34 Verbal Reasoning questions — Part 1: 17 synonym, Part 2: 17 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 word that is most similar in meaning to ‘unruly’:
A — chaotic. “unruly” means adj. hard to control, wild. Study “unruly” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word infection?
A — contagion. “infection” means n. invasion of the body by germs. Study “infection” →
Choose the word that best matches the meaning of “exchange” in the following sentence: During the student program, participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas with peers from different countries.
B — trade. “exchange” means v./n. give one thing for another. Study “exchange” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to aide.
A — Assistant. “aide” means n. assistant. Study “aide” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “central”:
C — Essential. “central” means adj. middle, most important. Study “central” →
Select the word that is most similar in meaning to “reluctant”: After receiving the job offer, Sarah was ______ to accept it because of the long commute.
C — hesitant. “reluctant” means adj. unwilling. Study “reluctant” →
Select the word that is closest in meaning to “ample” as used in the sentence: “The harvest this year was ample, providing more than enough food for the entire village.”
B — Sufficient. “ample” means adj. more than enough. Study “ample” →
Select the synonym for the word “painstaking” as used in the sentence: “The painstaking process of restoring the painting took months.”
A — careful. “painstaking” means adj. very careful, meticulous. Study “painstaking” →
Select the word that is closest in meaning to “compact” as used in the following sentence: “The students appreciated the compact schedule, which allowed for more free time in the afternoons.”
A — compressed. “compact” means adj. small and neatly arranged. Study “compact” →
Choose the synonym for the word “monotonous” as it is used in the sentence below: The lecture was so monotonous that many students struggled to stay awake.
B — boring. “monotonous” means adj. dull, unchanging. Study “monotonous” →
Which of the following is a synonym for “amuse”?
B — entertain. “amuse” means v. to entertain or make someone laugh. Study “amuse” →
Which of the following is a synonym of “persecute”?
A — Harass. “persecute” means v. treat badly, oppress. Study “persecute” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “Extend”.
B — Expand. “extend” means v. make longer or larger. Study “extend” →
Choose the word that is most similar in meaning to “triumph”:
B — victory. “triumph” means n./v. victory, succeed. Study “triumph” →
Choose the word that is a synonym for “failure”:
C — defeat. “failure” means n. lack of success. Study “failure” →
Choose the word closest in meaning to “incapable”: Due to her injury, she was _____ of participating in the marathon.
A — unfit. “incapable” means adj. not able to. Study “incapable” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “negotiate” as used in the sentence: “The two companies agreed to negotiate a contract that would benefit both parties”?
A — discuss. “negotiate” means v. discuss to reach agreement. Study “negotiate” →
The ______ student reviewed her notes every single evening.
A — diligent. “diligent” means adj. hardworking, careful. Study “diligent” →
The large store sells ______ kinds of candy from all over the world.
C — various. “various” means adj. different kinds. Study “various” →
The coach placed great ______ on teamwork and daily practice.
B — emphasis. “emphasis” means n. special importance. Study “emphasis” →
The library is in a ______ location, close to every classroom.
A — central. “central” means adj. middle, most important. Study “central” →
The soldiers were ordered to ______ firing once the truce was signed.
D — cease. “cease” means v. to stop. Study “cease” →
After working so hard all year, you truly ______ a long vacation.
D — deserve. “deserve” means v. be worthy of. Study “deserve” →
The sailors used a thick rope to ______ the heavy sail up the mast.
B — hoist. “hoist” means v. lift, raise. Study “hoist” →
The two houses are ______ in size, though one is slightly newer.
C — comparable. “comparable” means adj. able to be compared. Study “comparable” →
Archaeologists discovered ruins that were incredibly ______, dating back thousands of years.
B — ancient. “ancient” means adj. very old. Study “ancient” →
She was searching for one ______ book among the thousands on the shelves.
C — particular. “particular” means adj. specific; special. Study “particular” →
Do not ______ that the store is open without checking first.
D — assume. “assume” means v. suppose, take for granted. Study “assume” →
She has a real ______ for making even strangers feel comfortable.
A — knack. “knack” means n. special skill or talent. Study “knack” →
A few small shops stood on the ______ of the busy town.
B — fringe. “fringe” means n. edge, border, marginal. Study “fringe” →
The sun slowly sank below the ______ at the end of the day.
D — horizon. “horizon” means n. line where earth and sky appear to meet. Study “horizon” →
Heavy traffic is a ______ problem on this busy highway.
D — frequent. “frequent” means adj. happening often. Study “frequent” →
Our team hoped to ______ their greatest rivals in the finals.
A — defeat. “defeat” means v./n. win against. Study “defeat” →
The endless ______ of the seasons repeats itself every year.
A — cycle. “cycle” means n. repeated series of events. Study “cycle” →
Score:
Every question below is now marked up: the correct answer is highlighted in red, and any option you picked that was wrong is highlighted in blue.
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.
34 — Part 1 is 17 synonym questions, Part 2 is 17 sentence-completion questions, the same roughly-even split the real ISEE Verbal Reasoning section uses.
No. Every Lower 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.