English 10 Final Flashcards
Ardent
(adj.) very enthusiastic, impassioned
The members of the winning team acknowledged the cheers of their ardent fans.
Synonyms: intense, fervent, avid
Antonyms: indifferent, stolid, phlegmatic, apathetic
Chastise
(v.) to inflict physical punishment as a means of correction; to scold severely
State and federal laws now forbid the use of corporal punishment to chastise prisoners.
Synonyms: discipline, censure
Antonyms: commend, reward
Deviate
(v.) to turn aside; to stray from a norm; (n.) one who departs from a norm; (adj.) differing from a norm, heterodox, unconventional
Try not to deviate from the directions given in the owner’s manual.
Those who disagrees with the Soviet for, of government were often branded as deviates and imprisoned.
Under our system of justice, the mentally ill cannot be held responsible for their deviate behavior.
Synonyms: (v.) diverge, veer, swerve
Antonyms: (v.) conform to, abide by; (adj.) orthodox
Gnarled
(adj.) knotted, twisted, lumpy
The gnarled limbs of cypresses dominate many of the landscapes painted by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh.
Synonyms: knotty, misshapen, contorted
Antonyms: smooth, unblemished, straight
Indemnity
(n.) a payment for damage or loss
A certain type of life insurance contract provides double indemnity for the accidental death of the policyholder.
Synonyms: compensation, reparation
Exult
(v.) to rejoice greatly
The campaign workers exult in the unexpected victory of their candidate.
Synonyms: revel, glory
Antonyms: mope, sulk, regret, rue, lament
Poignant
(adj.) deeply affecting, touching; keen or sharp in taste or smell
There is something truly poignant about the sight of falling leaves in autumn.
Synonyms: heartrending, melancholy
Antonyms: unaffecting, bland, vapid, insipid, funny
Allure
(v.) to entice, tempt; to be attractive to; (n.) a strong attraction; the power to attract, charm
Dreams of stardom allure many gifted young performers from all over the country to the bright lights of Broadway.
The lure of get-rich-quick schemes may lead people down the road to financial ruin.
Synonyms: (v.) beguile, tantalize; (n.) temptation, enticement
Antonyms: (v.) repel, turn off; (n.) repellent
Blithe
(adj.) cheerful, lighthearted; casual, unconcerned
It is difficult to deflate the blithe optimism of the young.
Synonyms: carefree, nonchalant, indifferent
Antonyms: glum, morose, despondent, depressed
Covet
(v.) to desire something belonging to another
Those who covet the good fortune of others are likely to be unhappy with the their own lot in life.
Synonyms: crave, yearn for, hunger for
Antonyms: disdain, scorn, despise
Disheveled
(adj.) rumpled, mussed; hanging in disorder
Most people look a little bit disheveled when they get up in the morning.
Synonyms: untidy, disarranged, tousled
Antonyms: tidy, well-groomed
Lamentable
(adj.) to be regretted or pitied
After a long, hard winter, city streets may be in a truly lamentable state of disrepair.
Synonyms: deplorable, regrettable, distressing
Antonyms: praiseworthy, commendable, laudable
Vanguard
(n.) the foremost part of an army; the leading position in any field
If a high-tech company is to survive in today’s marketplace, it must remain in the vanguard of innovation.
Synonyms: forefront, cutting edge, trailblazers
Antonyms: rear guard, stragglers, laggards
Wastrel
(n.) a wasteful person, spendthrift; a good-for-nothing
Many a novel has told the sorry tale of a charming but self-destructive wastrel.
Synonyms: loafer, idler, profligate
Antonyms: skinflint, tightwad
Respite
(n.) a period of relief or rest
A vacation provide a respite from the worries and responsibilities of everyday life.
Synonyms: interval, intermission, lull, breather
Misnomer
(n.) an unsuitable or misleading name
The term World Series is a misnomer because only North American teams participate in this annual event.
Synonyms: misnamed get, malapropism
Allude
(v.) to refer to casually or indirectly
In his speech, the candidate alludes to hide opponents’ section lack of military experience.
Synonyms: suggest, insinuate, intimate
Clairvoyant
(adj.) supernaturally perceptive; (n.) one who possesses extrasensory powers, seer
Few people are taken in by the clairvoyant pronouncements of fortune-tellers and mediums.
The police sometimes use clairvoyants to help them solve difficult missing-person cases.
Synonyms: (adj.) insightful, discerning, uncanny; (n.) visionary
Antonyms: (adj.) blind, unseeing, myopic, dense
Disreputable
(adj.) not respectable, not esteemed
Supermarket tabloids fluently publish stories about the disreputable behavior of celebrities.
Synonyms: disgraceful, discreditable, shady
Antonyms: honest, aboveboard, respectable, creditable
Endemic
(adj.) native or confined to a particular region or people; characteristic of or prevalent in a field
Scientists have yet to identify many plans and animal species endemic to the rain forests.
Synonyms: indigenous, restricted to
Antonyms: alien, foreign, extraneous
Placate
(v.) to appease, soothe, pacify
Sponsors of the controversial bill modified some of its original provisions in order to placate the opposition.
Synonyms: satisfy, mollify, allay, conciliate
Antonyms: vex, irk, provoke, exasperate, annoy
Guile
(n.) treacherous cunning, deceit
Folklore has it that a serpent’s most outstanding trait is guile, just as a fox’s is craftiness.
Synonyms: trickery, chicanery
Antonyms: candor, artlessness, naïveté, plain dealing
Fathom
(v.) to understand, get to the bottom of; to determine the depth of; (n.) a measure of depth in water
It is sometimes difficult to fathom the motives behind another person’s actions.
The great passenger liner Titanic still lies buried several thousand fathom beneath the ocean’s surface.
Synonyms: (v.) grasp, figure out, plumb
Obnoxious
(adj.) highly offensive, arousing strong dislike
The speeches Hitler delivered at the Nuremberg rallies were full of racial slurs and other obnoxious language.
Synonyms: disagreeable, repugnant, hateful, odious
Antonyms: agreeable, pleasing, engaging, personable
Placid
(adj.) calm, peaceful
There was no wind to disturb the placid surface of the lake.
Synonyms: undisturbed, tranquil, quiet, serene
Antonyms: stormy, agitated, turbulent, tempestuous
Potent
(adj.) powerful; highly effective
Music has been called the most potent agent for inducing people to forget their differences and live in harmony.
Synonyms: mighty, formidable, forceful
Antonyms: weak, inept, feckless, powerless, ineffective
Stark
(adj.) harsh, unrelieved, desolate; (adv.) utterly
Many a young idealist has found it difficult to accept the stark realities of life.
By the end of his brief reign, the Roman emperor Caligula was clearly stark raving mad.
Synonyms: (adj.) sheer, downright, grim, bleak; (adv.) absolutely
Antonyms: (adj.) bright, cheerful, embellished, ornate
Protrude
(v.) to stick out, thrust forth
Dentists commonly use various kinds of braces to correct the alignment of teeth that protrude or are crooked.
Synonyms: project, bulge
Superficial
(adj.) on or near the surface; concerns with or understanding only what is on the surface, shallow
A superficial analysis of a complex problem is not likely to produce a viable or long-lasting solution.
Synonyms: skin-deep, insubstantial, cursory, slapdash
Antonyms: deep, profound, thorough, exhaustive
August
(adj.) majestic, inspiring admiration and respect
The August visages of four of America’s great presidents are carved on the face of Mount Rushmore.
Synonyms: stately, dignified, exalted, venerable
Antonyms: humble, base, man, lowly, abject
Clandestine
(adj.) secret, concealed; underhanded
During the early ages of the American Revolution, clandestine colonial printing presses churned out quantities of anti-British propaganda.
Synonyms: covert, furtive, surreptitious, stealthy
Antonyms: open, overt, undisguised, aboveboard
Nocturnal
(adj.) of or occurring in the night; under cover of darkness
Most nocturnal creatures have keen eyesight and acute hearing.
Synonyms: nighttime
Antonyms: daytime, dinural
Elated
(adj., part.) in high spirits, jubilant; extremely pleased
Elated fans lined the city’s streets to cheer the World Series champions.
Synonyms: overjoyed, ecstatic, tickled pink
Antonyms: depressed, crestfallen, despondent, blue
Indulgent
(adj.) yielding to the wishes or demands of others
A heightened sense of compassion has induced the federal government to adopt a more indulgent policy toward illegal aliens.
Synonyms: permissive, tolerant, liberal
Antonyms: strict, severe, hard-nosed
Tacit
(adj.) unspoken, silent; implied, inferred
The neighbors had a tacit understanding that they would help each other in an emergency.
Synonyms: unexpressed, unvoiced, understood, implicit
Antonyms: explicit, express, specific
Tangible
(adj.) capable of being touched; real, concrete
After months of intensive negotiation, diplomats reported that they had made tangible progress toward reaching a settlement of the bitter dispute.
Synonyms: perceptible, actual, evident
Antonyms: immaterial, imperceptible, insubstanial
Quell
(v.) to subdue, put down forcibly
The English poet John Dryden believed that music has the power either to arouse or to quell strong emotions.
Synonyms: pacify, squelch, quash, crush
Antonyms: incite, provoke, arouse, foment, stir up
Ruminate
(v.) to meditate, think about at length
In old age many people sadly ruminated on mistakes made and opportunities missed.
Synonyms: ponder, reflect, mull over, muse
Decorum
(n.) proper behavior, good taste; orderliness
Legislative assemblies preserve decorum by operating under the rule parliamentary procedure.
Synonyms: seemliness, good form, propriety
Antonyms: impropriety, bad form, bad taste
Duress
(n.) compulsion by threat; forcible confinement
Political prisoners are sometimes subjected to a mild form of duress called house arrest.
Antonyms: persuasion, coaxing, sweet talk, cajolery
Innocuous
(adj.) harmless, unoffensive; insignificant
Conversation at a dinner party may sometimes be confined to pleasant and innocuous generalities.
Synonyms: feeble, impotent, unobjectionable, insipid
Antonyms: harmful, dangerous, pernicious, toxic, virulent
Sedate
(adj.) quiet, settled, sober; (v.) to administer a tranquilizer
At concerts of classical music, audiences generally behave in a sedate and attentive manner.
A doctor may decide to sedate a patient who has suffered a severe emotional shock or physical injury.
Synonyms: (adj.) unruffled, composed, cool and collected
Antonyms: (adj.) loud, brash, flashy, flamboyant, garish, flighty
Ultimatum
(n.) a final proposal or statement of conditions
As a strike deadline draws near, both labor and management can be expected to issue ultimatum.
Synonym: final terms
Persuasive writing
It includes speeches and is intended to convince people to take a particular action or position.
Speeches
Used in persuasive writing
Arguments
Presented by persuasive writers. They are a series of logically linked ideas that support a conclusion, to defend their ideas.
Rhetorical devices
Also used by persuasive writers. They are verbal techniques that create emphasis and appeal to emotions.
Commonly used rhetorical devices
Repetition, parallelism, slogans and slows, rhetorical questions
Repetition
The reuse of a key word or idea for emphasis
Parallelism
Similar grammatical structures expressing related ideas
Slogans and saws
Short, catchy phrases
Rhetorical questions
Questions that are intended to have obvious answers; asked for effect
What should you do when reading persuasive writing?
Evaluate the writer’s argument. Consider whether the writer supports claims with sound evidence and logical reasoning.
Determine when persuasive techniques…
Are effectively used to enhance the impact of the supporting evidence and reasoning, and recognize when they are used to cover up a lack of logical support.
Author’s purpose
His or her main reason for writing
Rhetoric
The use of language to persuade readers and shape their views of the subject
Point of view
The perspective from high a story is told.
Types of perspectives/point of views
First-person point of view and third-person point of view
First-person point of view
The narrator is one of the characters and refers to himself or herself with the pronouns I and me. One kind of first-person narrator is the naïve first-person narrator.
Naïve first-person narrator
This narrator understands less about events in the story than the readers do. For example, if the narrator of a story is a five-year old, readers may have a clearer understanding of events in the story than does the child who describes them.
Third-person point of view
The narrator does not participate in the action. Characters are referred to by the third-person pronouns he, she, him, her, they, and them. The narrator’s point of view may be omniscient, or it may be limited.
Omniscient
All-knowing
Limited
Restricted to the perceptions of a single character
Dramatic irony
A contrast between what the readers know and what the narrator or character believes.
Philosophical assumption
The writer’s basic beliefs about life
Draw a conclusion
You reach a decision or form an opinion based on information in a text.
Recognize key details
Recognize key details to draw a conclusion in deriving the theme of a work.
Humorous essay
In a humorous essay, or speech, a writer presents a subject in an unexpected, amusing way. The writer may treat a serious situation lightly or a ridiculous situation seriously.
Hyperbole
An exaggeration. A writer describes people, things, or events as if they were much more than they are.
Understatement
A writer speaks of people, things, or events as if they were less important than they are.
Satire
Humor used to point out the foolishness of a particular type of human behavior or of a particular institution. Mockery, ridicule, or sarcasm.
Diction
Word choice. Another literary element that contributes to humor.
Connotation
The set of ideas associated with it
Denotation
A word’s definition
Two quotes from Pride and Prejudice
- It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. -Narrator
- I could easily forgive his pride, if he has not mortified mine. -Elizabeth
Extra: In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. -Darcy
Two quotes from Oedipus the King
- What good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy. -Oedipus
- Drive me from here with all the speed you can to where I may not hear a human voice. -Oedipus
Extra: Look upon that last days always. Count no moral happy till he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain. -Chorus
Tone
The expression of the writer’s attitude toward his or her subject and reader.
Symbolism
A writer’s use of symbols
Symbol
A type of figurative language in which a character, a place, a thing, or an event in a literary work stands for a larger idea.
Allegory
A story in which all characters, settings, events, and actions are clearly symbolic.
