Many verbal analogies test relationships of degree (e.g., warm vs. hot, tap vs. push). When you see two verbs that are similar in meaning, ask yourself if one is a more extreme, emotional, or specific version of the other.
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an analogy question about the relationship between two verbs, likely related to degree or manner. Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's form a bridge sentence. To SCORN is to REJECT with contempt or disdain. SCORN is a specific, intense way of rejecting something. The relationship is the first word is an intensified or emotional form of the second word.
Now let's analyze the answer choices:
(A) adulate: flatter - To ADULATE is to FLATTER with excessive praise or admiration. Adulation is an extreme or intense form of flattery. This perfectly matches the relationship.
(B) conjecture: forecast - To conjecture is to guess; to forecast is to predict. They are related, but one is not necessarily an intense form of the other.
(C) pledge: renege - To pledge is to promise; to renege is to break a promise. These are antonyms.
(D) allege: declare - To allege is to claim something without proof; to declare is to state something formally. They are different types of statements, not a degree relationship.
(E) disparage: ignore - To disparage is to criticize or belittle; to ignore is to pay no attention. These are different actions.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The relationship "to SCORN is to REJECT with intensity" is analogous to "to ADULATE is to FLATTER with intensity."