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 “positive”:
C — favorable. “positive” means adj. having a good or beneficial effect. Study “positive” →
Among her warm new friends, she finally felt a real sense of ______.
B — belonging. “belonging” means n. being in the right place or a suitable situation. Study “belonging” →
Select the best synonym for the word “bright”:
B — radiant. “bright” means adj. full of light or shining strongly. Study “bright” →
The final result was completely ______ to what everyone had expected.
D — contrary. “contrary” means adj. opposite in nature or meaning. Study “contrary” →
Select the best synonym for the word “private”:
B — personal. “private” means adj. belonging to or for the use of one person or group. Study “private” →
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables helps keep your body strong and ______.
B — healthy. “healthy” means adj. in good health. Study “healthy” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “theatrical”:
B — dramatic. “theatrical” means adj. related to the theater. Study “theatrical” →
The nervous actors waited quietly behind the curtain to walk onto the ______.
C — stage. “stage” means n. a platform or phase in a process. Study “stage” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “corridor”:
D — hallway. “corridor” means n. a long passage in a building from which doors lead into rooms. Study “corridor” →
Kindness is the most notable ______ of a truly good and loyal friend.
C — characteristic. “characteristic” means n. a feature or quality that makes something recognizable. Study “characteristic” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “log”:
D — timber. “log” means n. a large piece of cut or fallen tree. Study “log” →
After losing five games in a row, they felt completely ______.
C — hopeless. “hopeless” means adj. having no expectation of success or improvement. Study “hopeless” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “description”:
D — depiction. “description” means n. a spoken or written account of something. Study “description” →
She was very ______ with the salt, adding just a tiny careful pinch.
D — sparing. “sparing” means adj. using very little of something. Study “sparing” →
Select the best synonym for the word “separate”:
A — detach. “separate” means v. to cause to move or be apart. Study “separate” →
The meeting was postponed for a long, ______ period, with no set date at all.
D — indefinite. “indefinite” means adj. not clearly defined or having no exact limits. Study “indefinite” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “distinguished”:
B — eminent. “distinguished” means adj. successful, authoritative, and commanding great respect. Study “distinguished” →
Her clothes were completely ______ after she got caught in the heavy rain.
C — wet. “wet” means adj. covered or soaked with liquid. Study “wet” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “decision”:
B — verdict. “decision” means n. a choice made after thinking. Study “decision” →
The old family farm has been the family's ______ for five generations.
D — property. “property” means n. something owned; a possession. Study “property” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “trailblazer”:
B — pioneer. “trailblazer” means n. a person who makes a new track through wild country. Study “trailblazer” →
The ______ crash of thunder woke the whole sleeping household at once.
B — loud. “loud” means adj. making a lot of noise. Study “loud” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “clarification”:
A — explanation. “clarification” means n. the action of making a statement or situation less confused. Study “clarification” →
The clever ______ illusion made the two straight lines look very different.
C — optical. “optical” means adj. related to sight or vision. Study “optical” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “epic”:
D — saga. “epic” means n. a long poem or story about heroic deeds. Study “epic” →
The teacher reminded all the students to sit up with good ______.
B — posture. “posture” means n. the way in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting. Study “posture” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “ignorant”:
C — uninformed. “ignorant” means adj. lacking knowledge or awareness. Study “ignorant” →
The ______ young actor spent hours admiring himself in the tall mirror.
D — vain. “vain” means adj. having an excessively high opinion of one''s appearance or abilities. Study “vain” →
Select the best synonym for the word “sullen”:
A — morose. “sullen” means adj. bad-tempered and gloomy. Study “sullen” →
The bully tried to ______ the smaller boys to get their lunch money.
D — threaten. “threaten” means v. to say you will harm someone if they do not do what you want. Study “threaten” →
Select the best synonym for the word “rumpled”:
C — wrinkled. “rumpled” means adj. wrinkled or messy. Study “rumpled” →
This shiny new ______ of the game has many more exciting hidden levels.
B — version. “version” means n. a particular form of something differing in certain respects from an earlier form or other forms. Study “version” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “born”:
A — created. “born” means adj. brought into life. Study “born” →
Quiet reading is part of her ______ routine, every single morning.
A — daily. “daily” means adj. happening or done every day. Study “daily” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “relics”:
C — artifacts. “relics” means n. objects from the past that have historical or cultural value. Study “relics” →
In a real ______, you should call for help right away.
C — emergency. “emergency” means n. a serious, unexpected situation needing immediate action. Study “emergency” →
Select the best synonym for the word “uncover”:
A — reveal. “uncover” means v. to remove a cover or discover something hidden. Study “uncover” →
Please do not ______ your sister while she is busy studying.
C — bother. “bother” means v. to annoy or cause trouble. Study “bother” →
Select the best synonym for the word “uncertain”:
C — doubtful. “uncertain” means adj. not sure or not able to decide. Study “uncertain” →
The steady ______ of the old iron bridge worried the town engineers.
B — weakening. “weakening” means n. the process of becoming less strong. Study “weakening” →
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.