Synonyms: Nouns for Abstract Concepts - ISEE Upper Level Verbal Reasoning

"Platitude" and "banality" both mean a dull or overused saying. "Coinage" means the process of making money. "Harangue" means a long lecture or rant. "Invective" means verbal abuse.

"Lassitude" and "lethargy" both mean apathy or fatigue. "Diligence" means perseverance in carrying out an action. "Vigor" means power or energy. "Largess" means generosity. "Legerdemain" means sleight of hand.

"Propensity" and "tendency" both mean an inclination or weakness. "Panacea" means a cure-all or elixir. "Incompetence" means lack of ability . "Pathos" means deep sadness.

"Exigency" and "contingency" both mean difficulty or crisis. "Boon" means an advantage or blessing. "Hegemony" means dominion or authority. "Transient" means temporary or ephemeral. "Largess" means generosity or aid.

"Predilection" and "propensity" both mean tendency or inclination. "Impartiality means equality or fairness. "Modicum" means a bit or small amount. "Parsimony" means stinginess or frugality.

"Atavism" and "reversion" both mean backsliding or regression. "Pariah" means social outcast. "Pathos" means deep sadness or emotion. "Polemic" means argument or spat. "Rectitude" means uprightness or decency.

"Lien" and "claim" both mean a claim on property. "Consensus" means general agreement or accord. "Suffragist" means a voter or citizen. "Neologism" means a new word. "Whelp" means a young animal, especially a mammal.

"Commandment" is an official order usually by a government official. "Dearth" means lacking of something. "Compassion" means showing emotion and sympathy for another person. "Insomnia" means sleeplessness or inability to sleep. "Rebellion" means a revolt against a government or some other entity.

"Enigma" means puzzle or something difficult to understand. "Accreditation" means providing credit or approval for an institution (usually a school). "Zealot" is a person who is passionate for something. "Fatigue" means exhausted and worn-out. "Herbivore" is an organism that eats only plants.

"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.

An indication is a sign of something else. Thus, someone's fever can be an indication of illness. The only option that is synonymous in this manner is "evidence." For instance, it is basically the same thing to say, "The fever is an indication of illness," as it is to say, "The fever is evidence of illness."

"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.

"Disarray" means chaos, not in order. When you here the phrase "in disarray" that means in a chaotic state, out of control. To provide further help, a "boor" is a rude, insensitive person.

When someone is lenient, he or she is not overly harsh in some regard. For example, a lenient grader is someone who gives grades that are not overly critical. Also, someone can be lenient with regard to a punishment, meaning that he or she does not give out very harsh punishments. For this reason, a good synonym for "leniency" is "mercy." The word "clemency" means either "mercy" or "leniency."

A "quandary" is a difficult situation, a problem. As such the best possible answer choice is "dilemma." To provide further help, a "peer" is an equal, someone in your social group; "suffrage" is the right to vote; "equilibrium" is a state of balance; a "luminary" is a notable person in his or her field.

An "exposition" is a complete explanation of some topic. For example, we could say, "The Summa Logicae of William of Ockham was an excellent exposition of all the topics discussed in the logic of his day." Now, do not be tricked by the options presented here. Some, such as "speech" and "presentation" try to trick you into picking certain particular media that are used for giving expositions. Granted, "presentation" can also merely indicate the general act of presenting something; however, insofar as this does not indicate a great depth of explanation, it is not quite the same as "exposition." Thus, the best option is "explication," which is an in depth treatment of a topic.

"Nostalgia" means sentimentality or a fondness for the past. "Ailment" means an illness or affliction. "Hardship" means a difficulty or personal burden. "Remedy" means a cure or solution. "Prudence" means caution or carefullness.

"Hilarity" means amusement or laughter. "Bewilderment" means puzzlement or confusion. "Acrimony" means nasty behavior or speech . "Alkaline" means being basic, not acidic (chemistry). "Quip" means witty communication or banter.