Rhetorical Devices

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

The use of a character or story element to symbolically represent something

Question 2

Alliteration

Answer 2

Repetition of the same sound or letter, beginning several words in a sequence

Question 3

Allusion

Answer 3

An indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work

Question 4

Amplification

Answer 4

A figure of speech that repeats the word or expression while adding more detail to it, in order to emphasize something.

I.e. I have the heart of the King, and a king of England, too.

Question 5

Anaphora

Answer 5

The repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of a successive phrase

Question 6

Analogy

Answer 6

An extended metaphor or a long simile

Question 7

Anadiplosis

Answer 7

The repetition of the last word of a clause or sentence at the beginning of the next.

I.e. I am Sam, Sam I am.

Question 9

Antanagoge

Answer 9

Placing a good point or benefit next to a fault or criticism in order to reduce the impact of the negative part

I.e. The new filtration system may be more expensive but it is a cleaner alternative

Question 10

Anastrophe

Answer 10

Unusual word order for the sake of emphasis

I.e. This much we pledge, and more.

Question 11

Apostrophe

Answer 11

Directly addressing someTHING that cannot answer, I.e. an idea or object

Question 13

Aporia

Answer 13

Expression of doubt (often feigned) where a person is unsure as to what they should say, think, or do

Question 14

Aposiopesis

Answer 14

Form of ellipses where speaker comes to an abrupt halt, seemingly overcome with emotion

Question 15

Asyndeton

Answer 15

Omitting conjunctions between words or phrases

Question 16

Appositive

Answer 16

A noun or noun phrase that comes directly after the noun or pronoun it is describing or providing information for

Question 18

Conceit

Answer 18

An extended metaphor or analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects

Question 19

Catachresis

Answer 19

Incorrect usage of words as an extravagant metaphor

I.e. I will speak daggers to her

Question 20

Chiasmus

Answer 20

Reversal of words in one phrase in the next

I.e. When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Question 21

Assonance

Answer 21

Repetition of a vowel sound in words

Question 22

Diacope

Answer 22

Repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase

Question 23

Enumeratio

Answer 23

Detailing parts, causes, effects, or consequences to make a point

I.e. I love her eyes, her hair, her nose, her cheeks, her lips

Question 24

Distinctio

Answer 24

Elaboration on a particular meaning of a word in order to prevent any misunderstanding

Question 25

Antithesis

Answer 25

Consecutive phrases with opposite ideas.

I.e. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

Question 26

Epistrophe

Answer 26

Opposite of anaphora; repeats word or phrases at end of sentence

Question 28

Epithet

Answer 28

An adjective or expressive phrase used to describe a quality of a mentioned person or thing

I.e. Eric the Brave or Untroubled waters

Question 29

Invective

Answer 29

Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language

Question 30

Eponym

Answer 30

The substitution of the name of a famous person recognized or famous for a particular attribute, for that attribute

Question 31

Expletive

Answer 31

A word or short phrase that interrupts normal speech in order to give emphasis to the words immediately next to it

Question 32

Euphemism

Answer 32

Substituting a potentially offensive phrase with a milder or gentler one

Question 33

Hypophora

Answer 33

(Rhetorical question) A question is asked and then answered by the speaker

Question 34

Hyperbole

Answer 34

Dramatic exaggeration

Question 36

Meiosis

Answer 36

Opposite of hyperbole; a deliberate understatement

I.e. ‘Tis just a flesh wound

Question 37

Mesodiplosis

Answer 37

The repetition of the same words in the middle of successive sentences

Question 38

Metanoia

Answer 38

Qualifies a statement by recalling it and expressing it any better, milder, or stronger way, often through negative

I.e. She was the smartest of all the girls, nay of all the children

Question 39

Litotes

Answer 39

A form of understatement that denies the opposite of the word which would otherwise be used

I.e. She’s not the friendliest person I know

Question 40

Metonymy

Answer 40

The name of an object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it

I.e. The White House declared

Question 41

Pedantic

Answer 41

Overly academic or obsessed with details

Question 42

Parallelism

Answer 42

Similarly expressed phrases to show importance

Question 42

Oxymoron

Answer 42

A combination of contradictory words into a single phrase

Question 43

Paraleipsis

Answer 43

A pretended omission; pretending to pass over something

I.e. It would be unkind to mention his drinking problem or womanizing habits, so I won’t.

Question 44

Polemic

Answer 44

“Hostile” (Greek); aggressive argument that tries to establish superiority over others; does not concede

Question 45

Rhetorical Question

Answer 45

A question used to make the audience think. Not meant to be answered

Question 46

Polysyndeton

Answer 46

Opposite of asyndeton; use of conjunction between each word or phrase

Question 46

Paradox

Answer 46

An assertion seemingly opposed to common sense but may have truth in it

Question 46

Paronomasia

Answer 46

Use of similar sounding words, often as a form of word play. I.e.: gold cache, cold cash, culled cache

Question 46

Onomatopoeia

Answer 46

Words that are sounds

Question 46

Pleonasm

Answer 46

Superfluous use of words in order to explain; redundancy

Question 46

Rhetorical Triangle

Answer 46

Illustrates relationship between reader, speaker, and subject

Question 48

Synecdoche

Answer 48

Fig. of speech; part used to represent whole I.E. He’s got nice wheels

Question 48

Syllepsis

Answer 48

Usage of a word multiple times with each use meaning something different

Question 49

Tricolon

Answer 49

A series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses I.E. “I came, I saw, I conquered”

Question 50

Symploce

Answer 50

Combination of anaphora and epistrophe; repetition of the first and last words from one phrase or sentence in the successive ones

Question 51

Understatement

Answer 51

Expressing an idea to a lesser extent than its usual case