GAMSAT Section 1 Terms Flashcards
Sarcasm
Saying the opposite of what you mean in a mocking way (type of verbal irony)
Irony
Contrast between expectation and reality (situation, verbal and dramatic)
Didactic
Intended to teach, often in a moralising way.
Satire
Using humour, exaggeration or ridicule to criticise or expose something.
Parody
An imitation of a particular style or work for comedic effect.
Euphemism
A mild or indirect word used in place of something harsh (eg. ‘passed away’ instead of ‘died’).
Pathos
Appealing to emotions, especially pity or sadness.
Objective vs Subjective
Objective -> based on facts.
Subjective -> Influenced by personal feelings.
Oxymoron
Phrase combining contradictory terms.
Allegory
Story with a hidden meaning (often moral or political).
Stream of consciousness
A narrative style that mimics natural thought flow.
Acerbic
Harsh, bitter tone.
Lugubrious
Overly mournful or gloomy.
Melancholic
Deeply sad or reflective.
Wistful
Sadly longing for something.
Aphorism
A brief, witty statement of truth (eg. ‘Actions speak louder than words).
Denotation
The literal meaning of word.
Epigram
A clever, witty saying.
Polemic
A strong verbal or written attack on something.
Ad hominem
Attacking a person rather than their argument.
Non-sequitur
A conclusion that does not logically flow on from the premises.
Metonymy/Synecdoche
Something is replaced with something closely related to represent it (eg. ‘The Crown’ - monarch, ‘lend me a hand’ - get help).
Misanthropic
Having a deep distrust of humanity.
Paradox
A self-contradictory statement that may reveal a deeper truth (eg. “less is more”).
Anachronism
Something out of its proper time period.
Zeugma
A word that applies to multiple parts of a sentence differently (eg. she stole my heart and my wallet).
Glib
Fluent, but insincere.
Semiotics
The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation (eg. why use red as a stop sign on the roads).
Semantics
The meaning and interpretation of words and sentence structure.
Remonstrate
make a forcefully reproachful protest.
Personification is figurative (for poetic or artistic effect).
Anthropomorphism is literal (the non-human entity behaves like a human).
