Vocab #1 Flashcards
Absolute (absolutes, absoluteness) (adj.)
Def.: Complete, downright
Syn.: Unconditional, supreme
Ex.: “He made an absolute fool of himself at the party last night.”
Alliteration (alliterations, alliteratively) (noun)
Def.: The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Syn.: N/A
Ex.: The alliteration of “The sweet seals swam in the sea.”
Allusion (allusions, allude) (noun)
Def.” An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Syn.: N/a
Ex.: “I made an allusion to Superman by saying that chocolate was like Kryptonite to me.”
Analogy (analogies, analogical, analogous) (noun)
Def.: A way of describing or explaining one thing by means of describing another with which it shared certain points or qualities.
Syn.: N/A
Ex.: “The teacher used the analogy of a common pipeline to explain the bandwidth on the Internet.”
Anecdote (anecdotes, anecdotal) (noun)
Def.: A short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
Syn.: Narrative, reminiscence
Ex.: “My dad often told anecdotes about his job.”
Assertion (assertions) (noun)
Def.: An emphatic declaration by a speaker or writer; not factually correct, but the belief is stated as if it were true.
Syn.: Postulation, attestation
Ex.: “He made an assertion that his father had deserted the family.”
Colloquial (colloquialism) (adj.)
Def.: Informal, everyday language in writing
Syn.: Conversational, vernacular
Ex.: “My friends and I use colloquial writing when we text each other.”
Convoluted (convolutions) (adj.)
Def.: Complicated, intricately involved
Syn.: Perplexing, elaborate
Ex.: “My sister made a simple description of a device unnecessarily convoluted.”
Didactic (didacticism) (adj.)
Def.: Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
Syn.: Pedagogic, edifying
Ex.: “I read a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice.”
Dilapidated (dilapidation) (adj.)
Def.: In a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect.
Syn.: Decrepit, unsound
Ex.: “The old, dilapidated buildings were unsafe to be around.”
Qualify (qualifier) (noun)
Def.: Words or phrases that are added to another word to modify its meaning, either by limiting or enhancing it.
Syn.: N/A
Ex.: “You can make your writing more dynamic by using qualifiers.”
Rationale (rationales, rationalization) (noun)
Def.: An explanation, reasoning, or justification for an action or choice that is made.
Syn.: Grounds, principle
Ex.: “The judge explained the rationale behind the sentencing.”
Reverence (reverences) (noun)
Def.: Deep respect for someone or something.
Syn.: Approbation, veneration.
Ex.: “Many of the residents in the hospital held reverence for the attending physician.”
Syntax (syntaxes) (noun)
Def.: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
Syn.: N/A
Ex.: “Kids in first-grade are expected to form sentences with simple syntax.”
Wrought (adj.)
Def.: Shaped as to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass.
Syn.: Molded, formed
Ex.: “My mom wanted a wrought-iron fence for our new house.”
