Choose the analogy that best matches the example provided.
1. DRIP : GUSH
- CRY : LAUGH
- CURL : ROLL
- STREAM : TRIBUTARY
- DENT : DESTROY
- BEND : ANGLE
2. WALK : LEGS
- GLEAM : EYES
- CHEW : MOUTH
- DRESS : HEM
- COVER : BOOK
- GRIND : NOSE
3. ENFRANCHISE : SLAVERY
- EQUATION : MATHEMATICS
- LIBERATE : CONFINE
- BONDAGE : SUBJUGATION
- APPEASEMENT : UNREASONABLE
- ANATOMY : PHYSIOLOGY
4. UNION JACK : VEXILLOLOGY
- TOAD : ORNITHOLOGY
- TURTLE : MICROBIOLOGY
- GYMNOSPERMS : BOTANY
- FRIEND : HOME ECONOMICS
- ALGAE : ZOOLOGY
5. TOPAZ : YELLOW
- DIAMOND : CARAT
- JEWELER : CLARITY
- SAPPHIRE : RED
- AMETHYST : PURPLE
- AMBER : BLUE
6. LUMEN : BRIGHTNESS
- CANDLE : LIGHT
- DENSITY : DARKNESS
- NICKEL : METAL
- INCHES : LENGTH
- COLOR : HUE
7. MACERATION : LIQUID
- SUBLIMATION : GAS
- EVAPORATION : HUMIDITY
- TRAIL : PATH
- EROSION : WEATHER
- DECISION : DISTRACTION
8. CLUMSY : BOTCH
- WICKED : INSINUATE
- STRICT : PAMPER
- WILLFUL : HEED
- CLEVER : ERADICATE
- LAZY : SHIRK
9. FUGITIVE : FLEE
- PARASITE : FOSTER
- BRAGGART : BOAST
- SAGE : STIFLE
- BYSTANDER : PROCURE
- FIREBRAND : QUIBBLE
10. CHRONOLOGICAL : TIME
- VIRTUAL : TRUTH
- ABNORMAL : VALUE
- MARGINAL : KNOWLEDGE
- ORDINAL : PLACE
- COINCIDENTAL : HEALTH
11. SOOT : GRIMY
- FROST : TRANSPARENT
- SUNSHINE : FRUITLESS
- RAIN : SODDEN
- PALL : GAUDY
- DUST : RADIANT
12. MORBID : UNFAVORABLE
- REPUTABLE : FAVORABLE
- MATERNAL : UNFAVORABLE
- DISPUTATIOUS : FAVORABLE
- VIGILANT : UNFAVORABLE
- LAX : FAVORABLE
13. SULLEN : BROOD
- LETHARGIC : CAVORT
- REGAL : CRINGE
- DOCILE : OBEY
- POISED : BLUNDER
- DESPONDENT : LAUGH
14. AUTHOR : LITERATE
- CYNIC : GULLIBLE
- HOTHEAD : PRUDENT
- SAINT : NOTORIOUS
- JUDGE : IMPARTIAL
- DOCTOR : FALLIBLE
15. MASSIVE : BULK
- ULTIMATE : MAGNITUDE
- TRIVIAL : IMPORTANCE
- ANONYMOUS : LUSTER
- INTERMINABLE : LEGACY
- GIGANTIC : SIZE
16. ENTICE : REPEL
- GERMINATE : SPROUT
- FLOURISH : FADE
- OFFICIATE : PRESIDE
- LUBRICATE : GREASE
- IMPLORE : ENTREAT
17. HUMDRUM : BORE
- GRIM : AMUSE
- NUTRITIOUS : SICKEN
- STODGY : EXCITE
- HEARTRENDING : MOVE
- PENDING : WORRY
18. HOSPITABLE : COURTESY
- MORBID : CHEERFULNESS
- VINDICTIVE : SPITE
- LEISURELY : HASTE
- INFAMOUS : HONOR
- DESPONDENT : GLEE
19. REINFORCE : STRONGER
- ABOUND : LESSER
- DISMANTLE : LONGER
- WILT : HIGHER
- SHIRK : GREATER
- ERODE : WEAKER
20. BRAGGART : MODESTY
- FLEDGLING : EXPERIENCE
- EMBEZZLER : GREED
- WALLFLOWER : TIMIDITY
- INVALID : MALADY
- CANDIDATE : AMBITION
Answers and Explanations
1. D
Denting is minor damage and destroying is major; dripping is minor liquid flow and gushing is major. Cry and laugh (A) are antonyms. Curl and roll (B), stream and tributary (C), and bend and angle (E) are all pairs of synonyms.
2. B
Walking is a movement of the legs and chewing is a movement of the mouth. Eyes may gleam (A), but this is not a movement. Dress (C) is a whole, of which hem is part; Cover (D) is part of the whole, book. There is an expression, “Keep your nose to the grindstone;” but grind is not a movement of/upon the nose (E).
3. B
Enfranchise is to set free/liberate, and slavery is the opposite-i.e. to enslave/confine. Both sets are antonyms. Equation is part of mathematics (A). Bondage and subjugation (C) are synonyms (for each other and slavery). Appeasement and unreasonable (D) are unrelated. Anatomy and physiology (E) are related subjects.
4. C
The Union Jack (British flag) is part of vexillology, the study of flags; gymnosperms are part of botany, the study of plants. Toad is not part of ornithology (A), the study of birds. Turtle is not part of microbiology (B), the study of microscopic organisms. Friend is not part of home economics (D), the study of cooking, sewing, and other home skills. Algae, plants, are not part of zoology (E), the study of animals.
5. D
Topazes are yellow and amethysts are purple. Carats (A) are measures of the weight of diamonds, not their color. Jewelers (B) inspect gems for clarity, a quality other than color. Sapphires (C) are blue, not red. Amber and blue (E) are two different colors; neither is a gem.
6. D
Lumens measure brightness and inches measure length. Candles do not measure light (A) but emit it. Density does not measure darkness (B) but may create it. Nickel does not measure metal (C) but is a type of metal. Color does not measure hue (E); these are synonyms.
7. D
Liquid causes maceration as weather causes erosion: both break things down. Gas does not cause sublimation (A) but is subject to it, as humidity is subject to evaporation (B). Trail and path (C) are synonyms. Distraction interferes with a decision (E), rather than causing it.
8. E
One who is clumsy may botch a job; one who is lazy may shirk work. One who is wicked may or may not necessarily insinuate (A); a better adjective for insinuating something might be sly or subtle. One who is strict does not pamper (B), but the opposite. One who is willful does not heed (C) warnings/directions. Clever, i.e. ingenious or smart, is unrelated to eradicate (D), to eliminate.
9. B
A fugitive flees; a braggart boasts/brags. A parasite does not foster (A) or promote anything, but lives off another. A sage is one who is wise, not one who stifles (C), i.e. suppresses, anything. A bystander does not procure (D) or obtain anything, but stands by and may observe an event. A firebrand incites others to action but does not quibble (E), i.e. dispute, anything.
10. D
Chronological means in order of time, as ordinal means in order in place. Virtual means essential, implicit, practical, or almost; not in order of truth (A). Abnormal means not normal and not in order of value (B). Marginal means minimal or peripheral, not in order of knowledge (C). Coincidental means by chance/occurring together, not in order of health (E).
11. C
Soot (ash/carbon) makes things grimy (dirty) as rain makes things sodden (soaked). Frost does not make things transparent (A) or clear. Sunshine does not make things fruitless (B) or useless/unproductive. A pall or cloud of gloom does not make things gaudy (D) or bright. Dust does not make things radiant (E) or glowing.
12. A
Morbid and unfavorable are “bad” synonyms, as reputable and favorable are “good” synonyms. Maternal refers to motherhood and is not unfavorable (B). Disputatious means argumentative and is not favorable (C). Vigilant means watchful and is not unfavorable. Lax means slack or remiss and is not favorable (E).
13. C
One who is sullen (morose) will brood (mope), as one who is docile (compliant) will obey. One who is lethargic (A) lacks energy/motivation and will not cavort (frolic). One who is regal (royal/noble) is proud and will not cringe (B), i.e. cower/recoil. One who is poised is self-assured and socially adroit, hence unlikely to blunder (D), i.e. commit a social error/faux pas. One who is despondent is depressed/despairing and unlikely to laugh (E).
14. D
An author is expected to be literate, i.e. well-read, as a judge is expected to be impartial, i.e. objective. A cynic is NOT expected to be gullible (A), i.e. easily fooled. A hothead acts rashly, not prudently (B) or judiciously. A saint is highly reputable, not notorious (C), i.e. disreputable. A doctor is not expected to be especially fallible (E), i.e. prone to error.
15. E
As something massive has great bulk, something gigantic has great size. Ultimate means final or extreme; magnitude means large amount or importance. Trivial means unimportant/having the opposite of importance (B). Anonymous means unknown, while luster means shine or brilliance. Interminable means unending; legacy means inheritance or heritage (D).
16. B
Entice, meaning attract or allure, is an antonym of repel, meaning reject or repulse; flourish, meaning thrive or be plentiful, is an antonym of fade, meaning deteriorate or diminish. Germinate and sprout (A), officiate and preside (C), lubricate and grease (D), and implore and entreat (E) are all pairs of synonyms.
17. D
Humdrum means boring, from the verb to bore; heartrending means (emotionally) moving, from the verb to move. Both adjectives come from synonymous verbs. Grim, meaning gloomy or terrible, would not amuse (A). Nutritious or wholesome foods/things would not sicken (B). Someone/something stodgy, i.e. dull, would not excite (C). Something pending is upcoming; it might worry or gladden one, or do neither, but would not necessarily worry one (E).
18. B
Hospitable is a synonym of courteous (noun = courtesy); morbid, i.e. unhealthy, disease-related, gloomy, or gruesome, is an antonym of cheerful (noun = cheerfulness) (A). A vindictive act is motivated by spite (synonymous). Leisurely means not done in haste (C) (antonymous). Someone/something infamous is notorious, the opposite/antonym of [receiving] honor (D). One who is despondent is experiencing depression or despair, not its opposite/antonym glee, i.e. joy or delight.
19. E
To reinforce is to make stronger; to erode is to make weaker. To abound is to be plentiful, while lesser means a smaller amount or number (A). To dismantle means to take apart; longer means a larger distance or time (B). To wilt means to droop, fade, or wither; higher means at a greater physical elevation or figurative level (C). To shirk is to evade; greater means more or larger (D).
20. A
A braggart lacks modesty; a fledgling (neophyte or inexperienced individual) lacks experience. An embezzler, who steals money from an employer or client, does not lack greed (B). A wallflower or shy person does not lack timidity (fearfulness or shyness). An invalid or ill person does not lack a malady, i.e. illness. A candidate or competitor does not lack ambition (E).