Synonyms: Nouns - SSAT Upper Level Verbal

Zeal means enthusiasm or passion for something.

A ruse is a trick, which is defined as an action intended to deceive someone.

Scholarship means academic study, or learning.

Justification means the grounds or reason for doing something.

Scrutiny means critical observation or close examination.

Facility means an establishment set up to fulfill a particular function.

An arsenal is a collection of weapons, or weaponry.

A calumny is a lie or a slander meant to make someone look bad: it is a falsehood.

A discrepancy is a lack of compatibility or difference between two things.

A "dearth" is a lack of something or an absence of something.

Deliberate means done consciously, or intentional.

Heritage means something passed down through genertions culturally, or a tradition.

An ideal is a standard of perfection, or a model.

Scorn means the belief that something is worthless, or contempt.

An "edict" is an official order or proclamation.

A "paradigm" is an ideal or perfect model of something. One might write, "He is the paradigm of a perfect student."

Since "repartee" is a noun that means a conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies, we're looking for a noun that refers to speech and includes a connotation of being witty. "Speech" is a tempting answer, but it is too broad to be the correct answer. "Lament" and "banter" both refer to kinds of speech, but where "lament" specifies speech that is mournful or regretful, "banter" means speech in which the participants converse in a witty and teasing manner. Because "banter" not only refers to a type of speech but also specifically refers to a type of witty speech, it is the closest synonym to "repartee," and the best answer choice.

Since "epitome" is a noun which means "a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type," we need to find another noun that means "perfect example of." While "antithesis" may seem like a good answer choice, it is a noun which means "a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else," so it is the opposite of an "epitome" and not the word we're looking for. "Quintessence," on the other hand, means "the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class"; since it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "epitome," it is the correct answer.

"Dilemma" is a noun that means "a situation in which you have to make a difficult choice," so we need to pick out another word that means something like "problem." "Setback" and "quandary" both appear to be potentially correct answers, "setback" means " a problem that makes progress more difficult or success less likely" and "quandary" means "a situation in which you are confused about what to do." Since "quandary" is closer in meaning to "dilemma," since both words have to do with making difficult choices, "quandary" is the correct answer.

"Qualm" is a noun that means "an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one's own conduct," so we need to pick out another word that means something like "doubt" or "worry." Since "misgiving" means "a feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something," it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "qualm" and thus the correct answer.