The climb to the ridge was arduous, or very hard on the legs, so we rested twice. What does arduous mean?

Unlike his talkative sister, Ading was taciturn all through the meal. What does taciturn mean?

The old bangka was decrepit, that is, worn out from many years at sea. What does decrepit mean?

Nanay was frugal with the market money, but Tiya Bel spent hers freely. What does frugal mean?

The pupils were jubilant, in other words full of joy, when the trophy was announced. What does jubilant mean?

Instead of the placid water we expected, the bay was rough all afternoon. What does placid mean?

The path was obscured, or hidden from sight, by tall cogon grass. What does obscured mean?

Lolo is nimble on the ladder, unlike Tatay, who is slow and heavy on his feet. What does nimble mean?

The room was cluttered, that is, filled with things left lying about. What does cluttered mean?

Mang Isko was reluctant to lend the cart, but his brother agreed at once. What does reluctant mean?

The bibingka was scarce that morning, or hard to find in the whole market. What does scarce mean?

Unlike the murky water of the creek, the spring was clear enough to see the stones. What does murky mean?

The teacher's directions were concise, in other words short and to the point. What does concise mean?

Rosa looked forlorn after the parade, instead of cheerful like the others. What does forlorn mean?

The mango tree was laden, that is, weighed down with fruit, by the end of May. What does laden mean?

Ben's answer was vague, but Ana's was exact and easy to follow. What does vague mean?

The barangay hall was vacant, or empty of people, by seven in the evening. What does vacant mean?

Unlike the fragile clay pots, the plastic pails survived the fall. What does fragile mean?

The pupils were attentive, that is, listening closely to every word. What does attentive mean?

Tatay's tools were meager, but Mang Ben's shed was full of everything he needed. What does meager mean?

The lechon smelled savory, in other words rich and full of flavor. What does savory mean?

Instead of the brisk walk we planned, we ambled slowly along the shore. What does brisk mean?

The instructions were ambiguous, or open to more than one meaning, so the class argued. What does ambiguous mean?

Ading is diligent about his chores, unlike his cousin, who leaves them undone. What does diligent mean?

The crowd began to disperse, that is, to scatter in different directions, after the program. What does disperse mean?

The soup was tepid, but Lola likes hers steaming hot. What does tepid mean?

The paint on the gate was vivid, or very bright to the eye. What does vivid mean?

Unlike the abundant harvest of last year, this year's palay was barely enough. What does abundant mean?

Mira was hesitant at the gate, in other words unsure whether to go in. What does hesitant mean?

The room grew tranquil once the babies slept, instead of noisy as it had been. What does tranquil mean?

The guard was vigilant, that is, watching carefully all night. What does vigilant mean?

Ana's handwriting is legible, but her brother's cannot be read at all. What does legible mean?

The kalabaw was docile, or gentle and easy to lead. What does docile mean?

Unlike the trivial repairs we made last week, this one will cost a month's pay. What does trivial mean?

The heat that noon was oppressive, in other words heavy and hard to bear. What does oppressive mean?

Lito was candid about the broken window, instead of hiding what he had done. What does candid mean?

The bamboo bridge was sturdy, that is, strong enough to hold three of us. What does sturdy mean?

In a sentence with a synonym clue, the nearby word often follows 'or', 'that is', or 'in other words'.

In 'Unlike his generous cousin, Ben was stingy with his snacks', the word unlike signals that stingy means the opposite of generous.

A word such as 'but', 'unlike' or 'instead of' tells the reader that the nearby word means the SAME as the unfamiliar word.