Synonyms: Nouns for Abstract Concepts - ISEE Upper Level: Verbal Reasoning

"Canard" and "hoax" both mean a lie or deception. "Veracity" means truth or accuracy. "Charlatan" means a trickster or fraud. "Contaminant" means a pollutant. "Edict" means a pronouncement or order.

"Apogee" and "pinnacle" both mean the highest point or zenith. "Nadir" means the lowest point or bottom. "Drawback" means a disadvantage. "Guile" means slyness or cleverness. "Hilarity" means laughter or amusement.

We are looking for a word that is close in meaning to a lie. The word that is closest in meaning to that is "deception."

While "anarchy" and "monarchy" are both types of government, they do not convey the same meaning as "democracy." The word closest in meaning is egalitarian.

"Drawback" and "impediment" both mean a disadvantage or hindrance. "Puissance" means energy or force. "Virtuosity" means skill or craft. "Gaffe" means a mistake or faux pas. "Accretion" means a gradual growth or addition.

Since "antithesis" means a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else, the answer choice that is its closest synonym is "opposite."

"Mettle" is a noun that means "courage; fortitude" or "the ability to cope well with difficulties; resilience." While "diffidence" might seem like a promising answer choice, it actually means "modesty or shyness resulting from a lack of self-confidence," so it's an antonym of "mettle," not a synonym. "Dauntlessness," on the other hand, means "fearlessness, intrepidness, boldness; the incapability of being discouraged or intimidated" and is the best answer choice of those listed.

Since "chagrin" is a noun that means "distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated," we need to pick out another noun that means something like "distress" or "embarrassment." While "simper" may sound like a promising answer choice because "chagrin' sounds like "grin" and "simper" can be defined as "an affectedly coquettish, coy, or ingratiating smile or gesture," this doesn't match the actual meaning of "chagrin," so it can't be the correct answer. Of the listed answer choices, "dissatisfaction" comes closest to matching the meaning of "chagrin, so it is the correct answer.

Fortitude means strength of mind or determination. The best answer choice is resilience since someone with fortitude has strength even in the midst of difficulties.

Since "apex" is a noun that means "the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point," we need to pick out another noun that means "top." While "foremost" means "most prominent in rank, importance, or position," it is an adjective, and not a noun - it describes something at the top, not the top itself, so it can't be the right answer. "Pinnacle," however, means "a high, pointed piece of rock" or "the most successful point; the culmination," and since it is closest in meaning to "apex," it is the right answer.

Since "anomaly" is a noun which means "a deviation from the norm or what is expected," we need to find another noun that means "a deviation from the norm." While "tangent" may look like a potentially correct answer choice, "tangent" means "a line that touches a curve at one point, but does not intersect it," or "a completely different line of thought or action." So, while "tangent" can be used in a context where it means a deviation from the norm of a conversation, it does not itself mean "deviation from the norm," so it can't be the correct answer. "Incongruity," however, means "something that is strange because of not agreeing with what is usual or expected," so it is the correct answer because of the given answer choices, it is closest in meaning to "anomaly."

Guile indicates either slyness or cleverness. For instance, a daughter might use guile and cunning to get her parents to buy her a car.

"Oxymoron" is a noun defined as "a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction." While both "contradiction" and "juxtaposition" involve combinations of things, "juxtaposition" means "the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect." So, a juxtaposition of things creates a contrasting, but not necessarily contradictory, effect. The best answer is "contradiction," because an "oxymoron" is specifically defined as being made up of "apparently contradictory terms."

"Windfall' is a noun that is defined as "an unexpected, unearned, or sudden gain or advantage" or "a piece of unexpected good fortune, typically one that involves receiving a large amount of money." While "trip" may sound like a potentially correct answer because "windfall" is created from a combination of the words "wind" and "fall," "windfall" does not mean "to knock something over with wind" or have anything to do with falling, so neither "blow over" nor "trip" can be the correct answer. "Jackpot," a noun meaning "a large cash prize in a game or lottery, esp. one that accumulates until it is won," is the closest synonym to "windfall" amongst the listed answer choices, so it is the correct answer.

"Vigor" is a noun defined as "physical strength and good health" or "effort, energy, and enthusiasm." So, neither "exhaustion" nor "illness" can be the correct answer, as each is an antonym of "vigor." "Intelligence" cannot be the correct answer either, as "vigor" has to do with "physical strength and good health," not anything related to the mind or intelligence. "Vitality," however, is a noun defined as "the state of being strong and active; energy" or "the power giving continuance of life, present in all living things." Because "vitality" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "vigor," it is the correct answer.

"Correspondence" is a noun defined as "a close similarity, connection, or equivalence" or "communication by exchanging letters with someone." While all of the answer choices may sound somewhat similar to "correspondence" because they all end in "-ence" or "-ance," we know that "dissonance" cannot be the correct answer because "dissonance" means "lack of harmony among musical notes" or "a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements," making it an antonym of "correspondence," not a synonym. "Consonance," is a noun that can mean "agreement or compatibility between opinions or actions," and because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "correspondence," it is the correct answer.

"Vim" is a noun defined as "robust energy and enthusiasm." So, "boredom" cannot be the correct answer because it is an antonym of "vim." "Energy" is the closest synonym to "vim" amongst the listed answer choices, so "energy" is the correct answer.

Do not be tempted by trap answers like “pessimistic” and “harmful,” which might come to mind if you read the word “negation” as being “negative.” Certainly, the two words are related, but the word negation most properly indicates opposition. Often, it is expressed in language as “not-X.” For instance, the negation of “hot” is “not-hot” (for which we will likely use a number of possible words). When something “contradicts,” it literally “speaks against” something else. The “contra-” means “against” as in “contrary,” and “-diction” is related to other words for speaking such as “diction,” “dictate,” “edict,” and “predict.”

The word “alacrity” is related to the musical words “allegro” and “allegretto,” which indicate quickness or briskness of tempo. Strictly speaking, “alacrity” means pleasant, quick readiness (to do something). Among the provided options, the best answer is “willingness.”