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

The root 'fid' means faith or trust. Fidelity means loyalty.

"To nullify" is to cancel. The Latin root word, "nullus," means no or none.

"Copious" means plentiful or large in quantity. The Latin root word, "copia," means abundance.

The term “domicile” is used to refer to a home. The prefix dom- usually precedes a term about the house or home, as in domesticated.

"Complacent" means pleased, especially with oneself or one's situation. Thus, the best answer choice is smug. The root word "plac-" means please.

"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.