Rhetorical Terms & Definitions

Question 1

Alliteration

Answer 1

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

Question 2

Allusion

Answer 2

An indirect or passing reference to some well known event, person, place, or artistic work

Question 3

Anadiplosis

Answer 3

Repeating the last word of one phrase, clause, or sentence at or very near the beginning of the next

Question 4

Analogy

Answer 4

The “practical” explanation and comparison of two similar things in order to clarify a difficult idea

Question 5

Anaphora

Answer 5

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences

Question 6

Anecdote

Answer 6

Short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident

Question 7

Antithesis

Answer 7

Establishes a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining them together or juxtaposing them, often in parallel structure

Question 8

Aphorism

Answer 8

A brief statement that expresses a wise observation about life

Question 9

Apostrophe

Answer 9

An interruption in dialogue that allows for the direct address of a person or abstract idea

Question 10

Assonance

Answer 10

Repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants

Question 11

Asyndeton

Answer 11

The omission of a conjunction from a list

Question 12

Chiasmus

Answer 12

A crossing parallelism, where the second part of a grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order

Question 13

Colloquialism

Answer 13

Slang and use of familiar expressions

Question 14

Connotation

Answer 14

Emotional overtones of a word

Question 15

Cumulative/Loose Sentence

Answer 15

Begins with subject and verb and adds modifying elements at the end

Question 16

Denotation

Answer 16

The straightforward or dictionary definition of a word

Question 17

Diction

Answer 17

Word choice

Question 18

Ellipsis

Answer 18

The use of three periods in a row to signal an omission of superfluous language

Question 19

Epistrophe

Answer 19

The repetition of the same word(s) at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences

Question 20

Ethos

Answer 20

A rhetorical appeal to an audience based on the speaker/writer’s credibility

Question 21

Euphemism

Answer 21

Substituting an offensive word or phrase for an unpleasant or embarrassing expression

Question 22

Extended Metaphor

Answer 22

A long comparison defined with several examples

Question 23

Hyperbole

Answer 23

Exaggeration used for emphasis

Question 24

Idiom

Answer 24

The language or dialect of a group or class, or a language unit of a group that differs from the norm in syntax or meaning

Question 25

Imagery

Answer 25

Any description that appeals to one of the five senses

Question 26

Juxtaposition

Answer 26

Placing two unlike things side by side, usually to show contrast

Question 27

Logos

Answer 27

A rhetorical appeal to an audience based on logic or reasoning

Question 28

Mood

Answer 28

The primary emotional attitude of a work

Question 29

Motif

Answer 29

A frequently recurring literary element, such as a word, an image, or a symbol

Question 30

Oxymoron

Answer 30

A two word paradox that is used to emphasize the complexity or ridiculousness of human nature/reality

Question 31

Paradox

Answer 31

A statement that seems to be a contradiction but still remains true

Question 32

Parallelism

Answer 32

The arrangement of similarly constructed clause or sentences suggesting some correspondence between them

Question 33

Parody

Answer 33

Imitation of serious work or style in a ridiculous manner

Question 34

Pathos

Answer 34

A rhetorical appeal to an audience’s emotions

Question 35

Periodic Sentence

Answer 35

Opens with modifiers and withholds subject and verb until the end

Question 36

Persona

Answer 36

Latin term for “mask”; the projected speaker or narrator of a text, a mask for the author

Question 37

Personification

Answer 37

Giving human qualities to inanimate objects

Question 38

Polysyndeton

Answer 38

The repeated use of a conjunction in a list

Question 39

Pun

Answer 39

The use of word(s) to highlight a double meaning, usually a humorous one

Question 40

Repetition

Answer 40

Repeating a word or phrase for emphasis

Question 41

Rhetoric

Answer 41

The art of using language effectively

Question 42

Rhetorical Question

Answer 42

A question posed by the speaker/author in order to brig attention to an issue; not meant to be actually answered

Question 43

Sarcasm

Answer 43

Technique that ridicules through caustic language

Question 44

Shift

Answer 44

Change in position, usually a movement in tone or point of view in writing or speech

Question 45

Style

Answer 45

Blend of choices about diction, syntax, and figurative language unique to individuals

Question 46

Symbolism

Answer 46

The use of an object to represent something beyond itself

Question 47

Syntax

Answer 47

Word order, sentence structure

Question 48

Tone

Answer 48

Writer’s attitude toward the subject and audience- created by diction, details, images, syntax

Question 49

Understatement

Answer 49

Purposely describing an idea, event, or person as less important than in actuality, usually used for irony/sarcasm

Question 50

Voice

Answer 50

The way a work conveys an author’s attitude