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rhetorical terms > 50 terms > Flashcards

50 terms Flashcards

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1
Q

an opposition or contrast of ideas by parallelism of words that are the opposites or strongly contrasted with each other

A

antiethesis

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2
Q

a brief story told in a piece of writing. often from writers personal experience, for the purpose of making a point.

A

anecdote

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3
Q

The difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or is meant

A

irony

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4
Q

Words that are free from any restriction or condition, implying that something is always true, or applies to everyone (or never true and applies to no one”

A

absolute

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5
Q

a phrase or opinion that is overused and conveys a lack of original thought.

A

cliche

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6
Q

The dictionary definition of a word; the literal meaning.

A

denotation

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7
Q

sensory details in a work; the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, call to mind an idea, or describe an object involving any or all of the five senses.

A

imagery

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8
Q

Appeal to timing; the opportune time to say or do a particular thing

A

kairos

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9
Q

The use of repeated phrases in successive clauses that contain the same or similar grammatical structures.

A

paraelleism

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10
Q

An inconsistency or discrepancy among statements being made.

A

contradiction

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11
Q

An issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to write or speak.

A

exigence

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12
Q

The feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece, it’s subject matter, as well as the writers use of language.

A

mood

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13
Q

the way in which something is written, as opposed to the meaning of what is written, and is unique to every individual writer.

A

style

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14
Q

An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

A

parody

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15
Q

The words an author chooses to use in order to achieve a desired effect

A

diction

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16
Q

To count off or name one by one; to list.

A

enumeration

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17
Q

An elaborate comparison between two things that are alike in some respects for the purpose of explaining something more clearly.

A

analogy

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18
Q

The act or instance of acknowledging a legitimate point of an opponent, accepting something as true, or admitting defeat.

A

concession

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19
Q

a direct appeal to the audience to take a specific action, typically making them feel inspired to do so.

A

call to action

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20
Q

Treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by giving it human qualities.

A

personification

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21
Q

figure of speech in which the order of the terms in the first part of the sentence is reversed in the second part.

A

chiasmus

22
Q

The way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences; sentence structure and how it influences the way a reader perceives a piece of writing

A

syntax

23
Q

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally but used for the sake of emphasis.

A

hyperbole

24
Q

the use of language in which multiple meaning are possible; there is no single clear meaning.

A

ambiguity

25
Q

The attitude a work takes towards its subject and theme which reflects the writers attitude.

A

tone

26
Q

The term used to describe specific forms of writing; categories

A

genre

27
Q

Adjectives used in order to indicate an extreme or unsurpassed level of emotions, association, or hatred for something indicating that something is the best, worst, or “most” of its kind.

A

superlative

28
Q

The main idea, opinion, or theory of a person, group, piece of writing, or speech.

A

thesis

29
Q

Regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the BEGINNING of successive sentences of clauses.

A

anaphora

30
Q

Language relating to the common style of people from a particular group, time, or place.

A

vernacular

31
Q

The repetition of the same conjunction in close succession for rhetorical effect; adding extra conjunctions in a list.

A

polysyndeton

32
Q

An important and noticable element or feature that typically appears and reappears throughout a work

A

motif

33
Q

the implicit meaning of a text; the underlying message that is not explicitly stated or shown.

A

subtex

34
Q

A symbolic comparison in which two different things are treated as if they were alike.

A

metaphor

35
Q

A question asked just for effect or to lay emphasis on some point discussed when no real answer is expected.

A

rhetorical question

36
Q

the use of flawed reasoning or inaccurate facts when making an argument, whether purposefully or not, that undermine the logic of the argument.

A

fallacy

37
Q

Presenting something as being smaller, less important, less serious than it actually is.

A

understatment

38
Q

A figure of speech which makes brief reference to a historical or literary figure, event or object to create a resonance in the reader or to apply a symbolic meaning to the text.

A

allusion

39
Q

The repetition of a word or phrase at the END consecutive clauses or sentences.

A

epistrophe

40
Q

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

A

euphemism

41
Q

The practice of commiting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses in a list for the purpose of adding emphasis to each item in the list.

A

asyndeton

42
Q

The repetition of initial consonant sounds within close proximity in a sentence.

A

alliteration

43
Q

A genre used to make fun of or criticize an idea, human vice, or societal weakness, usually done with intent to incite change

A

satire

44
Q

the implied meaning of a word, apart from its literal definition; additional meanings closely associated with a word.

A

connotation

45
Q

Emotions of pleasure and sadness caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again.

A

nostalgia

46
Q

a type of writing where the purpose is to give information; to explain, inform, or describe the subject matter.

A

exposition

47
Q

a fake or imagined situation created in order to make a point or Invision an outcome.

A

hypothetical

48
Q

A figure of speech in which 2 distance things are compared by using “like” or “as”

A

simle

49
Q

A writing principle that suggests that audiences better understand concepts, situations, and ideas presented in groups of three

A

rule of three

50
Q

Placing two dissimilar items side by side in order to highlight the contrast between them.

A

juxtaposition

rhetorical terms (1 decks)

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