Using Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots to Identify Synonyms - SSAT Upper Level: Verbal

"Magnanimous" means generous and noble. The root "magn" means great in Latin, while the root word "animus" means spirit in Latin. So, "generous" is the correct answer because it is closest in meaning to "magnanimous."

"Mislead" means to lie.

"Apathetic" and "indifferent" mean not interested. The root word "path" means feeling, and the prefix "a-" means not.

"Autonomy" means independence, or a self-governing community. The root word "auto-" means self. The root word "nom" means law or order.

"Hyperbole" is an obvious exaggeration. The prefix "hyper-" means over or above. "Exaggeration" is thus the correct answer.

Gynophobia is the fear of women. The prefix gyno- typically suggests a relationship between the word and women. In order to solve this analogy, it is necessary to determine what heliophobia is the fear of. The prefix helio­­- means of or relating to the sun, so the correct answer is “sunlight.”

Necrophobia is the fear of death. The prefix necro- generally suggests an association with death. To solve this analogy you have to determine what philophobia is the fear of. The prefix or suffix phil- means of or relating to love, so philophobia is the fear of love.

"Amoral" means unethical or not moral.

"Antidote" is a medicine or treatment to counteract a poison. "Canal" is a man-made river. "Patron" is a person who donates to a person or cause. "Emblem" is a symbol or badge that represents something such as a country. "Collision" is a crash.

When used as a verb, the word “presage” means to be a sign of a future event, often implying that this is a sign of warning. The word comes from the prefix “pre-”, meaning before, and the base “sage,” which does not merely mean wise, but to perceive keenly. Someone who is “sagacious” is wise precisely because that person keenly perceives reality. The word would be used in a sentence like, “In many cultures, the flying of a crow over a barn presaged a poor harvest in the coming year.”

Among these options, “heal” and “recover” are attempting to get you to confuse this word with “convalesce,” which means to recover or to regain strength. The word “coalesce” comes from the prefix “co-,” meaning together or with, and “-alesce,” which is derived from the Latin for to nourish or to grow up. When things “coalesce,” they come together, forming a larger whole. For instance, one could say, “All of the ingredients cooked down and coalesced into a single, homogeneous stew.” The word “adolescence” means a stage of growing to maturity, and is related to the word “coalesce.”

Although the word “pretentious” is related to the word “pretend,” do not be fooled. “Pretend” literally means to stretch forward in the sense of taking or claiming something. The “-tend” means stretch, as is found in “extend.” The “pre-” does not mean before in a temporal sense but instead in the physical sense—e.g. “he stood before the magistrate.” When someone is pretentious, he or she claims to be something that he or she is not, often doing so with much fanfare to draw attention. The word “ostentatious” means much the same, itself being derived from Latin roots meaning to stretch out to show.

Ambivalent means being unable to choose between two options. The correct answer choice is undecided. The prefix "ambi" means both, and the root "val" refers to strength.

Superfluous means beyond what is needed or an overabundance. Thus, the correct answer is extra. The prefix 'super' means over.

The word “exhume” literally means to take out of the earth. The “-hume” portion of the word is the same as that which is found in “humility.” It comes from the Latin for ground or dirt. “Humility” is a disposition that makes one feel “lowly.” When combined with the prefix “ex-”, this root word makes the expression out of the earth.

The word “transition” is taken from two familiar components, though you might not see the second component at first sight. The prefix “trans-” means across. When someone “translates” something, he or she “carries” it from one language to another. Likewise, “transferring” is the sending or carrying of something “across from one person or place to another.” The “-ition” is related to the small “-it” in “exit.” It means to go, and “exit” means to go out. A “transition” is a going across from one place, quality, etc. to another. Better stated, it means a change from one thing to another. "Alteration" is thus the answer choice closest in meaning to "transition."

The word “ingress” is perhaps a bit strange looking, but you can infer its meaning from two relatively well known bases. The prefix “in-” merely means in or into. While the “-gress” may seem unknown, think of words like “progress” or “digress.” The “-gress” in these words comes from the Latin word for to step. The words “grade” and “gradual” both come from this same base. Literally speaking, an “ingress” is a “going in” or—more appropriate for our word choices—the means of going in. For this reason, it often means merely “door,” “entrance,” or “entryway.”

The word “vulnerable” comes from the Latin for wound. With the “-able” prefix, it would mean able to be wounded. Therefore, when someone is “in-vulnerable,” he or she is not able to be wounded. The word “invincible” does not necessarily pertain to wounds, but it does mean unable to be conquered. You may have heard of the famous line attributed to Julius Caesar: “Veni, vidi, vici,” “I came, I saw, I conquered.” The last word, “vici,” is a form of “vincere,” meaning, to conquer. To be “invincible,” is thus to be “un-conquerable.”

The word “exclaim” literally means to shout out. The “ex-” prefix is likely familiar, being taken from the Latin for out or out of. The “-claim” portion is related to words like “clamor” and “proclaim.” It comes from the Latin for to call in the sense of to call out. When someone “exclaims” something, he or she shouts it out, often in anger or surprise. For instance, upon unexpectedly discovering an answer, one might exclaim, “Eureka!”