40 Verbal Reasoning questions — 20 synonym, 20 sentence completion — in the ISEE's own four-option format. Every answer is explained, and every question links to its word's full study page.
Select the best synonym for the word “opponent”:
A — rival. “opponent” means n. a person who competes against or fights another. Study “opponent” →
Beautiful, gentle music seemed to touch the very ______ of everyone listening.
D — soul. “soul” means n. the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being. Study “soul” →
Select the best synonym for the word “playful”:
A — frisky. “playful” means adj. full of fun and high spirits. Study “playful” →
He wore a ______ black suit to the very important business meeting.
A — formal. “formal” means adj. following rules or customs, often in an exact and proper way. Study “formal” →
Select the best synonym for the word “offhand”:
A — impromptu. “offhand” means adj. done without preparation or forethought. Study “offhand” →
At the airport, all travelers must pass through ______ before leaving.
B — customs. “customs” means n. the place at a port, airport, or border where officials check incoming goods, travelers, or luggage. Study “customs” →
Select the best synonym for the word “address”:
B — location. “address” means n. the details of the place where someone lives or works. Study “address” →
The sparkling diamond ring was far too ______ for her to buy.
D — expensive. “expensive” means adj. costing a lot of money. Study “expensive” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “extreme”:
B — severe. “extreme” means adj. very great in degree. Study “extreme” →
The dark, empty old house looked truly ______ in the pale moonlight.
B — frightening. “frightening” means adj. making someone afraid or anxious. Study “frightening” →
Select the best synonym for the word “honor”:
C — esteem. “honor” means n. high respect or esteem. Study “honor” →
It takes a lot of hard work to ______ a large garden in good shape.
C — maintain. “maintain” means v. to keep something in good condition. Study “maintain” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “suggest”:
B — propose. “suggest” means v. to propose an idea or plan. Study “suggest” →
The morning grass was still ______ with the cool night's fresh dew.
C — damp. “damp” means adj. slightly wet. Study “damp” →
Select the best synonym for the word “trail”:
A — path. “trail” means n. a path or track made across a wild region. Study “trail” →
The grand museum is full of beautiful ______ from many different countries.
A — art. “art” means n. the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Study “art” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “threatening”:
B — menacing. “threatening” means adj. showing an intention to cause harm or danger. Study “threatening” →
By the time we finally arrived, all of the cake was completely ______.
C — gone. “gone” means adj. no longer present; departed. Study “gone” →
Select the best synonym for the word “changeable”:
D — variable. “changeable” means adj. able to be changed. Study “changeable” →
She kept her ______ diary hidden safely in a locked wooden drawer.
D — personal. “personal” means adj. relating to a particular person. Study “personal” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “crash”:
D — collide. “crash” means v. to hit something hard enough to cause serious damage. Study “crash” →
The tiny plant was still ______, even after weeks with no water.
D — alive. “alive” means adj. living, not dead. Study “alive” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “scarcity”:
A — shortage. “scarcity” means n. a situation in which something is not easy to find or get. Study “scarcity” →
The lawyer was hired to ______ the family in the difficult court case.
D — represent. “represent” means v. to act or speak for someone or something. Study “represent” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “someone’s”:
D — somebody's. “someone’s” means pron. belonging to an unspecified person. Study “someone’s” →
His constant ______ about his money soon annoyed all of his friends.
D — boastfulness. “boastfulness” means n. the quality of being boastful. Study “boastfulness” →
Select the best synonym for the word “irregularity”:
B — anomaly. “irregularity” means n. something that is not usual or normal. Study “irregularity” →
The exhausted sailors were overjoyed to finally reach the sandy ______.
C — shore. “shore” means n. the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or river. Study “shore” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “fault”:
D — flaw. “fault” means n. a mistake or defect. Study “fault” →
The engine is by far the most important ______ of the whole machine.
C — part. “part” means n. a piece or segment of something. Study “part” →
Select the best synonym for the word “supposition”:
A — assumption. “supposition” means n. an idea or theory that you believe is true even though you do not have proof. Study “supposition” →
She trained very hard, hoping to ______ all her rivals in the big race.
A — outdo. “outdo” means v. to do better than someone else. Study “outdo” →
Select the best synonym for the word “levels”:
D — tiers. “levels” means n. plural of level; different heights or stages. Study “levels” →
The heavy suitcase was so ______ that she could barely close the zipper.
D — packed. “packed” means adj. filled with a large amount of something. Study “packed” →
Select the best synonym for the word “steps”:
C — strides. “steps” means n. movements made by lifting your foot and putting it down in a different place. Study “steps” →
The quick boxer leaned back to ______ his opponent's swinging fist.
D — dodge. “dodge” means v. to move quickly to avoid something. Study “dodge” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “lengthen”:
A — extend. “lengthen” means v. to make longer. Study “lengthen” →
The patient cat sat perfectly ______, watching the mouse hole for hours.
D — motionless. “motionless” means adj. not moving; still. Study “motionless” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “real”:
D — genuine. “real” means adj. actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact. Study “real” →
He trained very hard to defeat his greatest ______ in the big race.
D — rival. “rival” means n. a person, group, or organization that you compete with. Study “rival” →
No. These are original synonym and sentence-completion questions written from the iSEE Vocab word bank, in the ISEE's own four-option Verbal Reasoning format. No retired or copyrighted ISEE/SSAT questions appear anywhere on this site.
40 — 20 synonym questions and 20 sentence-completion questions, the same roughly-even split the real ISEE Verbal Reasoning section uses.
No. Every Basic Level practice test on this site draws from a disjoint slice of the word bank, so Test 1, Test 2 and every other numbered test at this level use entirely different questions.
Yes. The ISEE gives no penalty for a wrong answer — a blank scores the same as a wrong guess, which is zero — so answer every question even when you have to guess.