Synonyms: Adjectives and Adverbs - ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning

Arresting means striking, eye-catching, or impactful.

Because "wanton" means immoral or sexually promiscuous, the best answer choice is "dissolute," which means lax in morals or licentious.

Someone who is "affable" is easy to talk with and pleasant to be around. "Genial" best conveys this sense (a likable pageant contestant might be named "Miss Congeniality"—a related word).

The adjective "adamant" is etymologically related to the word "diamond"—the hardest stone. Someone who is "adamant" is "hard" in the sense of being relentless, unyielding, or insistent.

“Ecstasy” is a feeling of deep joy and happiness, so "joy" is the best answer. As for the other answer choices, “sorrow" is an antonym of “ecstasy” and means deep sadness; and "demeanor" means manner or appearance.

"Irascible" means cantankerous or crabby. "Tenacious" means strong-willed or determined. "Wary" means careful or cautious . "Opaque" means clouded, muddy, or hard to understand. "Mirthful" means merry or playful.

We tend to think of “deviant” as used in the phrase “social deviant.” This is often applied to people (perhaps problem-causing children) who are involved in activities that society frowns upon. This usage must not lead us to think that “deviant” means one who does illegal things. It is better understood from the perspective of the word “deviate,” which means to stray beyond the norms. When something is an anomaly, it is just this, namely something that goes away from the norm.

The word “myriad” is derived from the Greek for "10,000." In general, it is used to describe a countless multitude of things. For that reason, the best option among the provided answers is “innumerable.” An example usage would be, “Roger wished to do something so foolish that his friends were able to provide him with myriad reasons, overwhelming him with reasons for making such a stupid choice.”

“Fruitful” means fertile, plentiful, fecund, or producing a lot of something, so "fecund," meaning fertile, is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “innocuous” means harmless; "blighted" means diseased and specifically refers to plants; "amiable" means friendly and warm in demeanor; and "growing" means maturing.

"Quixotic" and "idealistic" both mean foolishly dreamy. "Cynical" means nonbelieving or doubtful. "Pragmatic" means sensible or efficient. "Demure" means reserved or affected. "Cogent" means effective or compelling.

If something is benign such as the weather, it indicates that it is mild. In the case of weather, benign conditions are the opposite of inclement weather.

If a high school offers a myriad of classes, it means that there is a vast amount or a seemingly innumerable number of classes.

"Tawdry" and "tacky" both mean cheap or tasteless. "Sophisticated" means refined or elegant. "Nebulous" means confused or obscure. "Taciturn" means uncommnicative. "Urbane" means cosmopolitan or sophisticated.

"Replete" and "abounding" both mean full or well-stocked. "Scant" means meager or paltry. "Disingenuous" means insincere or deceitful. "Evanescent" means transient or brief. "Pugnacious" means belligerent or aggressive.

"Shabby" means run-down or in worn-out condition. "Tactful" means acting with skill and delicacy in dealing with other people's issues. "Essential" means required or very important. "Jubilant" means very happy and joyful. "Miniature" means a smaller version.

"Bizarre" means strange or odd. Usual is the antonym; it means ordinary or common. "Sociable" means friendly and eager to interact and speak with other people. "Sloppy" means careless and not cautious. "Dreadful" means causing great fear.

The word “trite” is often used in expressions like “his trite, meaningless remarks” or “the phrase was rather trite and common.” It often implies that something is insignificant or not important, but this sense follows on the main meaning of the word, namely, overused. It applies to expressions and ideas that have been repeated so often that they have lost their force. They become common knowledge and seem rather uninformative—“everyone knows that trite truth.” Among the options given in the answers, “clichéd” is the best, as it means overused and unoriginal.

"Extemporaneous" means done without preparation, improvised. To provide further help, "partitioned" means divided, split into multiple regions; "forestalled" means delayed; "supplanted" means replaced; "remedied" means fixed.

"Titanic" means very large. Think of the famous ship the Titanic, it was known for two qualities -being supposedly unsinkable and being very, very large. The word "titanic" means extremely big.