40 Verbal Reasoning questions — Part 1: 20 synonym, Part 2: 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 word closest in meaning to “migration”:
C — Relocation. “migration” means n. movement from one place to another. Study “migration” →
Which of the following words is most similar in meaning to “waft”?
C — drift. “waft” means v. to float or be carried, especially through the air. Study “waft” →
Choose the synonym for the word “inundate” as used in the sentence: The recent storms began to inundate the coastal towns, causing widespread flooding.
A — overwhelm. “inundate” means v. flood, overwhelm. Study “inundate” →
Select the word that is closest in meaning to “reception”:
A — gathering. “reception” means n. welcome or celebration; signal. Study “reception” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “acquire”:
B — purchase. “acquire” means v. get, obtain. Study “acquire” →
Choose the word that is a synonym for “genuine”:
B — real. “genuine” means adj. real, authentic, sincere. Study “genuine” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “implication” as used in the sentence: The principal''s announcement about changes to the school schedule had several important implications for the daily routine.
A — repercussions. “implication” means n. suggestion, possible effect. Study “implication” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “trivial”?
C — Insignificant. “trivial” means adj. not important. Study “trivial” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “arrogant” as used in the sentence: “The new manager was often seen as arrogant by his colleagues due to his dismissive attitude.”?
C — Conceited. “arrogant” means adj. conceited, overconfident. Study “arrogant” →
Which of the following is a synonym for “annual”?
C — yearly. “annual” means adj. occurring once a year. Study “annual” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “incident” as used in the sentence: “The news reported an incident near the downtown area that caused a lot of traffic delays.”
A — happening. “incident” means n. event, sometimes negative. Study “incident” →
In the context of the sentence, “The young plants are particularly ____, making them vulnerable to various environmental stresses,” which word is the closest in meaning to susceptible?
C — sensitive. “susceptible” means adj. easily influenced or affected. Study “susceptible” →
Select the word that is most similar in meaning to “punctual”: Even though the subway was delayed, Jane was ______ to the meeting.
C — prompt. “punctual” means adj. on time, not late. Study “punctual” →
In the library, the librarian had to confiscate a book from the student who was being disruptive. What is the synonym of “confiscate”?
A — Seize. “confiscate” means v. take away (by authority). Study “confiscate” →
Choose the word that is a synonym for “shirk”:
B — evade. “shirk” means v. avoid work or responsibility. Study “shirk” →
In the horror movie, the eerie silence seemed to petrify the normally brave hero. What is a synonym for “petrify”?
C — Terrify. “petrify” means v. turn to stone; terrify. Study “petrify” →
Choose the word that is most similar in meaning to “suspense”.
A — curiosity. “suspense” means n. feeling of uncertainty or excitement. Study “suspense” →
Choose the word that is the closest synonym to “poised” in the following sentence: The gymnast stood poised on the balance beam, ready to perform her routine.
B — balanced. “poised” means adj. balanced, ready. Study “poised” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “hover”. The drone began to hover over the field as the operator adjusted the controls.
C — float. “hover” means v. stay suspended in air. Study “hover” →
Select the synonym for the word “essential”: It is essential that we complete this project by the deadline.
B — vital. “essential” means adj. absolutely necessary; extremely important. Study “essential” →
The new tax met fierce ______ from angry local business owners.
A — opposition. “opposition” means n. resistance. Study “opposition” →
Her cheerful ______ made her a favorite among all of her classmates.
D — disposition. “disposition” means n. personality, tendency. Study “disposition” →
The villagers traveled far to seek advice from the old ______.
A — sage. “sage” means n. wise person; adj. wise. Study “sage” →
Please keep the tall ladder perfectly ______ so that it does not tip over.
A — upright. “upright” means adj. vertical; honest. Study “upright” →
In a surprisingly ______ interview, the actor spoke openly about his struggles.
A — candid. “candid” means adj. frank, honest. Study “candid” →
The coach did not hesitate to ______ the player for breaking the rules.
D — rebuke. “rebuke” means v./n. criticize sharply. Study “rebuke” →
A warm smile is a ______ sign of friendliness in every culture.
C — universal. “universal” means adj. worldwide, common to all. Study “universal” →
The two runners crossed the finish line in a ______ dead heat.
B — simultaneous. “simultaneous” means adj. happening together. Study “simultaneous” →
In the thick fog, it was hard to ______ the shape of the distant ship.
A — discern. “discern” means v. see, recognize, distinguish. Study “discern” →
In a year when the farmers experienced a record harvest, they had a ______ of produce to sell at the market.
C — surplus. “glut” means n./v. too much, oversupply. Study “glut” →
The tiny, ______ radio fit easily inside his jacket pocket.
D — portable. “portable” means adj. easy to carry. Study “portable” →
The ______ investor noticed the problem long before anyone else did.
D — astute. “astute” means adj. clever, sharp. Study “astute” →
The pilot spoke calmly to ______ the nervous passengers.
A — reassure. “reassure” means v. make less worried. Study “reassure” →
The sharp-eyed clerk quickly spotted the ______ twenty-dollar bill.
D — counterfeit. “counterfeit” means adj./n./v. fake, not genuine. Study “counterfeit” →
Constant ______ among the members finally tore the young band apart.
B — discord. “discord” means n. disagreement, conflict. Study “discord” →
After years of practice, she became remarkably ______ at chess.
C — adept. “adept” means adj. skilled, expert. Study “adept” →
Careful scientists worked hard to ______ the popular myth about the moon.
A — debunk. “debunk” means v. expose false claims. Study “debunk” →
After his parents died, his kind aunt became his legal ______.
D — guardian. “guardian” means n. someone who protects. Study “guardian” →
Years of daily exercise had given him a ______ and healthy body.
B — robust. “robust” means adj. strong, healthy. Study “robust” →
The museum will ______ the ancient golden treasures starting next month.
B — exhibit. “exhibit” means v./n. show, display. Study “exhibit” →
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.
40 — Part 1 is 20 synonym questions, Part 2 is 20 sentence-completion questions, the same roughly-even split the real ISEE Verbal Reasoning section uses.
No. Every Middle 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.