With 28 questions, this lesson test checks whether you can use prefixes as evidence without being fooled by them. You will meet negative prefix families, inter- and intra-, degree and partial prefixes, temporal prefixes, wrong action versus faulty quality, boundary and position words, and words that only look like they carry a prefix.
Members who PREPAY for the class receive a discount on the registration fee. PREPAY most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Pay in advance. PRE- signals before, and the base is pay. Prepaying a class means paying for it ahead of time, which is why a discount is offered.
A: A late fee comes after a deadline, the opposite of the before-meaning of PRE-.
B (correct): PRE- means before, so to prepay is to pay ahead of time.
C: Splitting a payment into parts is a payment plan, which PRE- does not suggest.
D: Paying a second time would be RE- (again), not PRE- (before).
Question 2 of 28 · easy
New drivers often MISJUDGE how much distance they need to stop on a wet road. MISJUDGE most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Estimate wrongly. MIS- means wrongly and the base is judge. A driver who misjudges stopping distance estimates it incorrectly.
A: Refusing to think about something is a different action from judging it wrongly.
B (correct): MIS- signals a mistaken action, so to misjudge is to judge or estimate incorrectly.
C: Being overly harsh is a separate idea; the sentence is about an inaccurate estimate, not a severe one.
D: Measuring exactly is the opposite of a mistaken judgment.
Question 3 of 28 · easy
After the flood washed away the old footbridge, the town voted to REBUILD it on the same site. REBUILD most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Construct again. RE- signals again and the base is build. Since the bridge was destroyed, the town plans to construct it again.
A: Inspecting changes the core action from building to examining.
B: Demolishing is the opposite of building and the bridge was already gone.
C: Planning ahead of building would fit PRE-, not RE-.
D (correct): RE- here means again, so rebuilding is building the bridge a second time.
Question 4 of 28 · easy
The coach told the runners to EXHALE slowly through the mouth after each deep breath. EXHALE most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Breathe out. EX- means out and the base hale relates to breathing. Exhaling is pushing air out of the lungs, which fits a slow breath through the mouth.
A: Breathing in is inhaling, which reverses the direction given by EX-.
B: Speeding up breathing changes the rate, not the direction, and the coach said slowly.
C: Holding the breath stops air movement rather than sending it out.
D (correct): EX- signals out, so to exhale is to breathe air out.
Question 5 of 28 · easy
The hospital hired a BILINGUAL nurse who could talk with patients in both English and Spanish. BILINGUAL most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Using two languages. BI- means two and lingual refers to language. A bilingual nurse can use two languages, here English and Spanish.
A: Many languages would be MULTI-, not BI-.
B (correct): BI- signals two, and the sentence names exactly two languages the nurse can use.
C: Medical training is true of a nurse but is not what the word describes.
D: Clear speech concerns quality, not the number of languages.
Question 6 of 28 · easy
Planners OVERESTIMATED the crowd, so half of the 500 folding chairs stayed empty. OVERESTIMATED most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Guessed too high. OVER- means too much and the base is estimate. Empty chairs show the planners expected more people than came, so they guessed too high.
A: Checking again is a RE- idea and says nothing about the estimate being too large.
B: An exact count would not leave half the chairs unused.
C (correct): OVER- signals excess, so the planners' estimate was larger than the actual crowd.
D: Too low would be UNDERESTIMATED, and too low a guess would leave people standing, not chairs empty.
Question 7 of 28 · easy
Two engineers decided to COAUTHOR the safety manual, each writing half of the chapters. COAUTHOR most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Write jointly. CO- means together or jointly and the base is author. Two engineers each writing part of the manual are writing it jointly.
A: Copying is unrelated to CO-; the prefix shows partnership, not duplication.
B: Approving a manual is a different action from writing it.
C: Working alone is the opposite of the together-sense of CO-.
D (correct): CO- marks shared activity, so coauthoring means writing a work together.
Question 8 of 28 · medium
After oil prices jumped, the airline added a fuel SURCHARGE of $40 to every ticket. SURCHARGE most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Extra fee. Sur- is a form of super- meaning over or on top of, and charge means a fee. A $40 amount added to every ticket because of rising costs is an extra fee placed on top of the normal price.
A: This reverses the direction; the fee raises the ticket price rather than lowering it.
B (correct): Sur- means over or on top of, so a surcharge is a charge added on top of the regular price.
C: A refund returns money, but the sentence describes money being added to each ticket.
D: This reads sur- as sure, a false split the lesson warns against.
Question 9 of 28 · medium
Before lifting the access panel, UNFASTEN the four clips that hold it to the frame. UNFASTEN most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Release. With verbs, UN- often reverses an action rather than meaning simply not. To lift the panel, the clips must be undone, so unfasten means release.
A: Tightening the clips would hold the panel more firmly, the opposite of what lifting requires.
B: Swapping in new clips is a different task from releasing the existing ones.
C (correct): With a verb, UN- reverses the action, so to unfasten is to undo a fastening and release it.
D: Inspecting the clips changes the core action; it does not free the panel.
Question 10 of 28 · medium
Before working on the starter, the mechanic DISCONNECTED the battery cable from the negative terminal. DISCONNECTED most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Detached. DIS- can mean apart, and the base connect names an existing link. The mechanic separated the cable from the terminal, so disconnected means detached.
A: Distrust is a negating DIS- word about feelings, which makes no sense for a cable.
B (correct): DIS- here signals separation, so disconnecting is detaching an existing connection.
C: Testing the cable is a different action and does not break the connection.
D: Tightening strengthens the connection, the reverse of disconnecting.
Question 11 of 28 · medium
Water got into the control box, and the pump began to MALFUNCTION, starting and stopping at random. MALFUNCTION most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Work improperly. MAL- means bad or defective and function means operate. A pump starting and stopping at random is working improperly, which is a fault in the device, not a human mistake.
A: Incorrect use is an operator error, while the sentence describes the machine's own faulty behavior.
B: Mislabeling is a mistaken human act (MIS-); the pump itself was working badly.
C (correct): MAL- signals bad or faulty, so a malfunction is faulty operation of the machine.
D: A safe, orderly shutdown is normal behavior, not random starting and stopping.
Question 12 of 28 · medium
The supervisor stepped in to DEESCALATE the argument between the two shift leaders. DEESCALATE most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Calm down. DE- can mean reduce, and escalate means increase in intensity. Deescalating an argument lowers its intensity, so calm down is closest; it does not promise the dispute is over for good.
A: Ending the conflict forever overstates a word that means reducing intensity.
B: Recording the argument changes the core action entirely.
C (correct): DE- here signals reduction, so to deescalate is to lower the intensity of the conflict.
D: Making the argument worse is escalating, the reverse of the DE- meaning.
Question 13 of 28 · medium
During the storm, the office sent NONESSENTIAL staff home while the dispatchers stayed on duty. NONESSENTIAL most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Not required. NON- marks something outside a named class. Nonessential staff are not required for the critical operations the dispatchers handle, with no criticism implied.
A (correct): NON- excludes from a category, so nonessential staff are those not needed for critical work.
B: Laziness is a judgment about effort, while nonessential only describes the role's necessity.
C: NON- here is a neutral category label; it does not say the staff caused harm.
D: Training level is a different trait not stated in the sentence.
Question 14 of 28 · medium
Radio broadcasts FOREWARNED coastal residents that the hurricane would arrive within two days. FOREWARNED most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Warned in advance. FORE- means before or ahead. The broadcasts came two days before the storm, so the residents were warned in advance.
A (correct): FORE- signals ahead of time, so forewarning is warning before something happens.
B: Warning after an event reverses the advance timing of FORE-.
C: Repetition would be a RE- idea; FORE- concerns timing, not how often.
D: Volume is not part of the meaning; the clue is when the warning came.
Question 15 of 28 · medium
The surgeon gave the patient a sheet of POSTOPERATIVE instructions about wound care at home. POSTOPERATIVE most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: After surgery. POST- means after and operative refers to an operation. Wound care at home follows surgery, so postoperative means after surgery.
A: Before surgery would be preoperative; POST- means after.
B: An alternative to surgery is not suggested by POST- or by the sentence.
C: During the operation is a different time; wound care at home happens later.
D (correct): POST- means after, so postoperative refers to the period following an operation.
Question 16 of 28 · medium
The union contract made the pay raise RETROACTIVE to January 1, even though it was signed in March. RETROACTIVE most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Effective from a past date. RETRO- signals back in time. A raise signed in March but counted from January 1 takes effect from a past date.
A: Postponed means delayed until a later date, the reverse of reaching back to an earlier one.
B (correct): RETRO- means back in time, so a retroactive raise applies starting from an earlier date.
C: This describes how long something lasts, not when it starts applying.
D: Old-fashioned describes a style; retroactive concerns when something takes effect.
Question 17 of 28 · medium
The college's INTRAMURAL basketball league schedules games only among teams of its own students. INTRAMURAL most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Within one school. INTRA- means within. Games played only among the college's own students take place within one school; between schools would require INTER-.
A: Between separate schools would be INTER-, which reverses the meaning of INTRA-.
B: Location indoors or outdoors is not part of the word's meaning.
C: Professional players are outside the student body the sentence describes.
D (correct): INTRA- means within, so intramural activities take place inside a single institution.
Question 18 of 28 · medium
The trucking firm offers TRANSCONTINENTAL service, hauling freight from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast. TRANSCONTINENTAL most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Crossing a continent. TRANS- means across and continental refers to a continent. Coast-to-coast hauling crosses the continent.
A: Local service is far smaller than a coast-to-coast route.
B (correct): TRANS- means across, and the route runs from one coast to the other.
C: Under the sea would suggest SUB-, and freight trucks do not travel there.
D: Going around would be CIRCUM-, a different route from crossing.
Question 19 of 28 · medium
The inspector rejected the welds as SUBSTANDARD because many failed the required strength test. SUBSTANDARD most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Below the required level. SUB- means under or below. Welds that failed the required strength test are below the standard, which is why they were rejected.
A (correct): SUB- means below, so substandard work falls short of the required standard.
B: Above the standard would be closer to SUPER-, the opposite of SUB-.
C: Replacement is a different action and is not implied by SUB-.
D: Welds that met the standard would not be rejected.
Question 20 of 28 · medium
Cutting the training budget to save money proved COUNTERPRODUCTIVE: errors rose and repair costs doubled. COUNTERPRODUCTIVE most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Defeating its own purpose. COUNTER- means against. The cut was meant to save money but caused higher costs, so it worked against its own purpose.
A: Slowness is about timing, while the problem here is an opposite outcome.
B: Planning quality is not the point; the word judges the result against the goal.
C (correct): COUNTER- signals opposition, so a counterproductive step produces the opposite of the intended result.
D: Efficiency would match the goal, but the sentence shows costs went up.
Question 21 of 28 · hard
The drum carries a warning that the liquid inside is INFLAMMABLE and must be kept away from sparks. INFLAMMABLE most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Easily set on fire. Despite the IN-, inflammable means the same as flammable. The warning to keep it away from sparks confirms the liquid catches fire easily.
A (correct): Inflammable means able to catch fire readily, which is why sparks must be avoided.
B: A burned liquid is a past state, and the warning concerns a future fire risk.
C: This comes from wrongly reading IN- as not; the whole word means the reverse.
D: Toxicity is a different hazard not named by the word.
Question 22 of 28 · hard
The board's vote to close the plant was IRREVOCABLE; once recorded, no member could withdraw or cancel it. IRREVOCABLE most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Impossible to cancel. IR- means not and revocable means able to be revoked, or cancelled. The sentence says no one could withdraw the vote, so impossible to cancel fits; hard to reverse understates it.
A (correct): IR- is a negative form and revoke means cancel, so irrevocable means unable to be cancelled.
B: Clarity is unrelated; the sentence is about whether the vote can be cancelled.
C: A vote that cannot be withdrawn is final, so this reverses the meaning.
D: Merely hard is too weak; the sentence says no member could cancel it at all.
Question 23 of 28 · hard
The clerk asked visitors to wait in the ANTEROOM until the judge was ready to see them in her chambers. ANTEROOM most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Small room leading into a larger one. Ante- means before or in front of, and it is easy to mistake for anti-, meaning against. The visitors wait there before entering the judge's chambers, so an anteroom is a small outer room leading into a larger one.
A: This confuses ante- with anti-, meaning against, and the visitors are actually allowed to wait there.
B: The visitors wait there before entering, so the room sits in front of the chambers, not behind them.
C: This gives the prefix a sense of after, which belongs to post-, not ante-.
D (correct): Ante- means before, so an anteroom is a small room in front of the main room where people wait.
Question 24 of 28 · hard
Learning that a wildfire was heading toward town, crews cut a PREEMPTIVE firebreak to stop the flames before they reached any homes. PREEMPTIVE most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Done to prevent an expected threat. PREEMPTIVE combines advance timing with a purpose: preventing an anticipated event. The crews acted before the fire arrived in order to stop it, so simply early is too weak.
A: Early timing is part of it, but this misses the purpose of heading off the expected threat.
B: Repetition is a RE- idea and is not suggested by the sentence.
C: Waiting until the danger arrives is the opposite of acting ahead of it.
D (correct): Preemptive action is taken in advance to prevent an anticipated event, as the firebreak was meant to stop the fire.
Question 25 of 28 · hard
The color change in the test strip was IMPERCEPTIBLE to the naked eye, so the lab used a meter to read it. IMPERCEPTIBLE most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Undetectable. IM- is a form of the negative prefix used before p, and perceptible means noticeable. The adjective imperceptible therefore means undetectable, which matches the need for a meter.
A: Unpleasant judges the change as disagreeable, which says nothing about whether it can be seen.
B: This is a noun, but the target is an adjective describing the color change.
C (correct): IM- is a negative form and perceptible means able to be noticed, so imperceptible means unable to be detected.
D: Obvious is the opposite; an obvious change would not need a meter.
Question 26 of 28 · hard
The agency fined the factory for NONCOMPLIANCE after it simply failed to file the required emissions reports on time. NONCOMPLIANCE most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Failure to meet requirements. NON- marks the absence of something, here compliance. Not filing required reports is a failure to meet requirements; nothing in the sentence shows active resistance.
A (correct): NON- signals absence, so noncompliance is a failure to comply with a rule or requirement.
B: Sabotage is an intentional destructive act against property, which the sentence never describes.
C: Approval is something an agency grants, not something the factory failed to do.
D: Defiance is active resistance, which is stronger than simply not doing what is required.
Question 27 of 28 · hard
The safety conference is BIENNIAL: the last one was held in 2024, and the next is set for 2026. BIENNIAL most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Every two years. BI- signals two, but the prefix alone does not show whether it means twice a year or every two years. The dates settle it: 2024 to 2026 is a two-year gap, so biennial means every two years.
A (correct): Biennial means once every two years, which matches the gap from 2024 to 2026.
B: Yearly would be annual, which would put the next conference in 2025.
C: Three years would point to a TRI- word and would set the next one in 2027.
D: Twice a year is biannual, the BI- word that is easy to confuse with biennial.
Question 28 of 28 · hard
Rather than cut through the island's rocky interior, the survey crew chose to CIRCUMNAVIGATE it in a small boat. CIRCUMNAVIGATE most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Sail completely around. CIRCUM- means around and navigate means to travel by boat or steer a course. The crew avoided crossing the interior, so circumnavigate means sail completely around the island.
A: Aerial mapping is a different action and does not involve the boat.
B: Going inland is the interior route the crew chose to avoid.
C (correct): CIRCUM- means around, so to circumnavigate the island is to travel all the way around it by water.
D: Crossing straight through is the TRANS- idea, and the crew chose not to cut through the interior.
Through months of setbacks, the sergeant's UNWAVERING support kept the squad focused on passing the inspection. UNWAVERING most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Steadfast. Split the word: un- (not) plus wavering (swaying back and forth or hesitating). Support that does not sway through months of setbacks is steadfast, which also fits the positive sentence.
A: Hesitant describes someone who wavers, the exact opposite of un- plus waver.
B: Unspoken shares the un- prefix but changes the base to speak; the support could be loud and still be steady.
C: Uneven shares un- but means varying in level or quality, which is the reverse of support that stayed the same for months.
D (correct): Un- means not and waver means to sway or hesitate, so support that never wavers is steadfast.
Practice 2 of 38 · hard
Because neither company had hired him before, the court named Mr. Ortiz a DISINTERESTED referee for the contract dispute. DISINTERESTED most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Impartial. Use context first: he was chosen because neither company had hired him, so he has nothing to gain. Dis- (not) plus interested (having a stake) gives impartial; do not confuse it with uninterested, which means bored.
A: Bored matches uninterested, a look-alike word; dis- here removes a personal stake, not attention.
B (correct): Dis- means not, and interested here means having a stake; a referee with no stake in either side is impartial.
C: Unpaid confuses a financial interest with a salary; the sentence is about having no tie to either side.
D: Unqualified is a negative judgment about skill, but the sentence explains his neutrality, not his ability.
Practice 3 of 38 · hard
The defense lawyer knew the witness's account was UNASSAILABLE, since three security cameras had recorded the same events. UNASSAILABLE most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Impossible to challenge. Break it into un- (not), assail (attack) and -able (able to be): not able to be attacked. Three cameras confirming the account make any challenge hopeless, so the full-strength meaning, impossible to challenge, beats the weaker hard to challenge.
A: Being popular is not the meaning; un- + assail + -able means no one can successfully attack it.
B: Not yet challenged adds a time idea that the prefix does not carry; the point is that no challenge could succeed.
C (correct): Un- (not) plus assail (attack) plus -able (able to be) means not able to be attacked, which fits three matching recordings.
D: Openly attacked keeps the base assail but drops the negative prefix, reversing the meaning.
Practice 4 of 38 · easy
The electrician made sure every wire was ENCASED in plastic tubing before closing the wall. ENCASED most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Enclosed. En- means to put into, and the base is case. To encase a wire is to put it inside a case or tube, which means to enclose it.
A: Cut apart describes damaging the wire, while en- means putting it into something.
B: Painted covers only the surface; the base case points to a container around the wire.
C: Removed is the reverse of en-, which puts something in rather than taking it out.
D (correct): En- means to put into, and a case is a covering, so encased wires are enclosed in tubing.
Practice 5 of 38 · easy
The crew felt betrayed by the DISLOYAL deckhand who had leaked their fishing route to a rival boat. DISLOYAL most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Unfaithful. Dis- in this word means not, and loyal means faithful. Not faithful is unfaithful.
A: Distant starts with the same letters but means far away; it has nothing to do with loyalty.
B (correct): Dis- means not, so disloyal means not loyal, which is unfaithful.
C: Deeply devoted is a synonym of loyal, ignoring the negative prefix.
D: Lawful is a sound-alike trap from legal; loyal concerns faithfulness, not the law.
Practice 6 of 38 · medium
With his leg in a full cast, the injured hiker remained IMMOBILE on the stretcher until the helicopter arrived. IMMOBILE most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Unable to move. Im- is the spelling of in- (not) before m, and mobile means able to move. A hiker in a full cast waiting on a stretcher is unable to move.
A (correct): Im- is the form of in- (not) used before m, so immobile means not mobile, or unable to move.
B: Easy to carry confuses the base mobile with portable and drops the negative prefix.
C: Moving slowly is the wrong degree; immobile means not moving at all.
D: Moved away reads im- as motion, but here it is the negative prefix.
Practice 7 of 38 · medium
The judge told the jury to ignore the witness's comment about the weather because it was IRRELEVANT to the case. IRRELEVANT most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Unrelated. Ir- is the in- (not) prefix spelled to match the r in relevant. Not relevant means unrelated, which explains why the jury should ignore it.
A: Incorrect means wrong; a true comment about the weather can still have nothing to do with the case.
B: Repeated reads ir- as re- (again), a false split; ir- is the negative prefix before r.
C: Disrespectful judges tone, but the judge's reason was that the comment did not bear on the case.
D (correct): Ir- is the form of in- (not) before r, so irrelevant means not relevant, or unrelated.
Practice 8 of 38 · hard
The new employee MISCONSTRUED the supervisor's joke as a criticism and spent the afternoon worrying about her job. MISCONSTRUED most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Misinterpreted. Mis- marks a mistake in an action, and construe means to interpret or understand. Taking a joke as criticism is interpreting it wrongly, so misconstrued means misinterpreted.
A: Built badly reads construe as construct and treats the prefix like mal-; the error is in understanding, not in making something.
B (correct): Mis- means wrongly, and construe means interpret, so to misconstrue is to interpret wrongly.
C: Refused to hear treats mis- as refusal; mis- marks a mistaken action, not a decision to decline.
D: Explained clearly drops the error that mis- signals, and her worry shows something went wrong.
Practice 9 of 38 · hard
The clerk's MALADROIT handling of the refund request made the already angry customer even angrier. MALADROIT most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Clumsy. Mal- means bad or poor and describes a quality, while adroit means skillful. Poorly skilled handling that worsens a customer's mood is clumsy.
A: Skillful is the meaning of adroit alone; the mal- prefix flips it to poor quality.
B: Mistaken points to a single wrong act, the job of mis-; mal- describes a poor quality in how something is done.
C (correct): Mal- means bad or poor, and adroit means skillful, so maladroit means lacking skill, or clumsy.
D: Sickly matches mal- words about health, but the sentence describes how a task was handled.
Practice 10 of 38 · medium
After the trip, the Army will REIMBURSE soldiers for the hotel bills they paid with their own money. REIMBURSE most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Pay back. Re- here means back, and the base burse is related to purse, a holder of money. Soldiers who used their own money are paid back, so reimburse means pay back.
A: Pay in advance describes pre-, not re-; the soldiers have already paid their bills.
B (correct): Re- means back, and the soldiers spent their own money first, so the Army will pay them back.
C: Charge again reads re- as again and reverses who pays; the soldiers are receiving money, not paying more.
D: Tax heavily reverses the flow of money and has no link to the prefix re-.
Practice 11 of 38 · easy
Visitors without a badge are EXCLUDED from the hangar while the engines are being tested. EXCLUDED most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Kept out. Ex- means out, and the base clude means to shut. Visitors without a badge are shut out of the hangar, so excluded means kept out.
A: Welcomed in is the include idea, where in- brings people into a place; ex- sends them out.
B: Charged extra is a sur- idea of an added fee and has nothing to do with ex-.
C (correct): Ex- means out and clude means shut, so visitors who are excluded are shut out, or kept out.
D: Finished early matches conclude, which shares the base but uses con-, not ex-.
Practice 12 of 38 · medium
After six hours of marching in the desert heat with an empty canteen, the recruit was DEHYDRATED. DEHYDRATED most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Dried out. De- means remove, and hydrate means to supply with water. An empty canteen after hours in the heat means water has been lost from the body, so the recruit was dried out.
A (correct): De- means remove, and hydrate refers to water, so dehydrated means having lost needed water, or dried out.
B: Waterlogged means soaked with water, which ignores the remove sense of de-.
C: Overheated fits the desert heat but describes too much heat, not a loss of water.
D: Underfed means too little food; it uses under- and the wrong base.
Practice 13 of 38 · hard
Like most vehicles, a new pickup truck begins to DEPRECIATE as soon as it is driven off the dealer's lot. DEPRECIATE most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Lose value. De- often means reduce or move down, as in devalue, and the base preci- comes from price. A truck that loses worth once it is driven off the lot depreciates, so the answer is lose value.
A (correct): De- means reduce or move down, and the base comes from price, so to depreciate is to lose value.
B: Gain value is the meaning of appreciate; the de- prefix points downward.
C: Go out of style guesses from the idea of age, but the base is price, not fashion.
D: Become paid off is about the loan, not the truck's worth.
Practice 14 of 38 · hard
Historians describe the telegraph as a PRECURSOR of the telephone because it sent messages over wires decades before anyone could send a voice that way. PRECURSOR most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Forerunner. Pre- means before, and the base cursor comes from a word for runner. The telegraph came decades before the telephone and led the way to it, so it was a forerunner.
A: Replacement suggests something that comes after and takes over, the opposite time order.
B: Successor means something that follows, which reverses the before sense of pre-.
C: Rival implies the two competed at the same time, but the telegraph came decades earlier.
D (correct): Pre- means before, and cursor comes from a word for runner, so a precursor is a forerunner.
Practice 15 of 38 · hard
Thanks to the platoon leader's FORESIGHT in packing extra batteries, the radios kept working when the convoy was stuck for two days. FORESIGHT most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Planning ahead. Fore- means before, and sight here means seeing or judging. Packing batteries for a delay that had not happened yet is judging needs ahead of time, which is planning ahead.
A (correct): Fore- means before, so foresight is seeing and preparing for a need before it arrives, as the extra batteries show.
B: Sharp eyesight takes the base sight literally and ignores fore-, the before idea.
C: Looking back describes hindsight or retro-, the opposite direction in time.
D: Good luck credits chance, but packing extra batteries was a deliberate choice made in advance.
Practice 16 of 38 · medium
Payday was not until the 15th, so the tenant POSTDATED the rent check to that day. POSTDATED most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Marked with a later date. Post- means after. Writing the check before payday but dating it the 15th puts a later date on it, so postdated means marked with a later date.
A: Mailed after the due date confuses post- with the mail; the prefix changes the date written on the check.
B: Marked with an earlier date reverses the direction; that would be backdating.
C (correct): Post- means after, so a postdated check carries a date later than the day it was written.
D: Signed by two people describes a joint act, which would need co-; post- is about time.
Practice 17 of 38 · easy
To save time in the field kitchen, the cooks served PRECOOKED rice that only had to be warmed. PRECOOKED most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Cooked beforehand. Pre- means before or ahead of time. Precooked food was cooked beforehand and only needs warming.
A: Cooked too long is the meaning of overcooked; pre- deals with time, not amount.
B (correct): Pre- means before, so precooked food was cooked ahead of time.
C: Cooked again is the meaning of recooked or reheated; it uses re-, not pre-.
D: Not yet cooked reverses the meaning; precooked food has already been cooked.
Practice 18 of 38 · easy
The medic cleaned the cut on the soldier's hand with ANTISEPTIC wipes. ANTISEPTIC most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Germ-killing. Septic traces to a Greek word meaning rotting, and in medicine it describes infection caused by bacteria and other microbes; the prefix anti- means against. An antiseptic is put on skin or wounds to kill or slow germs, which is why a medic cleans a cut with it before bandaging. The tempting choice is healing, but the wipe does not repair tissue; it lowers the chance of infection so the body can heal on its own. Related words include sepsis and aseptic, meaning free of germs.
A: Healing is a later result, not what the prefix anti- says the wipes do.
B (correct): Anti- means against, and septic refers to infection, so antiseptic wipes act against germs.
C: Pain-relieving fits a medic but names a different product, such as a numbing spray.
D: Disposable is true of many wipes but has nothing to do with anti- or the base septic.
Practice 19 of 38 · medium
The pilot pressed hard on the rudder pedal to COUNTERACT the strong crosswind pushing the plane off the runway. COUNTERACT most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Offset. Counter- means against or in response, and act means to do something. The pilot pushes the rudder against the wind's force, so counteract means offset.
A (correct): Counter- means against or in response, so to counteract the wind is to act against it and offset its push.
B: Strengthen would help the crosswind push the plane further off, the opposite of the pilot's aim.
C: Predict is about knowing in advance, a pre- idea; the pilot is pushing back against a force already acting.
D: Report means to tell others, while the pilot is taking physical action against the wind.
Practice 20 of 38 · medium
Air defense crews INTERCEPTED the enemy drone over the desert before it could reach the base. INTERCEPTED most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Stopped on the way. Inter- means between, and the base -cept means to take or seize. Seizing the drone between its launch point and the base means stopping it on the way.
A (correct): Inter- means between, so to intercept is to catch or stop something between its start and its target.
B: Launching sends the drone out, which is the action of the enemy, not the defenders.
C: Following from behind keeps the drone moving, but the crews kept it from reaching the base.
D: Repaired has no link to inter- or to stopping an attack.
Practice 21 of 38 · easy
The library keeps its NONFICTION books, such as histories and biographies, on the second floor. NONFICTION most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Based on fact. Non- places something outside a category in a neutral way, and fiction means invented stories. Writing outside that category is based on fact.
A: Badly written is a judgment of quality; non- simply places the book outside the fiction category.
B: Made-up stories describes fiction, ignoring the non- prefix.
C: Very short is about length, which neither the prefix nor the base mentions.
D (correct): Non- means not belonging to a category, so nonfiction is writing that is not invented, or based on fact.
Practice 22 of 38 · hard
The medic gave the vaccine as an INTRAMUSCULAR shot in the upper arm. INTRAMUSCULAR most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Within a muscle. Intra- means within, and the base muscular refers to muscle. An intramuscular shot is given within a muscle, here the upper arm; do not confuse intra- with inter- (between).
A: Between muscles is the meaning of inter-, the one-letter trap; intra- means within.
B: Into a vein is the meaning of intravenous; the base here is muscle, not vein.
C (correct): Intra- means within, and muscular refers to muscle, so the shot goes into the muscle itself.
D: Beneath the skin describes a shallower shot and would call for a sub- word.
Practice 23 of 38 · hard
In the new plan, the regional office will play a SUBORDINATE role, carrying out decisions made at headquarters. SUBORDINATE most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Lower-ranking. Sub- means under, and the base relates to order or rank. An office that carries out decisions made at headquarters ranks below it, so subordinate means lower-ranking.
A: Higher-ranking is a super- idea, the reverse of sub-.
B: Disobedient adds a negative attitude, but the office is carrying out decisions, not resisting them.
C (correct): Sub- means under, and ordinate refers to rank or order, so a subordinate role sits below headquarters.
D: Ordinary keeps only the look-alike base and drops sub-, the under idea that the sentence supports.
Practice 24 of 38 · easy
When the patrol plane appeared on radar, the submarine captain ordered the crew to SUBMERGE. SUBMERGE most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Sink. Sub- means under. To submerge is to put or go under water, which means to sink.
A: Float means to stay on the surface, the opposite of going under.
B (correct): Sub- means under, and merge comes from a word for dip, so to submerge is to sink below the surface.
C: Combine matches the look-alike word merge, but submerge is about going under water.
D: Surface is the reverse movement, coming up from under the water.
Practice 25 of 38 · medium
Although the motorcycle rider slid across the gravel, she suffered only SUPERFICIAL scratches and returned to work the next day. SUPERFICIAL most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Shallow. Super- means above or on top, and the base comes from face or surface. Scratches that stay on the surface are shallow, which matches her quick return to work.
A (correct): Super- means above or on top, so superficial scratches stay on the surface of the skin and are shallow.
B: Severe contradicts the clue that she returned to work the next day.
C: Extraordinary reads super- as superior or great, the wrong sense for scratches on the surface.
D: Artificial shares the -ficial ending but means fake, which does not describe a real injury.
Practice 26 of 38 · medium
This year the food drive collected 12,000 cans, SURPASSING last year's record of 9,500. SURPASSING most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Exceeding. Sur- is a form of super- and means over or above. Collecting 12,000 cans when the record was 9,500 goes above that record, so surpassing means exceeding.
A: Falling short of is the reverse; 12,000 is more than 9,500.
B: Making sure of reads sur- as sure, the trap the lesson warns about.
C (correct): Sur- means over or above, and pass means go, so surpassing means going above, or exceeding.
D: Matching would mean an equal total, but 12,000 is greater than 9,500.
Practice 27 of 38 · medium
The bottle was made of TRANSPARENT glass, so the mechanic could check the fluid level without opening it. TRANSPARENT most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: See-through. Trans- means through or across, and the base relates to appearing. Glass that lets the mechanic see the fluid without opening the bottle is see-through.
A: Colorful glass might still block the view; the clue is that the fluid could be seen through it.
B: Mirrored glass reflects light back, which would hide the fluid.
C: Thick and heavy describe strength or size, not whether light passes through.
D (correct): Trans- means through, so transparent glass lets light and sight pass through it.
Practice 28 of 38 · easy
Every ten minutes, the weather station's antenna TRANSMITS a wind reading to the airport tower. TRANSMITS most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Sends. Trans- means across, and the base mit means to send. An antenna that passes readings across to the tower sends them.
A (correct): Trans- means across, and mit means to send, so the antenna sends the reading across to the tower.
B: Receives is the other end of the process; the tower takes in what the antenna sends.
C: Translates shares trans- but means changing words into another language, not passing a signal along.
D: Deletes removes the reading, which reverses the idea of passing it along.
Practice 29 of 38 · medium
A driver tried to CIRCUMVENT the security checkpoint by using an unguarded side road into the base. CIRCUMVENT most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Get around. Circum- means around, and the base vent means to come or go. Taking a side road to avoid the checkpoint is going around it, so circumvent means get around.
A: Pass straight through is a trans- idea; the driver avoided the checkpoint instead of crossing it.
B: Obey is the opposite of what the driver did by sneaking in another way.
C: Surround and guard keeps the around sense but gives the act to the guards, not the driver dodging them.
D (correct): Circum- means around, and vent comes from a word for come, so to circumvent is to get around an obstacle.
Practice 30 of 38 · medium
Leaving the oil cap off after the oil change was an OVERSIGHT; the mechanic simply forgot to check before closing the hood. OVERSIGHT most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Careless omission. Like overlook, oversight has an idiomatic sense: failing to notice something. The sentence says the mechanic simply forgot to check, so the oversight was a careless omission.
A: View from above takes over- as position and sight literally, a misleading literal guess.
B: Deliberate act clashes with the clue that the mechanic simply forgot.
C: Extra work reads over- as too much, which does not match forgetting a step.
D (correct): Oversight has an idiomatic meaning, like overlook: something missed by mistake, and the mechanic simply forgot.
Practice 31 of 38 · medium
The new hardware store UNDERCUT its rival by selling the same cordless drill for $10 less. UNDERCUT most nearly means?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Priced below. Under- here means less than, and the clue is that the store sold the same drill for $10 less. To undercut a rival is to sell for a lower price, or price below it.
A (correct): Under- means less than, so to undercut a rival is to offer the same goods at a lower price.
B: Overcharged means charging too much, the reverse direction of under-.
C: Copied fits selling the same drill but misses the key fact of the $10 lower price.
D: Cut beneath is a literal guess about position, but the sentence is about price.
Practice 32 of 38 · medium
Maria is a strong PROPONENT of the new bike lanes and has spoken in their favor at three town meetings. PROPONENT most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Supporter. Pro- usually means forward or in favor of. Someone who speaks in favor of a plan at meetings puts it forward, so a proponent is a supporter.
A: Opponent is the opposite; she spoke in favor of the bike lanes.
B: Inventor names who created something, but she is arguing for the lanes, not designing them.
C (correct): Pro- means for or in favor of, and she spoke in favor of the plan, so a proponent is a supporter.
D: Early version reads pro- as before, a sense that only a few pro- words carry.
Practice 33 of 38 · easy
Wolves and coyotes can COEXIST in the same park because they mostly hunt different prey. COEXIST most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Live side by side. Co- means together or with, and exist means to be or to live. To coexist is to live together side by side.
A: Fighting over territory describes conflict, while co- stresses existing together, and the sentence says they hunt different prey.
B: Exist before would need pre-, not co-.
C (correct): Co- means together, so to coexist is to exist together, or live side by side.
D: Stop existing reverses the base and does not match the together idea of co-.
Practice 34 of 38 · medium
The safety board will CONVENE at 9 a.m. to review last week's forklift accident. CONVENE most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Assemble. Con- means together, and the base vene means to come. A board that comes together at 9 a.m. assembles.
A: Adjourn means to end a meeting, the opposite of gathering for one.
B: Postpone moves an event later, a post- idea; the meeting is set for 9 a.m.
C: Vote is something a board may do once gathered, not the act of coming together.
D (correct): Con- means together, and vene means come, so to convene is to come together, or assemble.
Practice 35 of 38 · hard
After walking the site separately, both inspectors CONCURRED that the scaffold was unsafe and had to come down. CONCURRED most nearly means?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Agreed. Con- means together or with, and the base cur means run. Two inspectors whose findings run together reached the same conclusion, so concurred means agreed. Concurrent shares the parts but is about timing, which does not fit an opinion.
A: Disagreed contradicts the clue that both reached the same verdict.
B: Competed implies working against each other, but con- signals joining together.
C: Happened at once borrows the meaning of concurrent, a related word about timing, not opinion.
D (correct): Con- means together, and cur comes from a word for run, so to concur is to run together in opinion, or agree.
Practice 36 of 38 · medium
The United States, Canada and Mexico signed a TRILATERAL agreement on cross-border trucking rules. TRILATERAL most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Involving three parties. Tri- means three, and lateral means having to do with sides. An agreement among three countries is trilateral, involving three parties.
A: Involving two parties is the meaning of bilateral; bi- means two.
B (correct): Tri- means three, and lateral means side, so a trilateral agreement has three sides, here three countries.
C: Involving many parties would call for multi-, the wrong number for three nations.
D: Made in secret adds an idea that neither the prefix nor the sentence supports.
Practice 37 of 38 · easy
The children chose a MULTICOLORED kite so they could spot it easily against the gray sky. MULTICOLORED most nearly means?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Varicolored. Multi- means many, and colored means having color. Having many colors is varicolored.
A: Colorless means without color, the opposite of many colors.
B: Two-toned has exactly two colors, a bi- idea, not multi-.
C (correct): Multi- means many, so multicolored means having many colors, or varicolored.
D: Faded means having lost color, which ignores multi-.
Practice 38 of 38 · medium
Western Kansas is SEMIARID: it gets enough rain for grassland but too little for thick forests. SEMIARID most nearly means?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Somewhat dry. Semi- means partly, and arid means dry. A region with rain for grass but not for forests is partly dry, or somewhat dry; completely dry is the wrong degree.
A: Completely dry is the wrong degree; semi- means partly, and the region does get rain.
B (correct): Semi- means partly, and arid means dry, so a semiarid region is somewhat dry.
C: Very wet reverses the base arid and contradicts the lack of rain for forests.
D: Dry twice a year confuses semi- with the time sense of biannual.
About this test
Every item includes an explanation that breaks down the prefix, the base and the sentence clue, then shows why the misleading choices do not fit. That breakdown is where most of the learning happens.
After scoring, match each miss to its prefix family and reread that section of the Prefixes lesson. Errors on lookalike words suggest another look at prefix spelling changes and false boundaries. Once those are cleared, the 38 extra practice questions below the lesson test keep the patterns fresh.
The same 124 lessons, 6,516 questions and 82 timed practice tests on your phone, plus flashcards with spaced review and progress tracking. Free to download, and it works offline.
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