Analogies: Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship - SSAT Upper Level Verbal

Convivial and gregarious both mean friendly and sociable. You therefore need to identify which of the answer choices is the best available synonym for amiable. Amiable means pleasant and friendly so the correct answer is affable.

"Pulmonary" means of or related to "lungs." So, to solve this analogy you simply need to determine what "gastric" is related to. The correct answer is that "gastric" means of or related to the "stomach."

Seminal is a synonym of original, so to solve this analogy you have to determine the best available synonym for elucidate. To elucidate something is to clarify or make clear. For clarification, mollify, assuage, pacify, and calm are all synonyms of one another.

The relationship of "dislike" to "abhor" is a relationship of intensification. To "abhor" someone is to dislike them to a very high degree—to hate them. The only relationships of intensification amongst the answer choices are "respect is to revere," "storm is to drizzle," and "snow is to blizzard." We can rule "storm is to drizzle" out, because the words are in the wrong order. That leaves us with two choices. "Respect is to revere" is the best choice because it is a relationship of intensification of a feeling that one can have for another person.

Ravenous means hungry but to a more extreme degree. Petrified means scared, but to a more extreme degree.

"Temporal" means of or related to "time." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is described by the word "simian." Well, "simian" means of or related to "apes."

"Warm" is a more mild form of temperature than is "hot," so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which answer choice is a more intense form of the word “amusing.” "Amusing" means moderately funny or entertaining, so the correct answer must mean very funny and entertaining. As a result, the correct answer is “uproarious” which means hilarious or extremely funny. For clarification, "despondent" means without hope; "parsimonious" means stingy with money; "eloquent" describes someone who speaks with style and control; and "derivative" describes something unoriginal.

A "tithe" is money given to the "church." So, to solve this analogy you merely need to determine who is given money through "alms." The correct answer is that "alms" is money given to the "poor."

An "allergy" is a notable cause of "sneezing," or, in other words, sneezing can be a symptom of allergies. There is a direct cause and effect relationship in this case. So, to solve this question you must figure out what a symptom of an injury would be. Injuries to the leg aerate main cause of a person "limping" or walking with an impeded gait.

"Aesthetics" is the study of "beauty." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what "botany" is the study of. Well, the correct answer is that "botany" is the study of plants.

The relationship between "synonym" and "thesaurus" is that a thesaurus is a compilation of synonyms. We see a parallel relationship in the correct answer: a cookbook is a compilation of recipes.

"Cartography" is the science of map-making, the art of making maps. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices "seismology" is concerned with. The correct answer is "earthquakes."

"Tropical" is a type of climate that would generally be very hot, and frigid means very cold; to solve this analogy you are looking for the opposite of the type of temperatures that would be associated with a polar climate. A polar climate would likely be very cold, so the correct answer is the antonym of cold, “hot.”

"Doleful" means very sad, and "jubilant" means very happy, so to solve this analogy you know you must identify the best available antonym for "tentative," which means to be unsure and careful as a result of that uncertainty.

The best choice is "mean." The relationship between "grandiloquent" and "simple" is that they are antonyms. The word "grandiloquent" means speaking in a lofty or pompous style. Grandiloquence typically involves complex language. "Simple" is the opposite of "complex." Likewise, "mean" is the opposite of "nice."

"Scurvy" is a disease caused by lack of vitamins and "malnutrition." "Malnutrition" is not having a sufficient supply of healthy or useful food. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these causes "emphysema." Well, "emphysema" is a lung disease marked by inability to breathe. It is primarily caused by "smoking."

If you diminish something than you make it smaller so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices describes the action of making something bigger. The correct answer is “augment” which means to increase, add to, or supplement. For clarification the four other answer choices are all used, like diminish, to describe the action of making something smaller.

Color is a category, and one thing that falls into this category is red—that is, red is a type of color. The same relationship is true of 'onion' and 'vegetable': an onion is an item that falls under the category of vegetable.

When you avert something, you prevent it. When you augment something, you increase it.