Synonyms - ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning

To "cleave" something means to cut in half, to split something. To provide further help, "enhance" and "augment" are synonyms, both words mean to make something better by adding to it.

To "pilfer" something means to steal, to plunder. To provide further help, "comprehend" means understand; "acquire" means get.

To "ruffle" means to disarrange, to disturb, to mess up. To provide further help, "imply" means suggest. To "postpone" something is to put that thing off for later. To "encourage" is to support or pump up.

"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.

"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.

"Anomalous" and "incongruous" both mean deviating from normal or unusual. "Conforming" means agreeing or harmonious. "Garrulous" means talkative. "Floundering" means struggling or stumbling. "Intransigent" means adamant or stubborn.

"Caustic" and "acerbic" both mean burning or corrosive. "Soothing" means calming or pacifying. "Highfalutin" means pompous or arrogant. "Fledgling" means apprentice or newcomer. "Hapless" means unfortunate or unlucky.

"Insipid" and "banal" both mean dull or uninteresting. "Appetizing" means delicious or appealing. "Sedulous" means busy or determined. "Avant-garde" means unconventional or forward-thinking. "Homogenous" means similar or comparable.

"Obviate" and "preclude" both mean to make unnecessary. "Pulverize" means to smash or destroy. "Quip" means to make a witty remark or retort. "Ruffle" means to upset or irritate. "Scrutinize" means to examine closely.

The Latin prefix pre- means before, as in "prediction" or "prevent." So, a "preamble" is the introduction to a written work. "Conclusion" is an antonym "introduction" and "preamble." The rest of the terms are academic terms, or sections of a book but are not directly related to "preamble."

"Divest" and "deprive" both means to dispossess or take off. "Maintain" means to care for or keep up. "Wane" means to diminish or lessen. "Goad" means to egg on or incite. "Beguile" means to fool or charm.

"Rhetoric" and "oratory" both mean wordiness or a long speech. "Conception" means beginning or birth. "Vicissitude" means change or fluctuation. "Minion" means a sycophant or lackey. "Luminary" means a celebrity or dignitary.

"Felicity" means bliss or extreme happiness. "Inconsistent" means not constant or not the same throughout. "Frightful" means horrible or causing fear in people. "Humid" means that there is a lot of moisture in the air. "Inactive" means not moving or not involved with physical activity.

"Harbinger" means something that signals the approach of a person. "Vegetation" refers to plants or crops. "Proposal" means plan or a suggestion. "Tactic" is a strategy or plan. "Probability" means the chance or likelihood of something occuring.

"Reverie" is a noun meaning a meandering train of thought or a state of being lost in pleasant thoughts. A "daydream" is a chain of distractingly pleasant thoughts. The word "focus" is an antonym of "reverie," "meal" and "lunch" are both times when a person eats, and a "celebration" is a large party.