GRE: Analogies part 1

20. BRAGGART : MODESTY A. FLEDGLING : EXPERIENCE B. EMBEZZLER : GREED C. WALLFLOWER : TIMIDITY D. INVALID : MALADY E. CANDIDATE : AMBITION

A: A braggart lacks modesty; a fledgling (neophyte or inexperienced individual) lacks experience.

12. MORBID : UNFAVORABLE A. REPUTABLE : FAVORABLE B. MATERNAL : UNFAVORABLE C. DISPUTATIOUS : FAVORABLE D. VIGILANT : UNFAVORABLE E. LAX : FAVORABLE

A: Morbid and unfavorable are "bad" synonyms, as reputable and favorable are "good" synonyms.

9. FUGITIVE : FLEE A. PARASITE : FOSTER B. BRAGGART : BOAST C. SAGE : STIFLE D. BYSTANDER : PROCURE E. FIREBRAND : QUIBBLE

B: A fugitive flees; a braggart boasts/brags.

3. ENFRANCHISE : SLAVERY A. EQUATION : MATHEMATICS B. LIBERATE : CONFINE C. BONDAGE : SUBJUGATION D. APPEASEMENT : UNREASONABLE E. ANATOMY : PHYSIOLOGY

B: Enfranchise is to set free/liberate, and slavery is the opposite-i.e. to enslave/confine.

16. ENTICE : REPEL A. GERMINATE : SPROUT B. FLOURISH : FADE C. OFFICIATE : PRESIDE D. LUBRICATE : GREASE E. IMPLORE : ENTREAT

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.

18. HOSPITABLE : COURTESY A. MORBID : CHEERFULNESS B. VINDICTIVE : SPITE C. LEISURELY : HASTE D. INFAMOUS : HONOR E. DESPONDENT : GLEE

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)

2. WALK : LEGS A. GLEAM : EYES B. CHEW : MOUTH C. DRESS : HEM D. COVER : BOOK E. GRIND : NOSE

B: Walking is a movement of the legs and chewing is a movement of the mouth.

13. SULLEN : BROOD A. LETHARGIC : CAVORT B. REGAL : CRINGE C. DOCILE : OBEY D. POISED : BLUNDER E. DESPONDENT : LAUGH

C: One who is sullen (morose) will brood (mope), as one who is docile (compliant) will obey.

11. SOOT : GRIMY A. FROST : TRANSPARENT B. SUNSHINE : FRUITLESS C. RAIN : SODDEN D. PALL : GAUDY E. DUST : RADIANT

C: Soot (ash/carbon) makes things grimy (dirty) as rain makes things sodden (soaked).

4. UNION JACK : VEXILLOLOGY A. TOAD : ORNITHOLOGY B. TURTLE : MICROBIOLOGY C. GYMNOSPERMS : BOTANY D. FRIEND : HOME ECONOMICS E. ALGAE : ZOOLOGY

C: The Union Jack (British flag) is part of vexillology, the study of flags; gymnosperms are part of botany, the study of plants.

7. MACERATION : LIQUID A. SUBLIMATION : GAS B. EVAPORATION : HUMIDITY C. TRAIL : PATH D. EROSION : WEATHER E. DECISION : DISTRACTION

D: Liquid causes maceration as weather causes erosion: both break things down.

6. LUMEN : BRIGHTNESS A. CANDLE : LIGHT B. DENSITY : DARKNESS C. NICKEL : METAL D. INCHES : LENGTH E. COLOR : HUE

D: Lumens measure brightness and inches measure length.

1. DRIP : GUSH A. CRY : LAUGH B. CURL : ROLL C. STREAM : TRIBUTARY D. DENT : DESTROY E. BEND : ANGLE

D. DENT : DESTROY

14. AUTHOR : LITERATE A. CYNIC : GULLIBLE B. HOTHEAD : PRUDENT C. SAINT : NOTORIOUS D. JUDGE : IMPARTIAL E. DOCTOR : FALLIBLE

D: An author is expected to be literate, i.e. well-read, as a judge is expected to be impartial, i.e. objective.

10. CHRONOLOGICAL : TIME A. VIRTUAL : TRUTH B. ABNORMAL : VALUE C. MARGINAL : KNOWLEDGE D. ORDINAL : PLACE E. COINCIDENTAL : HEALTH

D: Chronological means in order of time, as ordinal means in order in place.

17. HUMDRUM : BORE A. GRIM : AMUSE B. NUTRITIOUS : SICKEN C. STODGY : EXCITE D. HEARTRENDING : MOVE E. PENDING : WORRY

D: Humdrum means boring, from the verb to bore; heartrending means (emotionally) moving, from the verb to move. Both adjectives come from synonymous verbs.

5. TOPAZ : YELLOW A. DIAMOND : CARAT B. JEWELER : CLARITY C. SAPPHIRE : RED D. AMETHYST : PURPLE E. AMBER : BLUE

D: Topazes are yellow and amethysts are purple. Carats (A) are measures of the weight of diamonds, not their color.

15. MASSIVE : BULK A. ULTIMATE : MAGNITUDE B. TRIVIAL : IMPORTANCE C. ANONYMOUS : LUSTER D. INTERMINABLE : LEGACY E. GIGANTIC : SIZE

E: As something massive has great bulk, something gigantic has great size.

8. CLUMSY : BOTCH A. WICKED : INSINUATE B. STRICT : PAMPER C. WILLFUL : HEED D. CLEVER : ERADICATE E. LAZY : SHIRK

E: One who is clumsy may botch a job; one who is lazy may shirk work.

19. REINFORCE : STRONGER A. ABOUND : LESSER B. DISMANTLE : LONGER C. WILT : HIGHER D. SHIRK : GREATER E. ERODE : WEAKER

E: To reinforce is to make stronger; to erode is to make weaker.