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.
Choose the best synonym for the word “gruff”:
A — brusque. “gruff” means adj. rough or stern in manner or speech. Study “gruff” →
The old king held ______ power over his entire kingdom.
A — absolute. “absolute” means adj. complete or total. Study “absolute” →
Select the best synonym for the word “confine”:
D — restrict. “confine” means v. to keep someone or something within limits. Study “confine” →
The thick soup was ______ too salty, but everyone still ate it happily.
C — slightly. “slightly” means adv. to a small degree or extent. Study “slightly” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “clashing”:
C — conflicting. “clashing” means adj. conflicting or not matching. Study “clashing” →
The very lucky woman won a huge ______ in the lottery last night.
A — jackpot. “jackpot” means n. a large cash prize in a game or lottery. Study “jackpot” →
Select the best synonym for the word “weight”:
A — heaviness. “weight” means n. how heavy something is. Study “weight” →
In early spring, a tiny green ______ appeared on the bare rose branch.
A — bud. “bud” means n. a small part of a plant that develops into a flower or leaf. Study “bud” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “least”:
B — minimum. “least” means adj. smallest in amount or degree. Study “least” →
The small cat squeezed ______ the two heavy wooden boxes.
B — between. “between” means prep. in the space separating two things. Study “between” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “smother”:
B — suffocate. “smother” means v. to cover completely and prevent from breathing. Study “smother” →
After the very good harvest, the farm had a large ______ of corn to sell.
C — surplus. “surplus” means n. an amount that is more than what is needed. Study “surplus” →
Select the best synonym for the word “digestible”:
B — comprehensible. “digestible” means adj. easy to digest or understand. Study “digestible” →
The powerful ______ tore the roofs right off the houses along the coast.
C — cyclone. “cyclone” means n. a large-scale, atmospheric wind-and-pressure system characterized by low pressure at its center and by circular wind motion. Study “cyclone” →
Select the best synonym for the word “length”:
B — extent. “length” means n. the measurement of something from end to end. Study “length” →
There was a quiet, ______ warning in her calm but very serious words.
C — implied. “implied” means adj. suggested but not directly expressed. Study “implied” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “riddle”:
D — enigma. “riddle” means n. a question or statement that teases the mind; a puzzle. Study “riddle” →
The long, steep climb was so ______ that everyone needed a long rest.
B — exhausting. “exhausting” means adj. very tiring. Study “exhausting” →
Select the best synonym for the word “far”:
B — distant. “far” means adv. at a great distance. Study “far” →
She was quite ______ that she had turned off the stove before leaving.
D — sure. “sure” means adj. confident in what one thinks or knows. Study “sure” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “materialistic”:
A — acquisitive. “materialistic” means adj. excessively concerned with material possessions. Study “materialistic” →
The tired explorers gazed at the ______ desert stretching to the horizon.
D — vast. “vast” means adj. extremely large or extensive. Study “vast” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “supposed”:
D — presumed. “supposed” means adj. generally assumed or believed to be true. Study “supposed” →
The cat's amazing ______ let it leap easily between the high rooftops.
C — agility. “agility” means n. the ability to move quickly and easily. Study “agility” →
Select the best synonym for the word “weaker”:
C — frailer. “weaker” means adj. less strong or powerful. Study “weaker” →
Her very first answer was ______, so she carefully tried the problem again.
C — wrong. “wrong” means adj. not correct or true; incorrect. Study “wrong” →
Select the best synonym for the word “harm”:
D — injury. “harm” means n. physical injury or damage. Study “harm” →
It was very ______ of him to interrupt the teacher during her lesson.
C — rude. “rude” means adj. not polite or respectful. Study “rude” →
Select the best synonym for the word “load”:
B — burden. “load” means n. something that is carried, often heavy. Study “load” →
The dentist will ______ a new tooth where the old one was pulled out.
A — implant. “implant” means v. to insert or fix something in a person''s body, especially by surgery. Study “implant” →
Select the best synonym for the word “straight”:
C — direct. “straight” means adj. extending or moving in one direction only. Study “straight” →
The bored, ______ students barely even clapped at the end of the show.
C — unenthusiastic. “unenthusiastic” means adj. not showing excitement or interest. Study “unenthusiastic” →
Select the best synonym for the word “angrily”:
B — furiously. “angrily” means adv. in a manner showing strong displeasure or hostility. Study “angrily” →
The young ______ watched the old blacksmith carefully to learn the craft.
B — apprentice. “apprentice” means n. a person learning a trade from a skilled employer. Study “apprentice” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “temperate”:
B — moderate. “temperate” means adj. showing moderation or self-restraint. Study “temperate” →
The ______ muddy river was far too big to safely swim across.
D — wide. “wide” means adj. having a large distance from side to side. Study “wide” →
Select the best synonym for the word “mixing”:
A — blending. “mixing” means n. the act of combining things together. Study “mixing” →
The new students were quickly ______ into the warm, friendly class.
D — integrated. “integrated” means adj. combined to form a complete or unified whole. Study “integrated” →
Select the best synonym for the word “punish”:
C — penalize. “punish” means v. to cause someone to suffer for a crime or bad behavior. Study “punish” →
Teaching young children is a difficult but deeply ______ job.
A — rewarding. “rewarding” means adj. providing satisfaction or benefit. Study “rewarding” →
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.