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 “wicked”:
C — evil. “wicked” means adj. evil or morally wrong. Study “wicked” →
Finishing the long marathon was a great ______ for her.
A — accomplishment. “accomplishment” means n. something that has been achieved successfully. Study “accomplishment” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “loyal”:
C — faithful. “loyal” means adj. showing firm support or allegiance. Study “loyal” →
The ______ winter wind cut right through their thin cotton coats.
A — biting. “biting” means adj. very cold or harsh. Study “biting” →
Select the best synonym for the word “happening”:
A — occurrence. “happening” means n. an event or occurrence. Study “happening” →
The police finally caught the ______ who had robbed the little store.
A — criminal. “criminal” means n. a person who has committed a crime. Study “criminal” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “criticism”:
A — disapproval. “criticism” means n. the act of expressing disapproval and noting the problems or faults. Study “criticism” →
The scientist's bold ______ still needed to be carefully tested and proven.
D — claim. “claim” means n. statements that something is true or a demand for something. Study “claim” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “partner”:
A — associate. “partner” means n. a person who takes part in an activity with another. Study “partner” →
The old wooden bridge was ______ to be safe, but it suddenly collapsed.
A — supposed. “supposed” means adj. generally assumed or believed to be true. Study “supposed” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “overconfident”:
A — cocky. “overconfident” means adj. too sure of oneself. Study “overconfident” →
An elephant is a very ______ animal with thick, wrinkled gray skin.
C — large. “large” means adj. of considerable or relatively great size, extent, or capacity. Study “large” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “handed”:
C — manual. “handed” means adj. having or involving a hand or hands. Study “handed” →
During the quiet night, ______ left a mysterious gift on the doorstep.
D — someone. “someone” means pron. an unspecified person. Study “someone” →
Select the best synonym for the word “drench”:
D — soak. “drench” means v. to make something completely wet. Study “drench” →
The broken old umbrella was completely ______ in the pouring heavy rain.
D — useless. “useless” means adj. not useful; not able to give service or aid. Study “useless” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “eatable”:
D — edible. “eatable” means adj. safe to eat. Study “eatable” →
The ______ of the apple holds the small, hard brown seeds.
C — core. “core” means n. the central or most important part of something. Study “core” →
Select the best synonym for the word “means”:
A — method. “means” means n. a method or way of doing something. Study “means” →
Climbing the steep icy cliff without any rope is a huge ______.
B — risk. “risk” means n. the possibility of something bad happening. Study “risk” →
Select the best synonym for the word “drop”:
B — fall. “drop” means v. to let something fall. Study “drop” →
He rolled the pair of ______ and moved his piece six spaces forward.
A — dice. “dice” means n. small cubes with numbers used in games. Study “dice” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “lesser”:
C — minor. “lesser” means adj. smaller in size or amount; not as important. Study “lesser” →
It is a plain ______ to say the room is both totally empty and crowded.
C — contradiction. “contradiction” means n. a situation in which two things are opposite or very different. Study “contradiction” →
Select the best synonym for the word “revise”:
B — amend. “revise” means v. to change or correct something. Study “revise” →
The new apartment was bright and ______, with plenty of space for everyone.
C — roomy. “roomy” means adj. having plenty of space. Study “roomy” →
Select the best synonym for the word “newcomer”:
A — newbie. “newcomer” means n. a person who has recently arrived in a place. Study “newcomer” →
A ______ blue whale is by far the biggest animal in the whole ocean.
C — huge. “huge” means adj. extremely large in size or amount. Study “huge” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “judgment”:
D — prudence. “judgment” means n. the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions. Study “judgment” →
A dry sponge can quickly ______ a whole spilled glass of water.
B — absorb. “absorb” means v. to take in or soak up. Study “absorb” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “worker”:
B — laborer. “worker” means n. people who work, especially in manual or industrial labor. Study “worker” →
The detective searched the room ______, checking every corner in order.
C — systematically. “systematically” means adv. done according to a fixed plan or system. Study “systematically” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “motherlike”:
A — maternal. “motherlike” means adj. resembling or characteristic of a mother. Study “motherlike” →
She ate a ______ breakfast and hurried out to catch the very early bus.
C — rushed. “rushed” means adj. done quickly or in a hurry. Study “rushed” →
Select the best synonym for the word “weaken”:
A — debilitate. “weaken” means v. to make or become less strong. Study “weaken” →
As a lifelong ______, he always needed solid proof before believing anything.
B — doubter. “doubter” means n. a person who questions or lacks faith. Study “doubter” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “same”:
A — identical. “same” means adj. not different; identical. Study “same” →
The little children absolutely ______ their kind, gentle grandmother.
C — adore. “adore” means v. to love and respect someone deeply. Study “adore” →
Select the best synonym for the word “total”:
A — entire. “total” means adj. complete; including everything. Study “total” →
The fast-growing company decided to ______ to a bigger, brighter office.
B — relocate. “relocate” means v. to move to a new place. Study “relocate” →
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.