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English Language and composition > rhetorical terms > Flashcards

rhetorical terms Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Allusion

A

A brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event–real or fictional.

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2
Q

Aphorism:

A

a brief saying embodying a moral; a concise statement of a principle or precept given in pointed
words. “Imitation is suicide.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A man is God in ruins.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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3
Q

anadiplosis

A

repetition of the last word of a preceding clause again and again

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4
Q

didactic

A

Writing which has the purpose of teaching or instructing

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5
Q

ethos

A

credibility/ trust; ethics or values

*Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader

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6
Q

pathos

A

emotion

  • vibrant descriptions
  • Pathos is an appeal to emotion, and is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response.
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7
Q

logos

A

logic/reason/proof

*Logos is an appeal to logic, and is a way of persuading an audience by reason.

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8
Q

moods of persuasion

A

ethos, pathos, logos

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9
Q

ambiguity

A

Uncertain or indefinite; subject to more than one interpretation

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10
Q

hyperbole

A

A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis

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11
Q

syntax

A

The way words are arranged in a sentence.

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12
Q

simile

A

A figure of speech comparing two things using “like” or “as”

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13
Q

Ad hominem argument

A

Attacking the speaker or person instead of addressing the issue

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14
Q

periodic sentence

A

Presents the main clause at the end of the sentence for emphasis.

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15
Q

imagery

A

A mental picture conjured by specific words and associations.

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16
Q

rhetoric

A

the art and logic of an argument

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17
Q

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a well-known ______.

A

aphorism

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18
Q

“Well, that test wasn’t bad,” is an example of which term?

A

litotes

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19
Q

litotes

A

ironical understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g., you won’t be sorry, meaning you’ll be glad ).

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20
Q

The phrase “boots on the ground” to refer to combat troops is an example of _____

A

synecdoche

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21
Q

synecdoche

A

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa, as in Cleveland won by six runs (meaning “Cleveland’s baseball team”)

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22
Q

“His thesis was so esoteric that the capitulation from his argument was not elucidated.”

A

pendantic

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23
Q

pendantic

A

When someone makes a big deal of showing off his or her knowledge, that person can be referred to as pedantic.pedantic can also mean dull or overly exact.

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24
Q

concur

A

agree

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25
Q

imperious

A

arrogantly self-assured

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26
Q

rescind

A

to repeal, cancel

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27
Q

affable

A

friendly, easy to approach

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28
Q

whet

A

sharpen; stimulate

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29
Q

egregerious

A

conspicuously bad

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30
Q

slovenly

A

untidy; careless

31
Q

daunt

A

to discourage; intimidate

32
Q

bequeath

A

to give or leave through a will; to hand down;pass (something) on or leave (something) to someone else.

33
Q

laconic

A

expressing much in few words; concise; succinct

34
Q

reverant

A

showing or feeling awe, respect, or veneration

35
Q

pensive

A

dreamily thoughtful, usually marked by some sadness

36
Q

indifferent

A

not caring one way or the other

37
Q

obdurate

A

stubborn; inflexible

38
Q

sanctimonious

A

hypocritical show of religious devotion

39
Q

poignant

A

profoundly moving; touching

40
Q

imperious

A

arrogantly domineering or overbearing

41
Q

frank

A

open and sincere in expression; straightforward

42
Q

whimsical

A

imaginative

43
Q

elegaic

A

mournful; expressing sorrow or lamentation

44
Q

tugid

A

excessively ornate or complex in style or language;

45
Q

pedestrian

A

lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction

46
Q

moralistic

A

characterized by a narrow and conventional moral attitude

47
Q

prosaic

A

matter-of-fact; dull; ordinary

48
Q

indignant

A

expressing anger at unjust actions or treatment

49
Q

maudlin

A

foolishly or tearfully sentimental

50
Q

vociferous

A

characterized by loudness and vehemence

51
Q

solemn

A

deeply earnestdeeply earnest

52
Q

deductive argument

A

Creating a case by providing specific examples and drawing a conclusion

53
Q

The prevailing or dominant feeling of a work, scene, or event

A

mood

54
Q

Author’s choice of words

A

diction

55
Q

Figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared directly.

A

metaphor

56
Q

Reference to another thing, idea, or person

A

allusion

57
Q

When an author assigns LESS significance to an event or thing than it deserves

A

understatement

58
Q

Question asked for the sake of argument

A

rhetorical question

59
Q

Literary technique that relies on the use of the same syntactical structures.

A

parallelism

60
Q

Art and logic of argument

A

rhetoric

61
Q

Making fun or ridiculing a literary work or an author by writing a comic imitation of them

A

parody

62
Q

Writing or speech that is organized to explain

A

exposition

63
Q

A series of three periods; shows that words have been omitted

A

ellipses

64
Q

Work that expresses sorrow.

A

elegy

65
Q

Every pronoun refers back to a previous noun or pronoun

A

antecedent

66
Q

The speaker’s attitude toward a subject

A

tone

67
Q

A mild or pleasant sounding expression that substitutes for a harsh or less-pleasant idea

A

euphemism

68
Q

Slang or common language; informal

A

colloquial language

69
Q

To ridicule or mock ideas, persons, events, or doctrines

A

satire

70
Q

Two contradictory words in one expression

A

oxymoron

71
Q

A short story used to illustrate a point the author is making.

A

anecdote

72
Q

Fictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts

A

allegory

73
Q

The interpretive level of a word based on associated images rather than the literal meaning.

A

connotation

English Language and composition (1 decks)

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