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

"Phobia" is a noun that means a strong fear of something particular, so we need to pick out an answer choice that is also a noun and means something like an extreme fear. While "displeasure" may look like a potentially correct answer because a phobia might give one displeasure, "displeasure" does not mean the same thing as "phobia," so it cannot be the correct answer. Because "fear" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "phobia," "fear" is the correct answer.

"Alias," when used as a noun, means "a false or assumed identity." The word can also be used as an adverb "used to indicate that a named person is also known or more familiar under another specified name." (The adverb functions in the same way as the phrase "also know as," but is specifically used to discuss real and assumed names.) So, we need to pick out an answer choice that has to do with names, specifically, with fake or assumed names. Since "fake name" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "alias," it is the correct answer.

The magnitude of an object or person refers to their size and often suggests vastness.

"Mischief" is a noun that means "playful misbehavior or troublemaking, especially in children," or "harm or trouble caused by someone or something." So, while "mistake" may look like a good answer choice because both "mischief" and "mistake" begin with the prefix "mis-", which means "wrongly," "mistake" does not mean the same thing as "mischief," so "mistake" cannot be the correct answer. "Trouble" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "mischief," so "trouble" is the correct answer.

"Tempo" is a noun that means either pace, often specifically the pace of music. While "quick" and "slow" may describe different speeds, neither word means the same thing as "tempo," and while "music" may proceed at a certain tempo, "music" does not mean "tempo" either. "Pace," however, is a noun that means speed or rate, and because "pace" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "tempo," "pace" is the correct answer.

"Perseverance" is a noun that means "steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success." While "bravery" might look like a potentially correct answer, because someone who is brave might also demonstrate perseverance, "bravery" does not mean "perseverance," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Persistence," however, is a noun that means either "firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition" or "the continued or prolonged existence of something." Because "persistence" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "perseverance," it is the correct answer.

If there is pandemonium, it means there is a high level of commotion or chaos.

"Allegiance" is a noun that means "loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause." That means that "rebellion" can't be the correct answer, because "rebellion" means "an act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler" or "the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention," so "rebellion" is an antonym of "allegiance." "Loyalty," however, is a noun that means "the quality of being loyal to someone or something," so "loyalty" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "allegiance."

"Agony" is a noun that means "extreme mental or physical pain." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "extreme pain." That means that "comfort" can't be the correct answer, because "comfort" means "a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint" or "consolation for grief or anxiety." So, "comfort" is an antonym of "agony." "Torment," however, is a word that when used as a noun means "severe physical or mental suffering" or "a cause of such suffering," so "torment" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "torment."

"Clarity" is a noun that can mean "the quality of being clear, in particular," "the quality of coherence and intelligibility," " the quality of being easy to see or hear; sharpness of image or sound," "the quality of being certain or definite," or "the quality of transparency or purity." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "clearness." That means that "obscurity" can't be the correct answer, because "obscurity" can mean "the quality of being difficult to understand," so "obscurity" is an antonym of "clarity." "Transparency," however, is an adjective that means "the quality of being able to see through something" or "the quality of being readily understood," so "transparency" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "clarity."

"Prejudice" is a word that when used as a noun defined as "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience" or "dislike, hostility, or unjust behavior formed on such a basis." So, neither "fact" nor "friendship" can be the correct answer, because they are each an antonym of "prejudice." "Preconception," however, is a noun that means "a preconceived idea or prejudice," and because "preconception" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "prejudice," "preconception" is the correct answer.

"Luck" is a noun that means "success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions" or "something regarded as bringing about or portending good or bad things." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun and means something like "chance." "Predictability" might sound like the correct answer, but if something is predictable, it is not likely to be occurring by chance, so "predictability" cannot be the correct answer. "Fortune," however, is a noun that can mean "chance or luck as an external, arbitrary force affecting human affairs" or "luck, especially good luck," and because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "luck," "fortune" is the correct answer.

"Travesty" is a word that when used as a noun, means "a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something," and when used as a verb, means "to represent something in such a way." So, "praise" cannot be the correct answer because to "praise" something is to say good things about it, while to "travesty" it is "to produce a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something." "Mockery," however, is a noun that means either "derision; ridicule," or "an absurd misrepresentation or imitation of something." Because "mockery" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "travesty," "mockery" is the correct answer.

"Priority" is a noun that can mean "a thing that is regarded as more important than another," "the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important," or "the right to take precedence or to proceed before others." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "greater importance." "Precedence" is a noun that means "the condition of being considered more important than someone or something else; priority in importance, order, or rank," and because it is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "priority," "precedence" is the correct answer.

"Disturbance" is a noun that means "the interruption of a settled and peaceful condition," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "an interruption." "Calm," then, cannot be the correct answer, because when used as a noun, "calm" means "the absence of violent or confrontational activity within a place or group," making it an antonym of "disturbance," not a synonym. "Disruption," however, is a noun that means "disturbance or problems that interrupt an event, activity, or process," and because "disruption" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "disturbance," "disruption" is the correct answer.

"Instinct" is a noun that means either "an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli" or "a natural or intuitive way of acting or thinking." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "an intuitive way of acting or thinking." "Education" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "education" means "the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, esp. at a school or university," meaning that the knowledge one receives when one gets an education is not innate or intuitive, like instinct. "Inclination," however, is a noun that means "a person's natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way; a disposition or propensity," and because "inclination" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "instinct," "inclination" is the correct answer.

"Intent" is a word that when used as a noun means "intention or purpose," and when used as a verb means "resolved or determined to do (something)," "attentive occupied with," or, especially of a look, "showing earnest and eager intention." Because all of the answer choices are nouns, we will need to consider "intent" as a noun and pick out an answer choice that means something like "intention" or "purpose." So, while "content" and "intent" may both contain the syllable "tent," "content" when used as a noun means either "a state of satisfaction" or "the substance or material dealt with in a speech or literary work, as distinct from its form or style." So, "content" does not mean the same thing as "intent" and cannot be the correct answer. "Goal," however, is a noun that can mean "the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result," and because "goal" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "intent," "goal" is the correct answer.

"Competence" is a noun that means "the ability to do something successfully or efficiently," so we need to pick out a noun that means something like "the ability to do something successfully." While "competitor" and "competence" may each start with the syllable "com-", "competitor" is a noun that means either "an organization or country that is engaged in commercial or economic competition with others" or "a person who takes part in an athletic contest." So, "competitor" does not mean the same thing as "competence," so "competitor" cannot be the correct answer. "Capability," however, is a noun that means "power or ability," and because "capability" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "competence," "capability" is the correct answer.

Conviction is often used to mean a strong belief, and is a noun; therefore "faith," a noun also referring to holding a firm belief in something, is the correct answer.