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.
Which word is closest in meaning to “altruism”?
A — selflessness. “altruism” means n. selfless concern for the well-being of others. Study “altruism” →
Choose the word that is the closest synonym to “ingenuous”.
B — naive. “ingenuous” means adj. naive; innocent; candid. Study “ingenuous” →
Which of the following words is a synonym for “miser”?
C — Hoarder. “miser” means n. stingy person; penny-pincher; scrooge. Study “miser” →
Which of the following is a synonym for the word “denigrate”?
B — Criticize. “denigrate” means v. to belittle; disparage; defame. Study “denigrate” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “indelible”.
C — Permanent. “indelible” means adj. Permanent and lasting; unforgettable. Study “indelible” →
Which word is a synonym for resonate?
A — vibrate. “resonate” means v. to produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound; to evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions. Study “resonate” →
What is a synonym for the word “maneuver” as used in this context?
C — manipulate. “maneuver” means n. a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care. Study “maneuver” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “ravenous” as used in the sentence: After the long hike, the group was ravenous and couldn''t wait to get to the camp to eat.
D — Famished. “ravenous” means adj. Extremely hungry; voracious. Study “ravenous” →
Select the best synonym for the word “inclusive”:
A — comprehensive. “inclusive” means adj. including all parts or elements; not excluding anything. Study “inclusive” →
Select the synonym for the word “brusque” as used in the following sentence: The manager''s brusque manner left the employees feeling uneasy.
B — curt. “brusque” means adj. abrupt blunt curt. Study “brusque” →
Choose the synonym for the word in context: The new regulations aim to prevent companies from trying to harass employees through constant pressure.
B — annoy. “harass” means v. to annoy or trouble someone repeatedly. Study “harass” →
Which of the following is a synonym for “invariably”?
A — Consistently. “invariably” means adv. always; consistently; without exception. Study “invariably” →
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to “partial”:
C — incomplete. “partial” means adj. not complete or total. Study “partial” →
Which word is closest in meaning to “predominant”?
A — dominant. “predominant” means adj. Having superior strength, influence, or authority; prevailing.. Study “predominant” →
Which word is a synonym for “baffle”?
B — confuse. “baffle” means v. to confuse or perplex someone. Study “baffle” →
Choose the word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as “accentuate”:
B — highlight. “accentuate” means v. emphasize highlight stress. Study “accentuate” →
Select the best synonym for the word “epilogue”:
A — afterword. “epilogue” means n. conclusion; final section; afterword. Study “epilogue” →
In the heated debate, the critic''s remarks were so scathing that the audience was left in silence.
B — harsh. “scathing” means adj. harsh; severe; biting. Study “scathing” →
Which of the following words is a synonym for the word “succinct” as used in this sentence: The professor''s lecture was succinct, covering all the main points without unnecessary details.
B — Concise. “succinct” means adj. Brief and concise; pithy. Study “succinct” →
Choose the word that is most similar in meaning to “deleterious”:
B — harmful. “deleterious” means Adj. harmful; damaging; injurious. Study “deleterious” →
A family ______ to heart disease means he must watch his diet very closely.
D — predisposition. “predisposition” means n. tendency; inclination; susceptibility. Study “predisposition” →
A tiny hidden ______ in the engine caused the expensive car to break down.
B — defect. “defect” means n. a flaw or shortcoming. Study “defect” →
It was ______ of him to answer the question before it had even been asked.
B — presumptuous. “presumptuous” means Adj. arrogant; overconfident; bold. Study “presumptuous” →
The wise student chose to ______ to the professor's much greater experience.
C — defer. “defer” means v. postpone; delay; yield to. Study “defer” →
Not even the blaring alarm could ______ the deeply sleeping child.
A — rouse. “rouse” means v. awaken; stir up; stimulate. Study “rouse” →
The captain's calm, steady voice helped ______ the passengers' rising fears.
A — allay. “allay” means v. relieve ease calm. Study “allay” →
The rising floodwaters began to ______ thousands of families from their homes.
C — displace. “displace” means v. to remove or drive out, especially to take the place of. Study “displace” →
The professor loves to ______ his theories at great length to anyone listening.
D — expound. “expound” means v. To explain; elaborate. Study “expound” →
Scientists ______ that a huge comet once struck the ancient Earth.
B — postulate. “postulate” means v. to suggest or assume the existence or truth of something as a basis for reasoning or argument. Study “postulate” →
A basic algebra class is a ______ for the advanced calculus course.
C — prerequisite. “prerequisite” means n. requirement; condition; necessity. Study “prerequisite” →
His ______ answer left everyone unsure of what he really meant.
B — equivocal. “equivocal” means adj. open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.. Study “equivocal” →
His ______ explanation was so twisted that no one could possibly follow it.
C — convoluted. “convoluted” means adj. complex; twisted; complicated. Study “convoluted” →
With a ______ glare, the prisoner flatly refused to answer any questions.
D — defiant. “defiant” means adj. showing bold resistance or challenging authority. Study “defiant” →
The judge kept a cold, ______ expression, revealing nothing of her thoughts.
D — inscrutable. “inscrutable” means adj. impossible to understand or interpret. Study “inscrutable” →
After a ______ morning swim, he felt refreshed and full of new energy.
B — vigorous. “vigorous” means adj. strong, active, and full of energy.. Study “vigorous” →
How the ancient builders lifted the huge stones remains a real ______.
A — conundrum. “conundrum” means N. puzzle; riddle; dilemma. Study “conundrum” →
Boiling the river water is a simple way to ______ it before drinking.
D — purify. “purify” means v. cleanse; purge; refine. Study “purify” →
The clear video offered ______ proof of exactly what had happened.
C — irrefutable. “irrefutable” means adj. undeniable; conclusive; certain. Study “irrefutable” →
She stood up boldly to ______ that she was completely innocent of the crime.
A — assert. “assert” means v. declare; claim; maintain. Study “assert” →
She was ______ when she was wrongly blamed for a mistake she had not made.
B — indignant. “indignant” means adj. Angry and outraged; resentful. Study “indignant” →
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 Upper 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.