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 “sympathy”:
C — compassion. “sympathy” means n. feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else''s misfortune. Study “sympathy” →
The old house, ______ many repairs, was sold at a very low price.
D — requiring. “requiring” means v. needing something for a particular purpose. Study “requiring” →
Select the best synonym for the word “rearrange”:
A — reorganize. “rearrange” means v. to change the order or position of something. Study “rearrange” →
The ______ storm destroyed dozens of homes all along the rocky coast.
A — savage. “savage” means adj. fierce, violent, and uncontrolled. Study “savage” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “agent”:
A — representative. “agent” means n. a person who acts on behalf of another. Study “agent” →
Brushing your teeth twice a day is a simple ______ habit.
A — everyday. “everyday” means adj. common or ordinary; happening daily. Study “everyday” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “ruler”:
A — monarch. “ruler” means n. a person who governs or a tool for measuring. Study “ruler” →
He ordered a ______ scoop of chocolate ice cream on the hot afternoon.
D — double. “double” means adj. twice as much or as many. Study “double” →
Select the best synonym for the word “friendship”:
C — camaraderie. “friendship” means n. the state of being friends. Study “friendship” →
The cruel bullies unfairly teased the smaller boy, calling him a ______.
D — weakling. “weakling” means n. a person or animal that is physically weak. Study “weakling” →
Select the best synonym for the word “penny-pincher”:
A — miser. “penny-pincher” means n. a person who is unwilling to spend money. Study “penny-pincher” →
The best ______ of the new phone is by far its very long battery life.
D — feature. “feature” means n. distinctive attributes or aspects of something. Study “feature” →
Select the best synonym for the word “stale”:
C — musty. “stale” means adj. no longer fresh. Study “stale” →
It was hard to ______ that such a small dog could bark so loudly.
A — believe. “believe” means v. to accept something as true. Study “believe” →
Select the best synonym for the word “delighted”:
B — thrilled. “delighted” means adj. very pleased. Study “delighted” →
The archaeologists hoped to ______ ancient treasures buried deep in the sand.
D — uncover. “uncover” means v. to remove a cover or discover something hidden. Study “uncover” →
Select the best synonym for the word “captivate”:
B — enchant. “captivate” means v. to attract and hold the interest of. Study “captivate” →
With so little practice at all, it seemed ______ that they would win.
B — unlikely. “unlikely” means adj. not likely to happen. Study “unlikely” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “working-class”:
D — blue-collar. “working-class” means adj. relating to the social group consisting of people who are employed for wages, especially in manual or industrial work. Study “working-class” →
The loud ______ from the excited crowd could be heard blocks away.
B — shouting. “shouting” means n. the act of speaking very loudly. Study “shouting” →
Select the best synonym for the word “proposition”:
D — proposal. “proposition” means n. a statement or plan suggested for acceptance. Study “proposition” →
His pure ______ meant that no one at all could ever change his mind.
C — stubbornness. “stubbornness” means n. the quality of being unwilling to change one''s mind. Study “stubbornness” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “oversupply”:
A — surplus. “oversupply” means n. an excessive supply of something. Study “oversupply” →
She ate a ______ breakfast and rushed out the door to catch the early bus.
A — hurried. “hurried” means adj. done quickly or in a rush. Study “hurried” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “unwilling”:
B — reluctant. “unwilling” means adj. not ready or eager to do something. Study “unwilling” →
There was no good ______ at all for treating the animals so cruelly.
C — justification. “justification” means n. a good reason or explanation for something. Study “justification” →
Select the best synonym for the word “settlement”:
C — agreement. “settlement” means n. an official agreement intended to resolve a dispute or conflict. Study “settlement” →
What ______ of music do you most enjoy listening to on a quiet evening?
A — type. “type” means n. a category of people or things with common characteristics. Study “type” →
Select the best synonym for the word “supporting”:
A — auxiliary. “supporting” means adj. giving help or assistance. Study “supporting” →
After badly hurting his friend, he felt deeply ______ and quickly apologized.
B — remorseful. “remorseful” means adj. filled with regret or guilt. Study “remorseful” →
Select the best synonym for the word “keepsake”:
D — memento. “keepsake” means n. a small item kept in memory of the person who gave it or originally owned it. Study “keepsake” →
She had to make a very difficult ______ between two excellent job offers.
C — choice. “choice” means n. an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. Study “choice” →
Select the best synonym for the word “skin”:
C — hide. “skin” means n. the outer covering of the body. Study “skin” →
She likes to ______ all her books neatly by their color and size.
D — organize. “organize” means v. to arrange or put in order. Study “organize” →
Select the best synonym for the word “safe”:
A — secure. “safe” means adj. free from harm or danger. Study “safe” →
The spill was completely ______; she did not mean to knock the cup over.
D — accidental. “accidental” means adj. happening by chance, not planned. Study “accidental” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “talent”:
D — aptitude. “talent” means n. a natural ability to be good at something. Study “talent” →
As a loyal ______ of the home team, she attended every single game.
A — supporter. “supporter” means n. a person who approves of and encourages someone or something. Study “supporter” →
Select the best synonym for the word “heal”:
C — cure. “heal” means v. to make or become healthy or whole again. Study “heal” →
The very strict teacher was a real ______ for neat, tidy handwriting.
B — stickler. “stickler” means n. a person who insists on a certain quality or type of behavior. Study “stickler” →
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.