rhetorical terms

Question 1

Allusion

Answer 1

A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event–real or fictional.

Question 2

Aphorism:

Answer 2

a brief saying embodying a moral; a concise statement of a principle or precept given in pointed
words. “Imitation is suicide.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A man is God in ruins.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Question 3

anadiplosis

Answer 3

repetition of the last word of a preceding clause again and again

Question 4

didactic

Answer 4

Writing which has the purpose of teaching or instructing

Question 5

ethos

Answer 5

credibility/ trust; ethics or values

*Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader

Question 6

pathos

Answer 6

emotion

• vibrant descriptions
• Pathos is an appeal to emotion, and is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response.

Question 7

logos

Answer 7

logic/reason/proof

*Logos is an appeal to logic, and is a way of persuading an audience by reason.

Question 8

moods of persuasion

Answer 8

ethos, pathos, logos

Question 9

ambiguity

Answer 9

Uncertain or indefinite; subject to more than one interpretation

Question 10

hyperbole

Answer 10

A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis

Question 11

syntax

Answer 11

The way words are arranged in a sentence.

Question 12

simile

Answer 12

A figure of speech comparing two things using “like” or “as”

Question 13

Ad hominem argument

Answer 13

Attacking the speaker or person instead of addressing the issue

Question 14

periodic sentence

Answer 14

Presents the main clause at the end of the sentence for emphasis.

Question 15

imagery

Answer 15

A mental picture conjured by specific words and associations.

Question 16

rhetoric

Answer 16

the art and logic of an argument

Question 17

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a well-known ______.

Answer 17

aphorism

Question 18

“Well, that test wasn’t bad,” is an example of which term?

Answer 18

litotes

Question 19

litotes

Answer 19

ironical understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g., you won’t be sorry, meaning you’ll be glad ).

Question 20

The phrase “boots on the ground” to refer to combat troops is an example of _____

Answer 20

synecdoche

Question 21

synecdoche

Answer 21

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa, as in Cleveland won by six runs (meaning “Cleveland’s baseball team”)

Question 22

“His thesis was so esoteric that the capitulation from his argument was not elucidated.”

Answer 22

pendantic

Question 23

pendantic

Answer 23

When someone makes a big deal of showing off his or her knowledge, that person can be referred to as pedantic.pedantic can also mean dull or overly exact.

Question 24

concur

Answer 24

agree

Question 25

imperious

Answer 25

arrogantly self-assured

Question 26

rescind

Answer 26

to repeal, cancel

Question 27

affable

Answer 27

friendly, easy to approach

Question 28

whet

Answer 28

sharpen; stimulate

Question 29

egregerious

Answer 29

conspicuously bad

Question 30

slovenly

Answer 30

untidy; careless

Question 31

daunt

Answer 31

to discourage; intimidate

Question 32

bequeath

Answer 32

to give or leave through a will; to hand down;pass (something) on or leave (something) to someone else.

Question 33

laconic

Answer 33

expressing much in few words; concise; succinct

Question 34

reverant

Answer 34

showing or feeling awe, respect, or veneration

Question 35

pensive

Answer 35

dreamily thoughtful, usually marked by some sadness

Question 36

indifferent

Answer 36

not caring one way or the other

Question 37

obdurate

Answer 37

stubborn; inflexible

Question 38

sanctimonious

Answer 38

hypocritical show of religious devotion

Question 39

poignant

Answer 39

profoundly moving; touching

Question 40

imperious

Answer 40

arrogantly domineering or overbearing

Question 41

frank

Answer 41

open and sincere in expression; straightforward

Question 42

whimsical

Answer 42

imaginative

Question 43

elegaic

Answer 43

mournful; expressing sorrow or lamentation

Question 44

tugid

Answer 44

excessively ornate or complex in style or language;

Question 45

pedestrian

Answer 45

lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction

Question 46

moralistic

Answer 46

characterized by a narrow and conventional moral attitude

Question 47

prosaic

Answer 47

matter-of-fact; dull; ordinary

Question 48

indignant

Answer 48

expressing anger at unjust actions or treatment

Question 49

maudlin

Answer 49

foolishly or tearfully sentimental

Question 50

vociferous

Answer 50

characterized by loudness and vehemence

Question 51

solemn

Answer 51

deeply earnestdeeply earnest

Question 52

deductive argument

Answer 52

Creating a case by providing specific examples and drawing a conclusion

Question 53

The prevailing or dominant feeling of a work, scene, or event

Answer 53

mood

Question 54

Author's choice of words

Answer 54

diction

Question 55

Figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared directly.

Answer 55

metaphor

Question 56

Reference to another thing, idea, or person

Answer 56

allusion

Question 57

When an author assigns LESS significance to an event or thing than it deserves

Answer 57

understatement

Question 58

Question asked for the sake of argument

Answer 58

rhetorical question

Question 59

Literary technique that relies on the use of the same syntactical structures.

Answer 59

parallelism

Question 60

Art and logic of argument

Answer 60

rhetoric

Question 61

Making fun or ridiculing a literary work or an author by writing a comic imitation of them

Answer 61

parody

Question 62

Writing or speech that is organized to explain

Answer 62

exposition

Question 63

A series of three periods; shows that words have been omitted

Answer 63

ellipses

Question 64

Work that expresses sorrow.

Answer 64

elegy

Question 65

Every pronoun refers back to a previous noun or pronoun

Answer 65

antecedent

Question 66

The speaker's attitude toward a subject

Answer 66

tone

Question 67

A mild or pleasant sounding expression that substitutes for a harsh or less-pleasant idea

Answer 67

euphemism

Question 68

Slang or common language; informal

Answer 68

colloquial language

Question 69

To ridicule or mock ideas, persons, events, or doctrines

Answer 69

satire

Question 70

Two contradictory words in one expression

Answer 70

oxymoron

Question 71

A short story used to illustrate a point the author is making.

Answer 71

anecdote

Question 72

Fictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts

Answer 72

allegory

Question 73

The interpretive level of a word based on associated images rather than the literal meaning.

Answer 73

connotation