2022 / 2023 ASVAB For Dummies. Angie Papple Johnston
Synonyms and Antonyms
A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as or a very similar meaning to another word. Smile and grin are synonyms. They may not mean exactly the same thing, but their meanings are very similar. An antonym is a word that has an opposite or nearly opposite meaning as another word. Smile and frown are antonyms.
The ASVAB may ask you to find the word that most nearly means the same thing as a given word, which is a synonym. Or you may be asked to find the word that most nearly means the opposite of a given word, which is an antonym. Most of the questions on the Word Knowledge subtest ask you to find synonyms, although a few may ask you to find antonyms.
Start in the dictionary. Many dictionary entries include the abbreviation syn., which means synonym. The words that follow this abbreviation are synonyms of the entry word. You may also see the abbreviation ant., which stands for antonym; the word or words that follow it mean the opposite of the entry word.
Make a list of synonyms and antonyms of the words you learn. As you study vocabulary words for the Word Knowledge subtest, add them to your list.
Use the root-word list from Table 4-4 (earlier in the chapter). Using a dictionary and/or thesaurus, come up with a list of synonyms and antonyms for each word listed in the Sample Word column. (Of course, not every word has synonyms and antonyms, but many do.)
Many of the ASVAB Word Knowledge questions require you to know a one-word definition for another word. There’s no better study aid for this concept than a thesaurus, a book of synonyms.
ASVAB Word Knowledge Strategy: Finding the Answer When You Just Don’t Know
Although it’s helpful to have a massive vocabulary at your disposal, you can still ace the Word Knowledge subtest if you have a few strategies up your sleeve. Read through this section and then practice these strategies as you answer the Word Knowledge questions at the end of this chapter and on the practice tests in Part 6.
Creating your own context
Some of the Word Knowledge questions you’ll see on the ASVAB don’t have any context that can offer you clues about their meaning (some are in sentences, which can make them easier to decode). The good news : You may be able to give a word your own context, and when you do, you may find that you actually know the answer.
When you see a word you don’t know, try to place it in context. Ask yourself, “Have I heard this word before?”
(A) correctly.
(B) wrongly.
(C) easily.
(D) disgusting.
Have you heard the word afoul in a sentence before? If you’ve heard of someone “running afoul of the law,” you can surmise that the word doesn’t mean correctly, easily, or disgusting — and that leaves you with Choice (B), which happens to be the right answer. It might be a fuzzy definition, but sometimes that’s all you need.
Think of phrases you’ve heard that include these words (or variations of them), and then see whether you can guess their meanings.
Abstain: “We had abstinence-only education in school.”
Deduce: “I’ll try to deduce the answer based on what I know.”
Malignant: “The tumor is malignant.”
Credible: “Can you back that up with a credible source?”
(Abstain is a verb that means to restrain oneself from doing something. Deduce is a verb that means to arrive at a conclusion by reasoning. Malignant is an adjective that means life-threatening, spiteful, or mean. Credible is an adjective that means believable.)
How’s it feel? Letting the words speak to you
Words can be positive or negative, and you can often tell which they are through context. In Word Knowledge questions that require you to find a word’s meaning based on the sentence it’s in, you can use the warm-fuzzy or cold-prickly feeling you get to rule out incorrect answers.
(A) joyful
(B) sorrowful
(C) thoughtful
(D) excited
As long as it’s not raining, most people have fun at an amusement park (it’s nearly as much fun as basic training, where “If it ain’t raining, you ain’t training” is often the motto of the day). The sentence also says that David wants to “shake his melancholy mood,” which means melancholy can’t be a very good feeling. It must have a negative connotation (that cold-prickly feeling). You can rule out Choices (A) and (D), then, and think about what’s the opposite of fun — and that’s most likely Choice (B), because sorrowful means “down in the dumps.”
Words and phrases such as “dread,” “looking forward to,” and “shied away from” all give you hints about a sentence’s tone, which can help you pick the right answer when you’re unsure. Even ruling out one or two incorrect answers can make a big difference in your score.
Compare and contrast: Picking up on signals
Many sentence-based Word Knowledge questions have context clues that can help you decipher the underlined word’s meaning. If you can pick up on the signal words that tell you about contrast and similarity, you’ll be able to boost your score and your vocabulary.
Signal words can be especially helpful in helping you predict a word’s meaning. Table 4-5 lists some common signal words and whether they indicate similarity or contrast.
TABLE 4-5 Signal Words
| Signal Word | Indicates | Example |
|---|---|---|
| indeed | Similarity | “The children were happy; indeed, they couldn’t control their excitement.” |
| like | Similarity | “When I shook the soda bottle, it erupted like a volcano.” |
| too | Similarity |
“The seniors were upset, |