HERE YOU'LL FIND a sample GRE Antonym question, along with a "QuickTip" and a detailed analysis of the question. This question is moderate in difficulty—about 65% of GRE test-testers would answer it correctly.
Here are the key "specs" for GRE Antonyms:
HOW MANY: 7 questions
WHERE: In the 30-minute Verbal Ability section, interspersed with Sentence Completions, Analogies, and Reading Comprehension sets
FORMAT: Multiple-choice (you select one of 5 choices by clicking on an oval)
SKILLS TESTED: GRE Antonyms are designed to gauge your vocabulary—especially to recognize subtle distinctions in meaning between words.
DIRECTIONS: The following directions will appear on your screen—just before your first Antonym question (and you can access them while tackling any Antonym question by clicking on the HELP button).
Directions: Select the word or phrase among the five choices that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in capital letters. Note: This question might require you to distinguish fine shades of meaning, so you should carefully consider all five choices.
To review these directions for subsequent questions of this type, click on HELP.
If you encounter an unfamiliar word, try to think of a familiar one that contains the same root.
Analysis
You might be familiar with the noun itinerary, which refers to a route or schedule of places to visit. The adjective itinerant describes a person who travels from place to place, especially on a regular route or curcuit. The word motionless is a good antonym. Thus the first answer choice is the best response.
The second answer choice: Is flexible a good antonym of itinerant? No; a flexible person is someone who has the ability to bend, to compromise, or to adapt to change. These charactersitics have little to do with traveling (or not traveling) in a route from place to place.
The third answer choice: Is straight a good antonym of itinerant? No; the word straight has nothing to do with the concept of motion from one place to another.
The fourth answer choice: Is the phrase completely satisfied a good antonym of itinerant? No; although an itinerant person might appear discontent, or unsatisfied, with remaining in one place, this has nothing to do with the definition of itinerant.
The fifth answer choice: Is sensitive a good antonym of itinerant? No; the word sensitive has nothing to do with the concept of motion from one place to another.
Sample Question