Analogies: a way of describing the indescribable
An analogy is the comparison between two things. When the word “analogy” comes tin mind, you may think of grad school tests. Don’t. Analogies are important ways of connecting with people, and are great brain exercises. They are building blocks for thought, and help our brains comprehend larger, more complex ideas. Our brains look for patterns and relationships to understand ideas; analogies are a way of doing so.
Fast Company even wrote about how Steve Job’s mastery of analogies was a big reason for Apple’s success.
Whether looking to innovate your business or simply better connect with others around you, practice analogies to keep your brain sharp. Try out 20 analogies below and you’ll be on your way to becoming a Master Analogist, just like Steve Jobs! The final page reveals all of the answers.
VERY EASY ANALOGIES:
Let’s start with some simple analogies to get the ball rolling. Don’t worry, if these are easy for you, they’ll get harder as you progress. (CONTINUES ON PAGE 2)
#1: Chicago is to Illinois, as Denver is to _______________
- United States of America
- Colorado
- Colorado Springs
- State
#3: March is to Spring, as _______________ is to Winter
- December
- June
- October
- April
Let’s keep warming up! Click the “NEXT” button below for to more starter analogies.
#3: Human is to Fingernail, as _______________
- Dog is to Cat
- Foot is to Shoe
- Finger is to Hand
- Tiger is to Claw
#4: Mother is to Home, as Teacher is to _______________
- Professor
- Learning
- Classroom
- Chalkboard
It’s time to increase the difficulty – click the “NEXT” button below!
EASY ANALOGIES:
Let’s step up the difficulty just a little bit. These shouldn’t be much harder than the previous ones!
#5: Green is to Color, as Orchid is to _______________
- Purple
- Outside
- Flower
- Nature
#6: Scientist is to Einstein, as Musician is to _______________
- Mozart
- Picasso
- Magellan
- Shakespeare
Click “NEXT” below for two more at the “Easy” level, and then it’s on to “Medium” difficulty!
#7: Appalling is to Pleasing, as Interesting is to _______________
- Amusing
- Boring
- Engaging
- Enthralling
#8: Pound is to Kilogram, as Quart is to _______________
- Gallon
- Pint
- Liter
- Ounce
Ready to increase the difficulty? Click the “NEXT” below to progress to the next level!
MEDIUM ANALOGIES:
You’re almost halfway there, so it’s time to make the analogies a little harder!
#9: Basil is to Herb, as _______________
- Oak is to Tree
- Wheel is to Car
- Water is to Reservoir
- Boat is to Sail
#10: Filament is to Lightbulb, as _______________
- Blade is to Propeller
- Infant is to Nascent
- House is to Land
- Tree is to Forest
Try two more at the “Medium” level, and then it’s on to the “Hard” level. Click “NEXT” below!
#11: Lamentation is to Sorrow, as _______________
- Manifest is to Secret
- Erudite is to Uneducated
- Accolade is to Censure
- Encomium is to Praise
#12: Charlatan is to Dishonest, as _______________
- Delicacy is to Strength
- Wizard is to Mundane
- President is to Tyrannical
- Daredevil is to Audacious
Ready to put your skills to the test? Click the “NEXT” button below to move onto more difficult analogies!
DIFFICULT ANALOGIES:
These may make you need to think through the word definitions and analogy for a little longer, but that’s okay. Take your time!
#13: Aspersion is to Plaudit, as _______________
- Insipid is to Lackluster
- Laconic is to Concise
- Perseverance is to Digression
- Improved is to Enhanced
#14: Lampoon is to Mock, as _______________
- Loquacious is to Quiet
- Veil is to Enshroud
- Enclave is to Country
- Ship is to Voyage
Are these analogies making your brain work? They should be – it’s good for you! Click “NEXT” below for more!
#15: Blasphemy is to Religion, as _______________
- Impair is to Vitiate
- Lethargy is to Vivacity
- Loyalty is to Organization
- Treason is to State
#16: Up is to Down, as _______________
- Supine is to Prone
- City is to State
- North is to West
- Forward is to Prospective
Now it’s on to the real challenging analogies for the day. Click the “NEXT” button to move onto the next level!
VERY DIFFICULT ANALOGIES:
This is it – the final four analogies! Can you figure them out?
#17: Sackbut is to Trombone, as _______________
- Spinet is to Piano
- Reed is to Saxophone
- Woodwind is to Brasswind
- Chalumeau is to Clarinet
#18: Virulent is to Poisonous, as _______________
- Quiescent is to inert
- Autonomous is to Free
- Execrable is to unpleasant
- Unique is to Eccentric
Only two more, and you’ve made it to the end! Click “NEXT” for the final two analogies!
#19: Sound is to Phoneme, as _______________
- Disengage is to Snog
- Letter is to Grapheme
- Aroma is to Redolence
- Beautician is to Beauty
#20: Obstreperous is to Equable, as _______________
- Peccable is to Quintessential
- Malodorous is to Noisome
- Apathy is to Motivation
- Sanguine is to Buoyant
Did those analogies challenge you? Get all of the answers on the next page. Don’t move on until you’re ready!
ANSWERS:
Are there any analogies that you didn’t get? Do you want to check your work? Read on for all of the answers!
#1: Chicago is to Illinois, as Denver is to (B) COLORADO
#2: Mother is to Home, as Teacher is to (C) CLASSROOM
#3: March is to Spring, as (A) DECEMBER is to Winter
#4: Human is to Fingernail, as (D) TIGER IS TO CLAW
#5: Green is to Color, as Orchid is to (C) FLOWER
#6: Scientist is to Einstein, as Musician is to (A) MOZART
#7: Appalling is to Pleasing, as Interesting is to (B) BORING
#8: Pound is to Kilogram, as Quart is to (C) LITER
#9: Basil is to Herb, as (A) OAK IS TO TREE
#10: Filament is to Lightbulb, as (A) BLADE IS TO PROPELLER
#11: Lamentation is to Sorrow, as (D) ENCOMIUM IS TO PRAISE
#12: Charlatan is to Dishonest, as (D) DAREDEVIL IS TO AUDACIOUS
#13: Aspersion is to Lackluster, as (C) PERSERVERANCE IS TO DIGRESSION
#14: Lampoon is to Mock, as (B) VEIL IS TO ENSHROUD
#15: Blasphemy is to Religion, as (D) TREASON IS TO STATE
#16: Up is to Down, as (C) SUPINE IS TO PRONE
#17: Sackbut is to Trombone, as (D) CHALUMEAU IS TO CLARINET
#18: Virulent is to Poisonous, as (C) EXECRABLE IS TO UNPLEASANT
#19: Sound is to Phoneme, as (B) LETTER IS TO GRAPHEME
#20: Obstreperous is to Equable, as (A) PECCABLE is to QUINTESSENTIAL