" is someone who speaks to an audience on religious matters.

A "faction" is a group that gets together to achieve some particular person. Usually, a "faction" is a small group, often excluding others from the group. Now, the words "meeting" and "assembly" might be tempting. They are not really the best options. Instead, the little word "camp" is the best. A "camp" is a small group, often with the negative overtones that we also express in "faction." Yes, a "camp" is a place that you can go to stay in the woods. A "camp" can also be a small group that is very factional.

The word "fiend" comes originally from the word for a demon or a devil. We generally use it, however, to describe any kind of villain. It is in this sense that it is being used in this question. Such a villain need not be a wicked person in a story. We sometimes use the word also when we describe someone who abuses his or her fellow human beings, as when we say, "Thomas was nothing more than a fiend, given how he stole from all of the elderly in his neighborhood."

A "buffoon" is someone who makes a fool of themselves. To help you, "youthful" means young, "ancient" means very old, and a "miser" is someone who saves all the money that they can.