Verbal Analogies

Directions: Each question below consists of a related pair of

words or phrases, followed four or five pairs of words or phrases
labeled A through D/E. Select the pair that best expresses a
relationship similar to that expressed in the original pair.

1. TROUPE : PLAYER ::

A. team : coach
B. singer : conductor
C. club : member
D. puppy : litter
E. flower : bulb

(C. club : member) A troupe is a group of players or

actors. Similarly, a club is a group of members.
2. GROWL : HOSTILITY ::

A. smell : nose
B. squeak : sound
C. whinny : horse
D. sigh : relief
E. fear : bravery

(D. sigh : relief) A growl is a verbal expression of

hostility. Similarly, a sigh is a verbal expression of
relief.
3. CAPTURE : TRAP ::

A. shoot : bulls-eye
B. staple : paper clip
C. hide : fence
D. grind : mill
E. ride : bicycle
 (D. grind : mill) A trap is used specifically to
capture. Similarly, a mill is used specifically to grind.
The relationship type is functional.
4. CHILD : HUMAN ::

A. bird : robin
B. dog : pet
C. snake : slither
D. kitten : cat
E. cow : milk

(D. kitten : cat) A child is a young human being.

Similarly, a kitten is a young cat.
5. TOOTH : ORTHODONTIST ::

A. surgeon : doctor
B. cardiologist : heart
C. tree : arborist
D. gardener : plant
E. petal : botanist

(C. tree : arborist) An orthodontist is a specialist

whose field is the care of teeth. Similarly, an
arborist is someone who specializes in the care of
trees.
6. COLD : FRIGID ::

A. hot : warm
B. proper : prudish
C. dark : light
D. colorful : pale
E. modest : bold

(B. proper : prudish) To be frigid is to be extremely

cold. Similarly, to be prudish is to be extremely
proper.
7. BREAKFAST : DINNER ::

A. lark : nightingale
B. stone : wood
C. tent : tepee
D. radar : sonar
E. realism : rationalism

(A. lark : nightingale) The nouns describe meals,

one of the morning, breakfast, and one of the
evening, dinner. The lark is conventionally
presented as a dawn singer, and the nightingale is
associated with the evening and night. Although it is
true that dinner can also describe a midday meal, no
other answer choice provides a morning/midday
option.
8. WAX : CANDLE ::

A. string : kite
B. ink : pen
C. liquid : cup
D. paper : pulp
E. clay : pot

(E. clay : pot) By definition, a candle is an object

that is usually made out of wax. Similarly, by
definition, a pot is an object that is usually made out
of clay.
9. STUDENT : DORMITORY ::

A. curtain : stage
B. prisoner : jail
C. alphabet : letter
D. shirt : clothing
E. skull : brain
 (B. prisoner : jail) A dormitory is a building that
houses or contains students. Similarly, a jail is a
building that houses or contains prisoners.
10. BANANA : PEEL ::

A. ventricle : heart
B. door : knob
C. bark : tree
D. orange : rind
E. section : orange

(D. orange : rind) A peel is the outside covering of a

banana. Similarly, a rind is the outside covering of
an orange.
11. VIGILANTE : POLICE OFFICER ::

A. posse : sheriff
B. judge : jury
C. villain : criminal
D. lynching : execution
E. intern : doctor

(D. lynching : execution) The first term is a

extralegal counterpart of the second. A lynching is
an illegal form of execution, as vigilante (a member
of an enforcement group organized without legal
authority) differs from a police officer.
12. PODIUM : PLATFORM ::

A. pulpit : pew
B. stadium : grandstand
C. utterance : euphemism
D. critique : oration
E. evangelism : ecclesiast
 (D. critique : oration) A podium is a type of small
platform. Similarly, a critique is a type of small
(short) oration.
13. PLAGIARIST : APPROPRIATE ::

A. counterinsurgent : militarize
B. sentinel : watch
C. journalist : report
D. thief : loot
E. felon : convict

(D. thief : loot) A plagiarist is someone who

appropriates written material unlawfully. Similarly,
a thief is someone who loots or takes possession of
material unlawfully.
14. OSSIFY : BONE ::

A. chew : pulp
B. intenerate : cud
C. fossilize : stone
D. cake : flour
E. whisper : murmur

(C. fossilize : stone) To ossify is to cause a

substance to harden into bone. Similarly, to fossilize
is to cause a substance to harden into stone.
15. WATER : CISTERN ::

A. bolt : fabric
B. fodder : silo
C. garland : flower
D. spell : incantation
E. prayer : religion
 (B. fodder : silo) A cistern is a container specifically
for water. Similarly, a silo is a container specifically
for fodder or grain.
16. UNTRACTABLE : MALLEABLE::

A. exorbitant : wasteful
B. gregarious : sociable
C. immutable : changeable
D. palpable : surreal
E. culinary : olfactory

(C. immutable : changeable) Something that is

untractable (not changeable) cannot be malleable
(pliable). Similarly, something that is immutable is
not changeable.
17. SANGUINE : CHEERFUL ::

A. destitute : poor
B. confident : presumptuous
C. obscure : clear
D. brilliant : valedictory
E. pallid : ebullient

(A. destitute : poor) By definition, someone who is

sanguine is cheerful. Similarly, by definition,
someone who is destitute is poor.
18. PLOTTER : CABAL ::

A. crew : gathering
B. advisor : cabinet
C. conductor : orchestra
D. choir : tenor
E. senate : representative
 (B. advisor : cabinet) A cabal is a group of political
plotters or conspirators. Similarly, a cabinet is a
group of political advisors.
19. WISE : SAGE ::

A. craven : knight
B. erudite : leader
C. judicious : mediator
D. propitious : mendicant
E. sensual : voluptuary

(E. sensual : voluptuary) By definition, a sage is

someone who is very wise. Similarly, by definition, a
voluptuary is someone who is very sensual.
20. BOAT : WAKE ::

A. path : trail
B. thought : rumination
C. inspiration : muse
D. foot : track
E. railroad : train

(D. foot : track) A wake is the (aquatic) evidence for

the prior passage by a boat. Similarly, a track is the
(terrestrial) evidence for the prior passage of a
human or animal foot.
21. DIRGE : MOURNING ::

A. affliction : adversity
B. mirth : entertainment
C. laughter : merriment
D. lamentation : funeral
E. baffle : sound

(C. laughter : merriment) A dirge is a verbal

expression of mourning, usually in the form of a
 song sung at a funeral. Similarly, laughter is the
verbal expression of merriment.
22. OIL PAINTING : CANVAS ::

A. etching : acid
B. violin : bow
C. fresco : plaster
D. building : architecture
E. watercolor : brush

(C. fresco : plaster) The canvas is the surface on

which the oil painting is painted. Similarly, a fresco
is painted on wet plaster.
23. SPIDER : OCTOPUS ::

A. gibbon : salmon
B. locust : water beetle
C. coyote : dolphin
D. cheetah : lobster
E. oriole : ground hog

(B. locust : water beetle) The spider and the octopus

are eight-legged animals of land and sea. The locust
and the water beetle are six-legged animals of land
and sea. The leg count of the animals in the other
options is not parallel.
24. WAIT : LURK ::

A. prowl : slink
B. expect : anticipate
C. service : repair
D. move : skulk
E. trot : canter

(D. move : skulk) The second of the two verbs adds

sinister overtones to the action of the first-wait :
 lurk. Move and skulk (to move in a stealthy manner)
are similarly related.
25. THWART : ABET ::

A. unity : knit
B. strip : befit
C. lacerate : incise
D. savor : enjoy
E. murmur : caterwaul

(E. murmur : caterwaul) The two verbs, thwart and

abet, are opposites, like murmur (to make a low,
indistinct sound) and caterwaul (to howl shrilly).
26. CUPOLA : ROOF ::

A. branch : tree
B. building : story
C. bishop : scepter
D. airplane : propeller
E. statue : pedestal

(E. statue : pedestal) A cupola is a small structure

built or resting on a roof (sometimes used as a
belfry or lookout point). The statue on a pedestal is
the closest parallel.
27. CHECKERS : CHESS ::

A. tennis : soccer
B. field hockey : ice hockey
C. basketball : gymnastics
D. hearts : bridge
E. square : diamond

(D. hearts : bridge) Both checkers and chess are

board games, but the moves and strategies in chess
 are more complex. Both hearts and bridge are card
games, with the latter being the more complex.
28. PLAN : SCHEME ::

A. antiquity : age
B. annoyance : evasion
C. statesman : politician
D. assignment : task
E. prison : jail

(C. statesman : politician) A scheme is a plan with

sinister connotations. Of the choices here, the
closest is the statesman is a politician with negative
connotations.
29. ESSAY : SHORT STORY ::

A. symphony : concerto
B. biography : novel
C. acrylic : watercolor
D. comedy : burlesque
E. monologue : drama

(B. biography : novel) An essay and a short story

are both prose works, nonfiction and fiction.
Similarly, a biography and a novel are both prose
works, nonfiction and fiction, but they are longer
works.
30. MAUDLIN : DISPASSION ::

A. dauntless : trepidation
B. mawkish : sentiment
C. vociferous : predilection
D. avuncular : kinship
E. perfunctory : laxity
 (A. dauntless : trepidation) Someone who is maudlin
(or overly emotional) does not have dispassion (or
calmness). Similarly, someone who is dauntless (or
brave) does not have trepidation (or fear).
31. PERORATION : ADDRESS ::

A. preamble : speech
B. orchestration : overture
C. score : finale
D. chapter : fiction
E. denouement : novel

(E. denouement : novel) A peroration is the closing

or end of a formal address. Similarly, a denouement
is the ending of a novel.
32. LUGUBRIOUS : DOLEFUL ::

A. banal : insipid
B. tractable : recalcitrant
C. pensive : vacuous
D. profligate : miserly
E. tangible : illusory

(A. banal : insipid) To be lugubrious is to be doleful;

both terms refer to sorrow and mourning. Similarly,
to be banal is to be insipid; both terms refer to the
commonplace or trite.
33. ETHEREAL : EMPYREAL ::

A. celestial : deferential
B. earnest : saccharine
C. fastidious : foolhardy
D. obsequious : sycophantic
E. empirical : speculative
 (D. obsequious : sycophantic) To be ethereal is to be
empyreal; both terms refer to the heavenly or
unearthly. Similarly, to be obsequious is to be
sycophantic; both terms refer to behavior that is
excessively fawning, servile, or submissive.
34. PROPHYLACTIC : THWART ::

A. nostalgia : simper
B. misanthrope : abhor
C. penury : remunerate
D. neophyte : begin
E. stratagem : beguile

(E. stratagem : beguile) A prophylactic is something

that is used deliberately to thwart or prevent, as, for
example, a drug is used to prevent symptoms.
Similarly, a stratagem is something that is used
deliberately to beguile, as, for example, a deceitful
plan is used to trick. The relationship is one of
function.
35. INFINITESIMAL : BANTAM ::

A. diaphanous : obsolete
B. fatuous : judicious
C. gargantuan : immense
D. commensurate : disparate
E. quiescent : agile

(C. gargantuan : immense) Something that is

infinitesimal is very small or bantam. Similarly,
something that is gargantuan is very large or
immense.
36. PILGRIMAGE : JOURNEY ::

A. hiatus : foray
B. cruise : ship
 C. valediction : antecedent
D. divination : prognostication
E. crusade : pacifism

(D. divination : prognostication) In the realm of

religion, a pilgrimage is a type of journey. Similarly,
divination is a type of prognostication.
37. APHORISM : PITHY ::

A. brevity : inconcise
B. adage : sagacious
C. giant : diminutive
D. antagonist : affable
E. symphony : cacophonous

(B. adage : sagacious) An aphorism is by definition a

pithy (terse and cogent) saying, like “a stitch in
time saves nine.” Similarly, an adage is a brief
saying that is by definition sagacious or wise.
38. TORTUOUS : PASSAGE ::

A. labyrinthine : enigma
B. excruciating : pain
C. serpentine : course
D. helical : viper
E. taciturn : orator

(C. serpentine : course) A passage that is tortuous is

one that is winding, twisted, or crooked. Similarly,
by definition, a course that is serpentine is also
considered to be winding.
39. AVIARY : FEATHER ::

A. chicken : coop
B. pen : zoo
C. penitentiary : delinquent
 D. carrel : athenaeum
E. aquarium : scale

(E. aquarium : scale) An aviary is an enclosure for

birds, or animals that are usually covered in
feathers. Similarly, an aquarium is an enclosure for
animals that are usually covered in scales.
40. WRATH : IRATE ::

A. sloth : sleepy
B. gluttony : starving
C. pride : sullen
D. envy : craving
E. avarice : acquisitive

(E. avarice : acquisitive) The noun wrath is the

consequence of the disposition described by the
adjective irate. Similarly, an acquisitive person is
guilty of avarice.
41. PINK : CLOTH ::

A. mortar : brick
B. weigh : anchor
C. weld : metal
D. card : wool
E. saw : board

(E. saw : board) To pink is to cut (in this case, cloth)

with a saw-toothed edge. The analogy is to saw a
board.
42. TRIPTYCH : PANEL ::

A. triangle : hypotenuse
B. circle : arc
C. cathedral : nave
D. blossom : sepal
 E. cheese : butter

(A. triangle : hypotenuse) A triptych is a hinged set

of pictures or carvings with three panels. The
hypotenuse is one of three sides of a triangle.
43. SAVANNAH : VELDT ::

A. ulcer : eczema
B. forest : woodland
C. fathom : acre
D. falcon : condor
E. tundra : glacier

(B. forest : woodland) Savannah and veldt are

nearly synonyms, a flat, open grassland. The forest-
woodland analogy is the closest.
44. CHIME : JAR ::

A. hug : abjure
B. seek : find
C. inquire : question
D. negotiate : haggle
E. command : request

(A. hug : abjure) To chime is to sound harmoniously,

and to jar is to cause a sound discordantly.
Similarly, to hug (to cling to or cherish) is the
antonym of to abjure (to renounce). Both verbs
might be used with a belief as object.
45. DOMINO : MASQUERADE ::

A. tango : dance
B. violin : concert
C. tuxedo : prom
D. taxi : limousine
E. dice : casino
 (C. tuxedo : prom) One meaning of domino is a mask
or a masked costume worn to a masquerade. The
tuxedo is the proper prom costume.
46. SOMNAMBULIST : SOMNILOQUIST ::

A. dancer : singer
B. talker : walker
C. mime : magician
D. octogenarian : teenager
E. follower : authority

(A. dancer : singer) A somnambulist is a

sleepwalker. A somniloquist is a sleeptalker. So the
most similar relationship would be a dancer to a
singer, because one concentrates on physical
movement and the other concentrates on vocalizing.
Choice B talker : walker would have been an
excellent choice except that they are in the wrong
order.
47. IRON : BLACKSMITH ::

A. Cotton : Cloth
B. Food : Gourmet
C. Clay : Potter
D. Silver : Miner
E. Gold : Miser

(C). A BLACKSMITH uses IRON to make things. A

__________ uses ________ to make things.
48. FISH : SCALES ::

A. Book : Papers
B. Snake : Fangs
C. Birds : Feather
D. Car : Wheels
E. Cat : Claws
 (C). FISH is covered by SCALES. __________ is
covered by _________.
49. NOSE : SMELL ::

A. Tongue : Speak
B. Foot : Hit
C. Hand : Finger
D. Teeth : Chew
E. Eye : Lid

(D). Function of NOSE is to SMELL. Function of

_________ is to _________.
50. COLLAGE : IMAGES ::

A. Cement : Building
B. Medley : Songs
C. Furniture : Sofa
D. Grains : Tree
E. Book : Volumes

(B). IMAGES are composed of COLLAGE. _________

are composed of _________.
51. SKETCH : ARTIST ::

A. Secret : Confident
B. Cell : Prisoner
C. Palette : Painter
D. Draft : Writer
E. Lawyer : Court room

(D). An ARTIST makes SKETCH before final work.

A/An _________ makes _________ before final
work.

Some High Frequency Relations

1. Object and Function

KNIFE : CUT ::

A. Winter : Summer
B. Sword : Sharp
C. Run : Fast
D. Drill : Hole

(D). The function of Knife is to Cut. Similarly, the

function of a Drill is to make Hole.
2. Class and Member

FISH : TROUT ::

A. Hair : Black
B. Bird : Aviary
C. Tiger : Carnivorous
D. Mammal : Cow

(D). Trout is a member of class Fish. Similarly, Cow

is a member of class Mammal.
3. Part to Part

GILL : FIN ::

A. Cockroach : Antenna
B. Instrument : Pencil
C. Hard Disk : Keyboard
D. Bread : Butter

(C). As Gills and Fins are parts of a fish, so Hard

Disk and Keyboard are parts of a computer.
4. Part to Whole

FISH : SCHOOL ::

A. Puppy : Dog
 B. Novel : Story
C. Cocks : Pride
D. Ear : Nose

(C). A School is a group of Fish, so as Pride is group

of Cocks.
5. Defining the Characteristics

COUNSELOR : ADVICE ::

A. Artist : Musician
B. Patron : Support
C. Honesty : Charity
D. Bank : Banker

(B). A Counselor provides Advice. Similarly, Patron

provides Support.
6. Cause and Effect

RACE : FATIGUE ::

A. Fasting : Hunger
B. Round : Boxing
C. Flower : Color
D. Hiking : Gangrene

(A). Race causes Fatigue, as Fasting causes Hunger.

7. Work Style

STRUT : WALK ::

A. Sweating : Wrestling
B. Hunter : Fire
C. Speech : Stage
D. Stammer : Talk

(D). To Strut is a style of Walking. Similarly,

Stammer is a style of Talking.
8. Synonyms

INDUSTRIOUS : HARDWORKING ::

A. Sky : Blue
B. Muddy : Unclear
C. Book : Reading
D. Pond : Lake

(B). Industrious is the synonym of Hardworking, as

Muddy is the synonym of Unclear.
9. Antonyms

SCHOLAR : IGNORANT ::

A. Hardworking : Lazy
B. Knife : Sword
C. Courage : Bold
D. Luxury : Wealth

(A). Ignorant is the antonym of Scholar, as Lazy is

the antonym of Hardworking.
10. Intensity

COOL : FROZEN ::

A. Sharp : Cut
B. Warm : Hot
C. Hassock : Stool
D. Freedom : Liberty

(B). Cool and Frozen differ in intensity; similarly,

Warm and Hot differ in intensity.