Vocab Flashcards
(88 cards)
1
Q
Abashed
A
Ashamed or embarassed
2
Q
Acerbic
A
Bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic
3
Q
Ambivalent
A
Having contradictory attitudes/feelings
4
Q
Apathetic
A
Indifferent or unresponsive
5
Q
Banal
A
Boring or unoriginal
6
Q
Bleak
A
Not hopeful
7
Q
Blithe
A
Carefree/ lighthearted
8
Q
Bombastic
A
High sounding but with little meaning
9
Q
Caustic
A
Harsh or overly critical
10
Q
Cloying
A
Causing disgust through excess (often excess sweetness)
11
Q
Cogent
A
Clear or pursuasive
12
Q
Derisive
A
Mocks, expresses contempt, ridicules
13
Q
Didactic
A
Literature that is educational or cautionary
14
Q
Disinterested
A
Not biased
15
Q
Disparaging
A
Belittle the value or importance
16
Q
Effusive
A
Excessive emotion/enthusiasm
17
Q
Erudite
A
Having knowledge/learned
18
Q
Esoteric
A
Obscure language only understood by certain groups
19
Q
Facetious
A
Inappropriately funny in a serious situation
20
Q
Flippant
A
Rude or unserious
21
Q
Intransigent
A
Refuses to compromise or abandon an extreme position
22
Q
Invective
A
Verbal abuse to attack/insult a person
23
Q
Morose
A
A sullen or gloomy disposition
24
Q
Nostalgic
A
An affectionate look at the past
25
Panegyric
Elaborate praise or eulogistic writing
26
Pedantic
Overly concerned with accuracy and precision
27
Perspicacious
A keen mental perception or understanding
28
Petulant
Insolent or rude speech from someone bad-tempered or childish
29
Polemic
Vigorous and combative language to defend or oppose
30
Sarcastic
Irony to mock, ridicule, or express contempt
31
Sardonic
Disdainfully or cynically humorous/mocking
32
Trite
Lacks freshness/interest
33
Turgid
Excessive embellishing of language (synonym to bombastic)
34
Uninterested
Lacking concern or interest
35
Vituperative
An attack full of angry criticism
36
Ad hominem
Attacking a person instead of their argument
37
Adage
Short statement or proverb containing a general truth
38
Allegory
A story with a hidden meaning behind it
39
Alliteration
Repetition of the same first letter with neighboring words
40
Allusion
A subtle reference to another place, person, event, or literary work
41
Ambiguity
Can be understood in multiple ways
42
Amplification
Use of literary devices to draw attention to a certain point
43
Analogy
Comparison of two completely different things for the sake of explanation
44
Anaphora
Repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of clauses
45
Antithesis
Opposite ideals that are placed parallel to each other
46
Aphorism
A concise expression expressing truth
47
Apostrophe
Addressing a subject that is not there or is dead
48
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds in close by words
49
Asyndeton
Ommitting conjunctions
50
Caricature
A representation that often exaggerates qualities
51
Chiasmus
Concepts are repeated in the next clause in reverse order
52
Colloquial
Causal language used in specific regions
53
Conceit
An extended, complex metaphor
54
Concession
Acknowledgment of the opposing viewpoint
55
Conditional Statement
An if - then statement
56
Connotation
Feelings or ideas associated with a word
57
Consonance
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning, middle, or end of successive words
58
Deduction
Using a general conclusion to retrieve a specific one
59
Denotation
The purely literal meaning of a word
60
Diction
Specific choice of words that convey a certain meaning
61
Epistrophe
Repetition of words at the end of clauses
62
Epithet
A word or phrase that describes the main quality of a person
63
Euphemism
An inoffensive version of a normally vulgar statement
64
Exigence
A situation that motivated the writer to write something
65
Fallacy
A mistaken belief based on an unsound argument
66
Homily
A sermon delivered to a clergy that offers moral direction/advice
67
Hyperbole
Exaggeration
68
Idiomatic
Containing an expression of speech that is not meant to be understood literally
69
Induction
Using a specific conclusion to retrieve a more general one.
70
Invective
Sharp and abusive language
71
Jargon
Specific language used by a subsection of people
72
Juxtaposition
Placing two concepts adjacent to highlight differences/similarities
73
Litotes
A double negative
74
Loaded Diction
Words with extra strong connotation used to evoke feeling
75
Metaphor
The comparison of two things that are not directly related
76
Metonymy
Replacing the original name of an object with something closely related
77
Mood
The emotional response the writer wants to bring out of the reader
78
Non sequitur
A statement that does not logically follow the previous statement
79
Paradox
A statement that contradicts itself but also created a deeper meaning
80
Polysyndeton
Using many conjunctions
81
Reductio ad absurdum
Proving the falseness of something by showing that its logical consequence is absurd
82
Satirical
Wit, irony, or sarcasm used to criticize
83
Syllepsis
The same word used with two or more meanings with different contexts
84
Syllogism
Arriving to a conclusion from two separate truths
85
Synecdoche
A part that represents a whole
86
Synesthesia
One sense described in terms of another
87
Syntax
The arrangement/order of words
88
Understatement
Underexaggerating the quality of something
