Rhetorical Terms Flashcards
What is Alliteration?
The repetition of an initial consonant sound
Commonly used in poetry and prose for emphasis and rhythm.
Define Allusion.
A reference to a person, place, or event—not found in the work
Can be real or fictional.
What is an Analogy?
Reasoning from parallel cases
Often used to explain a concept by comparing it to something familiar.
What is Anaphora?
Repetition at the beginning of successive clauses or verses
Used for emphasis and rhythm in writing.
What does Antithesis refer to?
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases
Highlights differences and can create tension.
What is Apostrophe?
Addressing some absent person or thing
Often used in poetry to convey emotions.
Define Assonance.
The similarity in vowel sounds in neighboring words
Creates a musical quality in writing.
What is Asyndeton?
The omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses
Used to create a sense of speed or urgency.
What does Chiasmus mean?
The second half of an expression is balanced against the first but reversed
Creates a specific rhetorical effect.
What does Colloquial refer to?
Informal language
Often used in everyday conversation.
Define Connotation.
The emotional implications and associations that a word may carry
Different from the word’s literal meaning.
What is Denotation?
The direct or dictionary meaning of a word
Opposite of connotation.
What is Diction?
Author’s choice of words
Influences tone and style.
What is Epistrophe?
The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses
Used for emphasis and rhythm.
Define Ethos.
An appeal based on the character of the speaker
Establishes credibility.
What is a Euphemism?
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one offensive
Often used to soften harsh realities.
What is a Fallacy?
An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid
Important to identify in logical arguments.
What does Figurative Language refer to?
Language with figures of speech (such as metaphors, similes, hyperbole)
Enhances meaning and emotional impact.
What is Hyperbole?
Extreme exaggeration
Used for emphasis or effect.
Define Imagery.
Vivid descriptive language; appeals to the senses
Helps create mental images.
What is Irony?
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning
Can be verbal, situational, or dramatic.
What does Juxtaposition mean?
Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side-by-side
Highlights contrasts and comparisons.
What is Litotes?
An understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite
Creates a subtle emphasis.
What does Logos refer to?
Employs logical reasoning, combining a clear idea with appropriate examples and details
An important rhetorical appeal.
What is a Loose Sentence?
A main clause is followed by subordinate phrases and clauses
Opposite of periodic sentence.
Define Metaphor.
Comparing two unlike things that actually have something important in common
Does not use ‘like’ or ‘as’.
What is Metonymy?
One word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated
Example: ‘The White House’ for the U.S. President.
What is Onomatopoeia?
Words that sound like what they mean
Examples include ‘buzz’, ‘bang’.
Define Paradox.
A statement that appears to contradict itself
Often reveals a deeper truth.
What does Parallelism mean?
The similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses
Enhances clarity and rhythm.
What is Pathos?
Appeals to the audience’s emotions
A critical element in persuasive writing.
What is a Periodic Sentence?
A long sentence in which the main clause is at the end
Opposite of loose sentence.
Define Personification.
An inanimate object or idea is endowed with human qualities
Used to create relatable imagery.
What is a Rhetorical Question?
A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected
Engages the audience.
What is a Simile?
Two unlike things are explicitly compared with ‘like’ or ‘as’
Used for vivid descriptions.
What does Synecdoche refer to?
A part used to represent the whole
Example: ‘All hands on deck’ refers to people.
Define Syntax.
The arrangement of words in a sentence
Influences meaning and clarity.
What is Tone?
A writer’s emotion towards a subject
Influences the reader’s perception.
What is Understatement?
Making a situation seem less important or serious than it is
Often used for irony or humor.
What does Zeugma mean?
Completing a list with an unexpected final word
Creates a surprising or humorous effect.
