Analogies
🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)
Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your NMAT exam.
Analogies — Key Facts
Basic Structure
“WORD1 : WORD2 :: WORD3 : WORD4” This reads: “WORD1 is to WORD2 as WORD3 is to WORD4”
Common Relationship Types
| Relationship | Example |
|---|---|
| Synonym | Happy : Joyful |
| Antonym | Hot : Cold |
| Part to Whole | Page : Book |
| Whole to Part | Book : Library |
| Cause and Effect | Fire : Smoke |
| Tool and Use | Pen : Write |
| Worker and Tool | Surgeon : Scalpel |
| Degree | Warm : Hot |
| Sequence | Monday : Tuesday |
| Type/Kind | Dog : Animal |
| Symbol to Thing | Dove : Peace |
⚡ NMAT High-Yield: Find the relationship between the first pair, then look for the SAME relationship in the answer choices.
🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)
Chapter: Analogies
1.1 How to Solve Analogies
Step-by-Step Approach
- Identify the relationship between the first pair
- Eliminate answer choices that don’t match the same relationship
- Select the best answer — only one will have the correct relationship
Tips
- If no clear answer, try a sentence with the words
- “A is B” → “C is D”
- “A uses B for C” → “D uses E for F”
- Consider multiple meanings of words
- Look for the most specific relationship
1.2 Relationship Types — Detailed
1. Synonym (Same Meaning)
- “Abundant : Plentiful” = Both mean “more than enough”
- “Hesitate : Pause” = Both mean temporary stop
2. Antonym (Opposite Meaning)
- “Ancient : Modern”
- “Accept : Reject”
- “Amateur : Professional”
3. Part to Whole
- “Finger : Hand” (finger is part of hand)
- “Chapter : Book”
- “Element : Compound”
4. Whole to Part
- “Book : Chapter” (book contains chapters)
- “Tree : Leaf”
5. Cause and Effect
- “Smoke : Fire” (smoke indicates fire)
- “Rain : Flood”
- “Effort : Success”
6. Tool/Agent and Action
- “Pen : Write” (pen is used to write)
- “Knife : Cut”
- “Needle : Sew”
7. Worker and Workplace/Product
- “Author : Book” (author creates book)
- “Painter : Painting”
- “Composer : Symphony”
8. Degree of Intensity
- “Warm : Hot” (increasing intensity)
- “Pleased : Ecstatic”
- “Dislike : Hate”
9. Sequence/Order
- “Egg : Larva : Butterfly” (life cycle)
- “Morning : Afternoon : Evening”
- “One : Two : Three”
10. Type/Kind (Category)
- “Poodle : Dog : Mammal : Vertebrate” (specific to general)
- “Rose : Flower : Plant”
- “Satire : Literature”
11. Symbol and What It Represents
- “Dove : Peace”
- “Scales : Justice”
- “Crown : Royalty”
12. Material and Product
- “Clay : Pottery”
- “Flour : Bread”
- “Wood : Furniture”
13. User and Object Used
- “Surgeon : Scalpel”
- “Barber : Scissors”
- “Carpenter : Hammer”
14. Function/Purpose
- “Nurse : Care”
- “Teacher : Educate”
- “Refrigerator : Preserve”
1.3 Common NMAT Analogy Pairs
Synonyms (High-Frequency)
- Abundant : Plentiful
- Ameliorate : Improve
- Anxiety : Worry
- Apathy : Indifference
- Benevolent : Kind
- Cease : Stop
- Comply : Obey
- Conceive : Imagine
- Condemn : Criticize
- Consequence : Result
- Construct : Build
- Contemplate : Consider
- Corroborate : Confirm
- Deceive : Mislead
- Defect : Flaw
- Deliberate : Intentional
- Desperate : Hopeless
- Devise : Invent
- Devote : Dedicate
- Diminish : Decrease
- Disclose : Reveal
- Diverse : Varied
- Eliminate : Remove
- Emphasize : Stress
- Enormous : Huge
- Essential : Necessary
- Establish : Found
- Estimate : Approximate
- Evident : Clear
- Exceed : Surpass
- Facilitate : Help
- Famine : Scarcity
- Fatal : Deadly
- Feasible : Possible
- Fundamental : Basic
- Gratitude : Thanks
- Haphazard : Random
- Hasten : Hurry
- Hazard : Danger
- Hierarchy : Ranking
- Ignorance : Lack of Knowledge
- Imminent : Approaching
- Implicit : Implied
- Impractical : Unrealistic
- Inadequate : Insufficient
- Inadvertent : Unintentional
- Inaugurate : Begin
- Incessant : Continuous
- Incite : Provoke
- Incompatibility : Conflict
- Indicate : Show
- Indifferent : Uncaring
- Indispensable : Essential
- Inevitable : Unavoidable
- Inherent : Built-in
- Initiate : Begin
- Innocent : Not Guilty
- Innovation : New Idea
- Inquiry : Question
- Insight : Understanding
- Inspect : Examine
- Instance : Example
- Integrate : Combine
- Integrity : Honesty
- Intelligent : Smart
- Intensive : Thorough
- Intentional : Deliberate
- Intermittent : Periodic
- Internal : Inside
- Invalidate : Cancel
- Irrelevant : Unrelated
- Isolate : Separate
- Jurisdiction : Authority
Antonyms (High-Frequency)
- Ancient : Modern
- Artificial : Natural
- Beneficial : Harmful
- Blunt : Sharp
- Calm : Agitated
- Capable : Incapable
- Casual : Formal
- Cease : Begin
- Complacent : Concerned
- Conceal : Reveal
- Congenital : Acquired
- Consent : Refuse
- Conservative : Liberal
- Construct : Demolish
- Credible : Unbelievable
- Cynical : Trusting
- Deficient : Adequate
- Deliberate : Accidental
- Desperate : Hopeful
- Detrimental : Beneficial
- Diligent : Lazy
- Discrete : Continuous
- Dull : Sharp
- Eccentric : Normal
- Eliminate : Add
- Emphasis : De-emphasis
- Enormous : Tiny
- Explicit : Implicit
- Exposed : Hidden
- Extensive : Limited
- Fabrication : Truth
- Feasible : Impossible
- Fundamental : Trivial
- Generous : Stingy
- Genuine : Artificial
- Grave : Trivial
- Harsh : Gentle
- Hesitate : Proceed
- Hostile : Friendly
- Hypothesis : Conclusion
- Ignorance : Knowledge
- Immediate : Delayed
- Immunity : Susceptibility
- Imperfect : Flawless
- Implicit : Explicit
- Impractical : Practical
- Impure : Pure
- Inaugural : Final
- Incessant : Occasional
- Incompatible : Harmonious
- Indifferent : Concerned
- Indispensable : Unnecessary
- Indistinct : Clear
- Inevitable : Avoidable
- Inferior : Superior
- Inherent : Acquired
- Innocent : Guilty
- Insightful : Ignorant
- Insolent : Respectful
- Intentional : Accidental
- Internal : External
- Intolerant : Tolerant
- Introduce : Remove
- Irrelevant : Relevant
- Isolated : Connected
- Juvenile : Adult
1.4 NMAT High-Yield Points
⚡ Commonly Asked:
- Read analogy as: “A is to B as C is to D”
- First identify relationship of first pair, then match
- Synonym pairs: Both words mean similar things
- Antonym pairs: Words have opposite meanings
- Part-whole: Finger:Hand, Page:Book
- Tool-action: Pen:Write, Knife:Cut
- Worker-product: Author:Book, Painter:Painting
- Degree: Warm:Hot, Dislike:Hate
- Consider multiple meanings: “bank” (river vs financial)
- Eliminate wrong answers: Only one pair has the exact relationship