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 “beautiful”:
B — gorgeous. “beautiful” means adj. very pleasing to look at. Study “beautiful” →
The spring weather was so ______ that no one ever knew what to wear.
D — unpredictable. “unpredictable” means adj. not able to be predicted. Study “unpredictable” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “smart”:
D — intelligent. “smart” means adj. having or showing quick intelligence or ready mental capability. Study “smart” →
The two sisters had a warm and loving ______ throughout their whole lives.
D — relationship. “relationship” means n. the way in which two or more people or things are connected. Study “relationship” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “invade”:
D — attack. “invade” means v. to enter a place by force. Study “invade” →
Clean fresh water is ______ for the survival of every living thing.
A — indispensable. “indispensable” means adj. absolutely necessary. Study “indispensable” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “move”:
A — relocate. “move” means v. to change position or place. Study “move” →
The ______ muddy river was far too wide to swim across safely.
A — broad. “broad” means adj. wide; having a large distance from side to side. Study “broad” →
Select the best synonym for the word “condition”:
B — state. “condition” means n. the state or situation of something. Study “condition” →
The doctors worked all night long to save the injured man's ______.
D — life. “life” means n. the existence of an individual human or animal. Study “life” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “proper”:
C — suitable. “proper” means adj. correct or suitable. Study “proper” →
She carefully cut the apple in ______ and shared it with her little brother.
C — half. “half” means n. one of two equal parts. Study “half” →
Select the best synonym for the word “extravagant”:
C — lavish. “extravagant” means adj. spending too much money or using too much of something. Study “extravagant” →
In the photo, tall snowy mountains rose up in the distant ______.
C — background. “background” means n. the part of a scene or picture that is farthest from the viewer. Study “background” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “dreamlike”:
D — surreal. “dreamlike” means adj. having a quality of a dream. Study “dreamlike” →
The ______ old scholar had read many thousands of thick books.
B — learned. “learned” means adj. having much knowledge. Study “learned” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “trial”:
B — hearing. “trial” means n. a formal examination of evidence in court; a test of performance. Study “trial” →
The bright evening stars began to ______ in the clear, darkening sky.
A — shine. “shine” means v. to give off light. Study “shine” →
Select the best synonym for the word “educate”:
D — instruct. “educate” means v. to teach or train someone. Study “educate” →
The whole crowd grew ______ as the final results were slowly announced.
D — tense. “tense” means adj. nervous and not relaxed. Study “tense” →
Select the best synonym for the word “worldwide”:
C — global. “worldwide” means adj. extending or reaching throughout the world. Study “worldwide” →
Books in the library are sorted into one ______ or another by subject.
B — category. “category” means n. a group of things that are similar in some way. Study “category” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “expected”:
C — anticipated. “expected” means adj. regarded as likely to happen. Study “expected” →
With great ______, the old village chief settled the very difficult dispute.
A — wisdom. “wisdom” means n. the ability to make good decisions based on knowledge and experience. Study “wisdom” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “owed”:
A — indebted. “owed” means v. to have a debt to pay. Study “owed” →
For every fact in her essay, she carefully added a proper ______.
A — citation. “citation” means n. a reference to a source of information. Study “citation” →
Select the best synonym for the word “awaken”:
B — rouse. “awaken” means v. to stop sleeping or to make someone stop sleeping. Study “awaken” →
Nothing at all would grow in the dry, ______ soil of the barren field.
A — infertile. “infertile” means adj. unable to reproduce. Study “infertile” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “rise”:
D — ascend. “rise” means v. to move upward; to increase in amount or number. Study “rise” →
As a true ______, she was always inventing clever, useful new gadgets.
A — innovator. “innovator” means n. a person who introduces new ideas or methods. Study “innovator” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “meddling”:
A — interference. “meddling” means n. the act of interfering in something. Study “meddling” →
Remember to ______ a stamp before you mail the birthday letter.
C — affix. “affix” means v. to attach or stick something to something else. Study “affix” →
Select the best synonym for the word “choose”:
B — select. “choose” means v. to select from a number of possibilities. Study “choose” →
A simple bicycle is a cheap and healthy ______ of getting to work.
B — means. “means” means n. a method or way of doing something. Study “means” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “abnormal”:
C — unusual. “abnormal” means adj. not usual or typical. Study “abnormal” →
He did not want to ______ his friend by mentioning the silly mistake.
D — embarrass. “embarrass” means v. to make someone feel awkward or ashamed. Study “embarrass” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “guess”:
B — speculate. “guess” means v. to form an opinion or give an answer about something when you do not know much about it. Study “guess” →
The ______ feather pillow felt absolutely wonderful after the long day.
B — soft. “soft” means adj. easy to press, not hard or firm. Study “soft” →
Select the best synonym for the word “practicality”:
C — usefulness. “practicality” means n. the quality of being practical or useful. Study “practicality” →
The workers began to ______ a deep, wide hole for the new swimming pool.
A — dig. “dig” means v. to break up and move earth with a tool or machine. Study “dig” →
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.