2021 / 2022 ASVAB For Dummies. Angie Papple Johnston

      Deconstructing words

      Pulling apart words is a great strategy when you’re not sure what something means. Even knowing what part of a word means can help you make a smarter choice — and on the ASVAB, every question counts.

      Try to pull apart the word in this question to see whether you can figure out its meaning.

       Detractor most nearly means

      (A) critic.

      (B) driver.

      (C) expert.

      (D) adulatory.

      Take apart the word detractor:

       de- is the prefix

       tract is the root

       -or is the suffix

      If you’ve learned what any part of the word means, whether it’s the prefix, root, or suffix, finding the correct answer is easier. (Check Tables 4-2, 4-3, and 4-4 if you’re not sure yet.)

      The prefix de- means “away from,” tract means “pull,” and the suffix -or means “one who does a thing.” After you’ve broken down the word detractor, you can see that it means a person who pulls away from something.

Remember, too, that the suffix -or often makes a word a noun (a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea), so you can immediately rule out Choice (D). That leaves three choices: critic, driver, and expert.

      If you guessed that detractor most nearly means critic, Choice (A), you’re right. It’s the only one that makes sense when you know what each part of the word means.

Yin and Yang: Understanding 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.

       To help remember the definitions of synonym and antonym, think of a synonym as the same (both also start with an s) and an antonym as the enemy.

      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.

       How can you study and find the synonym of a word (or the antonym, for that matter)? Take a look at these suggestions:

       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?”

       Afoul most nearly means

      (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.

       David hoped that going to the amusement park would help him shake his melancholy mood.

      (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