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.
In the sentence, “The earthquake caused a significant rupture in the ground,” the word “rupture” most nearly means:
A — fracture. “rupture” means n./v. break, split apart. Study “rupture” →
Select the word that is closest in meaning to: bias.
A — prejudice. “bias” means n. prejudice, preference. Study “bias” →
In the following sentence, select the word that is closest in meaning to “available”: “The documents are available for review anytime during office hours.”
A — accessible. “available” means adj. ready or free to use. Study “available” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the word “disdain”: The teacher''s sudden _______ for the poorly prepared students was evident.
B — contempt. “disdain” means n./v. look down, scorn. Study “disdain” →
What is the synonym of “reckless” as used in the sentence? “His reckless actions caused the team to lose the game.”
C — heedless. “reckless” means adj. marked by lack of thought about danger or consequences. Study “reckless” →
The hikers found themselves in jeopardy when they got lost in the forest. Which word is the best synonym for “jeopardy”?
B — danger. “jeopardy” means n. danger of loss, harm, or failure. Study “jeopardy” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to: jubilation
B — Elation. “jubilation” means n. great joy, celebration. Study “jubilation” →
Choose the word that is a synonym for “intercede”:
A — mediate. “intercede” means v. mediate, plead for another. Study “intercede” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “ordinary”?
A — Common. “ordinary” means adj. normal, not special. Study “ordinary” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “phenomenon”: The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that many people travel to see.
B — event. “phenomenon” means n. unusual occurrence. Study “phenomenon” →
Which of the following is a synonym for “substantial” as used in the context of a large and important amount or quantity?
B — Significant. “substantial” means adj. large, important; real. Study “substantial” →
Choose the synonym for the word “companion”: A) Enemy B) Friend C) Stranger D) Leader
B — Friend. “companion” means n. friend; partner. Study “companion” →
Choose the word that is a synonym for “ultimate”.
A — final. “ultimate” means adj./n. last, final; the best. Study “ultimate” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “exuberant” in the following sentence: The garden was filled with exuberant flowers, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
B — abundant. “exuberant” means adj. enthusiastic, lively. Study “exuberant” →
Choose the word that is most similar in meaning to lavish:
C — extravagant. “lavish” means adj. very generous or rich. Study “lavish” →
Which word is a synonym for “eager”?
B — enthusiastic. “eager” means adj. having a keen interest or intense desire. Study “eager” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “intense”.
C — fierce. “intense” means adj. very strong, extreme. Study “intense” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “status”?
A — reputation. “status” means n. position or rank. Study “status” →
Which word is a synonym for nimble?
C — Agile. “nimble” means adj. quick and light in movement. Study “nimble” →
Which of the following words is a synonym for “saunter”?
C — stroll. “saunter” means v. walk in a slow, relaxed way. Study “saunter” →
Before buying the house, you should ______ an experienced lawyer.
B — consult. “consult” means v. seek advice, discuss. Study “consult” →
The ______ pirate was feared and hated all along the coast.
A — infamous. “infamous” means adj. having a bad reputation. Study “infamous” →
Bright lights and loud music were used to ______ customers into the shop.
B — lure. “lure” means v./n. attract, entice. Study “lure” →
In these times of financial constraint, such a __________ waste of resources is hard to justify.
A — flagrant. “flagrant” means adj. obvious, offensive. Study “flagrant” →
She spent two long years researching and writing her doctoral ______.
B — thesis. “thesis” means n. long essay, theory. Study “thesis” →
People who skip breakfast are far more ______ to feeling tired by noon.
C — prone. “prone” means adj. likely to suffer from or experience something undesirable. Study “prone” →
The sheer size of the ancient pyramid never fails to ______ visitors.
C — astound. “astound” means v. greatly surprise or shock. Study “astound” →
Everyone must wear a uniform; there is simply no ______ to this rule.
C — exception. “exception” means n. something that is not included in the general rule or does not follow a rule or pattern. Study “exception” →
The clever student solved the difficult ______ and found the value of x.
D — equation. “equation” means n. mathematical statement. Study “equation” →
He was a skilled ______ who painted only for fun, never for money.
B — amateur. “amateur” means n. a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid rather than a professional basis. Study “amateur” →
She felt deeply ______ to the stranger who had returned her lost wallet.
D — obliged. “obliged” means adj. grateful; required. Study “obliged” →
If the strange pain should ______, you must call the doctor at once.
C — recur. “recur” means v. happen again. Study “recur” →
She felt ______ about the move, excited yet also a little sad.
D — ambivalent. “ambivalent” means adj. having mixed feelings. Study “ambivalent” →
In preparation for the hiking adventure, the team set a new ______ to avoid the rocky terrain.
A — path. “course” means n. path, direction; school subject. Study “course” →
The scientist reported some ______ results that no one could explain.
A — bizarre. “bizarre” means adj. very strange, unusual. Study “bizarre” →
A diet that is ______ in vitamins can lead to serious illness.
B — deficient. “deficient” means adj. lacking. Study “deficient” →
The lawyer asked only ______ questions that related directly to the case.
C — pertinent. “pertinent” means adj. relevant, directly related to. Study “pertinent” →
She chose to ______ her whole life to helping the poor and the sick.
D — dedicate. “dedicate” means v. devote oneself, commit. Study “dedicate” →
Vandals tried to ______ the beautiful statue with cans of spray paint.
A — deface. “deface” means v. to ruin the appearance of something by damaging or vandalizing it. Study “deface” →
The school worked hard to ______ the new students into the community.
C — integrate. “integrate” means v. combine, bring together. Study “integrate” →
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.