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 “distinction”:
B — contrast. “distinction” means n. a difference or contrast between similar things or people. Study “distinction” →
The ______ painted white fence gleamed brightly in the morning sun.
C — newly. “newly” means adv. recently. Study “newly” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “toxic”:
B — poisonous. “toxic” means adj. poisonous or harmful. Study “toxic” →
The rotten meat gave off a ______ smell that filled the whole kitchen.
B — disgusting. “disgusting” means adj. very unpleasant or offensive. Study “disgusting” →
Select the best synonym for the word “happen”:
C — occur. “happen” means v. to take place or occur. Study “happen” →
The crowded market was so ______ that she quickly lost sight of her friends.
B — chaotic. “chaotic” means adj. in a state of complete confusion or disorder. Study “chaotic” →
Select the best synonym for the word “salary”:
D — wage. “salary” means n. a fixed regular payment for work. Study “salary” →
During the storm, the small dry cave became a welcome ______ for the hikers.
D — haven. “haven” means n. a place of safety or refuge. Study “haven” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “tender”:
D — compassionate. “tender” means adj. gentle and caring. Study “tender” →
The ______ old cat slept in the warm sun all afternoon long.
C — lazy. “lazy” means adj. not willing to work or use effort. Study “lazy” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “last”:
B — final. “last” means adj. coming after all others in time or order. Study “last” →
The poor ______ worked hard in the fields from dawn until dusk.
C — peasant. “peasant” means n. a farmer with a small farm. Study “peasant” →
Select the best synonym for the word “useless”:
A — futile. “useless” means adj. not useful; not able to give service or aid. Study “useless” →
Years of careful study gave her real ______ in both French and Spanish.
C — fluency. “fluency” means n. the ability to speak or write a language easily and accurately. Study “fluency” →
Select the best synonym for the word “overflow”:
A — spill. “overflow” means v. to flow over the edge. Study “overflow” →
The bright race car reached an incredible ______ down the long, straight track.
B — speed. “speed” means n. how fast something moves. Study “speed” →
Select the best synonym for the word “disjointed”:
A — fragmented. “disjointed” means adj. lacking a coherent sequence or connection. Study “disjointed” →
The students played a harmless ______ on their friendly young teacher.
C — prank. “prank” means n. a playful trick or joke. Study “prank” →
Select the best synonym for the word “unethical”:
A — immoral. “unethical” means adj. not morally correct. Study “unethical” →
The ______ flowers looked completely real, but they were made of silk.
D — fake. “fake” means adj. not real; made to look like something else. Study “fake” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “sadly”:
B — unhappily. “sadly” means adv. in a sad manner. Study “sadly” →
The ______ ox easily pulled the heavy iron plow through the muddy field.
A — strong. “strong” means adj. having power or strength. Study “strong” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “shore”:
B — coastline. “shore” means n. the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or river. Study “shore” →
The busy store likes to ______ its newest toys right in the front window.
D — display. “display” means v. to show or exhibit something. Study “display” →
Select the best synonym for the word “indirect”:
D — roundabout. “indirect” means adj. not directly caused by or resulting from something. Study “indirect” →
The silly ______ made the whole packed audience laugh out loud.
B — comedy. “comedy” means n. a funny play, movie, or TV show. Study “comedy” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “collapse”:
A — crumble. “collapse” means v. to fall down suddenly. Study “collapse” →
She dreamed of a long ______ as a scientist studying the distant stars.
B — career. “career” means n. a job or profession that someone does for a long time. Study “career” →
Select the best synonym for the word “endless”:
D — infinite. “endless” means adj. having no limit or end. Study “endless” →
When ______ to a car, a simple bicycle is far cheaper to own.
C — compared. “compared” means v. past tense of compare; examined similarities and differences. Study “compared” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “part”:
A — portion. “part” means n. a piece or segment of something. Study “part” →
The whole family earned its living through hard, honest ______.
A — farming. “farming” means n. the activity of growing crops and raising animals. Study “farming” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “beat”:
A — strike. “beat” means v. to strike repeatedly. Study “beat” →
A quick ______ showed that the whole trip would cost about fifty dollars.
D — calculation. “calculation” means n. the process of using mathematics to find an answer. Study “calculation” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “exhibition”:
A — display. “exhibition” means n. a public display of works of art or items of interest. Study “exhibition” →
The doctor drew a ______ to show how the patient's weight had changed.
B — chart. “chart” means n. a sheet of information in the form of a table, graph, or diagram. Study “chart” →
Select the best synonym for the word “tricky”:
A — complicated. “tricky” means adj. difficult to deal with or do. Study “tricky” →
He leaned ______ against the wall, chatting with all of his friends.
D — casually. “casually” means adv. in a relaxed and informal way. Study “casually” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “topple”:
D — overturn. “topple” means v. to fall or make something fall over. Study “topple” →
From the high tower, she gazed out at the peaceful ______ countryside.
D — surrounding. “surrounding” means adj. located around something. Study “surrounding” →
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.