Rhetorical Devices

Question 1

Anacoluthon

Answer 1

Syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence especially : a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another

you really should have—well, what do you expect?

Question 2

Anadiplosis

Answer 2

Repetition of a prominent and usually the last word in one phrase or clause at the beginning of the next

rely on his honor—honor such as his?

Question 3

Analepsis

Answer 3

A literary technique that involves interruption of the chronological sequence of events by interjection of events or scenes of earlier occurrence : flashback

Question 4

Anaphora

Answer 4

Repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

Question 5

Antanaclasis

Answer 5

The repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different and sometimes contrary meaning from the first

we must all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately

Question 6

Antiphrasis

Answer 6

The usually ironic or humorous use of words in senses opposite to the generally accepted meanings

this giant of 3 feet 4 inches

Question 7

Antonomasia

Answer 7

The use of a proper name to designate a member of a class (such as a Solomon for a wise ruler) OR the use of an epithet or title in place of a proper name (such as the Bard for Shakespeare)

Question 8

Apophasis

Answer 8

The raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it

we won’t discuss his past crimes

Question 9

Aporia

Answer 9

An expression of real or pretended doubt or uncertainty especially for rhetorical effect

to be, or not to be: that is the question

Question 10

Chiasmus

Answer 10

An inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases

working hard, or hardly working?

Question 11

Dialogism

Answer 11

A disjunctive conclusion inferred from a single premise

gravitation may act without contact; therefore, either some force may act without contact or gravitation is not a force

Question 12

Dysphemysm

Answer 12

The substitution of a disagreeable, offensive, or disparaging expression for an agreeable or inoffensive one

Question 13

Epistrophe

Answer 13

Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

of the people, by the people, for the people

Question 14

Hypallage

Answer 14

An interchange of two elements in a phrase or sentence from a more logical to a less logical relationship

you are lost to joy for joy is lost to you

Question 15

Hyperbaton

Answer 15

A transposition or inversion of idiomatic word order

judge me by my size, do you?

Question 16

Litotes

Answer 16

Understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary

not a bad singer

Question 17

Metonymy

Answer 17

A figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated

crown as used in lands belonging to the crown

Question 18

Pleonasm

Answer 18

The use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense : REDUNDANCY

I saw it with my own eyes

Question 19

Syllepsis

Answer 19

The use of a word in the same grammatical relation to two adjacent words in the context with one literal and the other metaphorical in sense

she blew my nose and then she blew my mind

Question 20

Synedoche

Answer 20

A figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (such as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (such as society for high society), the species for the genus (such as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (such as a creature for a man), or the name of the material for the thing made (such as boards for stage)