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 “event”:
D — occurrence. “event” means n. something that happens, especially something important. Study “event” →
Her quick, clever ______ made everyone at the dinner table laugh out loud.
B — humor. “humor” means n. the quality of being funny or amusing. Study “humor” →
Select the best synonym for the word “preachy”:
A — moralistic. “preachy” means adj. trying to give moral advice in a tedious way. Study “preachy” →
It was a ______ rainy day, just like most days in that gray old city.
B — typical. “typical” means adj. having the usual qualities of a particular group or thing. Study “typical” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “interfering”:
A — meddlesome. “interfering” means adj. tending to get involved in other people''s affairs. Study “interfering” →
A blue whale is far ______ than any fish in the whole sea.
D — larger. “larger” means adj. comparative form of ''large''; more large. Study “larger” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “stride”:
B — march. “stride” means v. to walk with long steps. Study “stride” →
The ______ old dog followed her happily around the house all day long.
D — companionable. “companionable” means adj. friendly and pleasant to be with. Study “companionable” →
Select the best synonym for the word “inflexibility”:
A — rigidity. “inflexibility” means n. unwillingness to change or compromise. Study “inflexibility” →
The angry customer threatened to ______ the company for the broken product.
C — sue. “sue” means v. to take legal action against someone. Study “sue” →
Select the best synonym for the word “forefather”:
C — ancestor. “forefather” means n. a person from an earlier time who contributed to the tradition or heritage of a group. Study “forefather” →
The brave ______ dived straight into the river to save the drowning child.
A — hero. “hero” means n. a person admired for bravery or noble qualities. Study “hero” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “growing”:
B — expanding. “growing” means adj. increasing in size or amount. Study “growing” →
The heavy afternoon rain was fully ______, so everyone brought umbrellas.
C — expected. “expected” means adj. regarded as likely to happen. Study “expected” →
Select the best synonym for the word “uprising”:
C — revolt. “uprising” means n. a rebellion or revolt against authority. Study “uprising” →
Each delicate snowflake has a completely ______ shape from every other.
B — different. “different” means adj. not the same as another. Study “different” →
Select the best synonym for the word “embody”:
D — represent. “embody” means v. to represent an idea or quality. Study “embody” →
The whole small village shared one large ______ well for their water.
B — communal. “communal” means adj. shared by a group. Study “communal” →
Select the best synonym for the word “view”:
A — sight. “view” means n. what you can see from a particular place. Study “view” →
A good ______ inspires her whole team to do their very best work.
D — leader. “leader” means n. a person who leads or commands a group. Study “leader” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “icecap”:
C — glacier. “icecap” means n. a thick layer of ice covering a large area. Study “icecap” →
The pirate's treasure lay ______ deep beneath the old wooden floor.
C — concealed. “concealed” means adj. kept hidden or secret. Study “concealed” →
Select the best synonym for the word “soul”:
C — spirit. “soul” means n. the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being. Study “soul” →
Please ______ the tall ladder steady while I climb up to the very top.
C — hold. “hold” means v. to grasp or carry with one''s hands. Study “hold” →
Select the best synonym for the word “put”:
C — place. “put” means v. to place something in a particular position. Study “put” →
A quick ______ showed that the first phone was clearly the better deal.
D — comparison. “comparison” means n. the act of comparing. Study “comparison” →
Select the best synonym for the word “track”:
C — course. “track” means n. a path or course laid out for running or racing. Study “track” →
The kind old nurse was the very ______ of gentle, endless patience.
A — embodiment. “embodiment” means n. a tangible or visible form of an idea or feeling. Study “embodiment” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “shy”:
D — timid. “shy” means adj. nervous or timid in the company of others. Study “shy” →
The ______ waiter tripped and spilled hot soup all over the table.
B — clumsy. “clumsy” means adj. awkward in movement or handling things. Study “clumsy” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “noticing”:
A — observing. “noticing” means v. becoming aware of something. Study “noticing” →
The signing of the peace treaty was a ______ event in the nation's history.
B — momentous. “momentous” means adj. very important or significant. Study “momentous” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “pain”:
A — agony. “pain” means n. physical suffering or discomfort. Study “pain” →
Please ______ your muddy boots before you walk on the clean white carpet.
C — remove. “remove” means v. to take something away or off from the position occupied. Study “remove” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “sensitive”:
D — responsive. “sensitive” means adj. quick to detect or respond to slight changes, signals, or influences. Study “sensitive” →
A fierce ______ with heavy rain and strong wind hit the rocky coast.
C — storm. “storm” means n. a violent weather condition with strong winds and rain. Study “storm” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “expect”:
C — anticipate. “expect” means v. to think or believe something will happen. Study “expect” →
The ancient ______ told of a brave hero's long and dangerous journey.
A — epic. “epic” means n. a long poem or story about heroic deeds. Study “epic” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “snowslide”:
B — avalanche. “snowslide” means n. a mass of snow sliding down a mountain. Study “snowslide” →
The huge, heavy boulder was far too big to ______ by hand.
A — move. “move” means v. to change position or place. Study “move” →
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.