Vocab Weeks 1-9 Flashcards
Ethos
Ethical Appeal.
Ex) The doctor established ethos by hanging his various degrees throughout his office.
Pathos
Emotional Appeal.
Ex) Pathos was triggered after Jennifer saw her father in the hospital.
Logos
Logical Appeal.
Ex) The lawyer established logos by presenting the lack of evidence for the case.
Diction
Word choice.
Ex) Though the paper was written by a 30 year old, the diction made it seem as though a high schooler wrote it.
Concrete Language
Language that describes specific, observable things, people or places, rather than ideas or qualities.
Ex) The writing didn’t appear to have a deeper meaning considering only concrete language was used.
Voice
In writing, it refers to two things. Either the relationship between the subject and the verb or the overall “sound” of a piece.
Ex) While the voice seemed happy to Claire, there were sad elements within it as well.
Objective
A third person narrator who only reports what would be visible to a camera.
Ex) The objective writing made the book very boring to read.
Rhetoric
The art of effective communication.
Ex) Her rhetoric helped her to better communicate her point to the audience.
Animosity
Bitter dislike directed at someone or something.
Ex) Clyde harbored deep animosity toward his boss after he was demoted.
Disparage
To speak or write negatively of.
Ex) His disparaging remarks damaged both her character and her pride.
Gamut
The full extent or range.
Ex) His house featured an entertainment center whose components ran the gamut of state-of-the-art equipment.
Incognito
Hidden or unknown.
Ex) The movie star wore sunglasses in hopes of remaining incognito at restaurants, but he was still pestered by autograph hounds.
Lurid
Gruesome.
Ex) The lurid illustrations made it clear to Megan that this was no children’s book she had bought.
Emulate
To strive to match or better by means of imitation.
Ex) Someone who emulates another uses that person’s actions as a model for future success or mastery.
Adulation
Extreme praise, admiration, or flattery, especially of a servile nature.
Ex) Despite great hardship resulting from the violent tactics of the secret police, adulation of Stalin continued.
Syntax
The grammatical structure of a sentence.
Ex)
Transition
A word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.
Ex)
Tone
The characteristic emotion or attitude of an author toward the characters, subject, and audience.
Ex)
Style
An author’s characteristic manner of expression.
Ex)
Point of View
The perspective from which a story is presented.
Ex)
First person narrator
A narrator, referred to as “I,” who is a character in the story and relates the actions through his or her own prospective, also revealing his or her own thoughts.
Ex) Since the book was presented from a first person narrator, it was extremely biased.
Stream of Consciousness
Like a first person narrator, but instead placing the reader inside the character’s head.
Ex) Not accustomed to reading books with a stream of consciousness perspective, Ben was extremely confused.
Omniscient
Third person narrator, referred to as “he,” “she,” or “they,” who is able to see into each character’s mind and understand all actions.
Ex) An omniscient point of view seemed to be the least biased.
Limited Omniscient
A third person narrator who reports the thoughts of only one character and generally only what one character sees.
Ex) Clarice enjoyed the limited omniscient point of view novel since it wasn’t confusing,
Mood
The primary emotional attitude of a work.
Ex) Though the book about dogs was meant to be happy, a sad mood was evoked considering Henry’s dog had just died.
Coherence
Quality of a piece of writing.
Ex) Brian couldn’t stand reading his student’s essay due to the lack of coherence.
Jargon
The special language of a profession or group.
Ex) The writings of the lawyer and the literary critic are both susceptible to jargon.
Corroborate
To confirm or increase in certainty.
Ex) Mrs. Watson saw her son sneaking out of the basement window at 2 a.m.; her husband can corroborate her story.
Enunciate
To articulate or pronounce.
Ex) Shandra made sure to enunciate during her presentation to maximize understanding.
Malleable
Easily shaped or reformed.
Ex) A child’s personality is more malleable before he begins school and develops more individuality.
Allegory
An extended narrative in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story.
Ex) Arthur Miller’s Crucible (“Red Scare”).
Allusion
A reference to a well-known person, place, or thing from literature, history, etc.
Ex) Mother Theresa
Analogy
Comparison of two similar but different things.
Ex) The heart is like a pump.
Aphorism
A short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life.
Ex) The early bird gets the worm.
Figurative Language
Language that contains figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors, in order to create associations that are imaginative rather than literal.
Ex) In order to reach the word count required, Gladice filled the paper with figurative language.
Parallelism
The technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form.
Ex) You need to work quickly and decisively.
Imagery
Words or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to one or more of the five senses in order to create a mental picture.
Ex) The use of imagery to describe the pie made Rochelle’s mouth water
Satire
A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way.
Ex) The daily show with John Oliver was filled with Satire.
Penurious
Lacking money- very poor; or careful with money- stingy.
Ex) Joan, raised in comfortable surroundings, was not cut out for such a penurious lifestyle.
Prosaic
Commonplace or dull.
Ex) Mary’s prosaic outlook on life left little room for fun and games.
Capitulate
To give in to a demand for surrender.
Ex) The ambassador has been instructed to refuse to capitulate to the demands of the terrorist.
Morose
Frightening or gloomy.
Ex) arl knew his company was headed for bankruptcy; he spent several long morose nights alone staring silently at the accounting ledger.
Skittish
Nervous and lacking confidence.
Ex) Joyce is still a bit skittish about the computer; she cannot find the on button.
Verbose
Wordy. That which uses unnecessary language.
Ex) The professor’s lectures were often boring because of his verbose notes.
Aplomb
Assurance, poise, finesse, self-confidence.
Ex) Although college
finals were difficult and intimidating, the freshman handled them with unusual
aplomb.
Logical Fallacy
A mistake in reasoning.
Ex) The logical fallacy at the beginning go the paper rendered it all moot.
Red Herring
When a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue.
Ex) By setting up a red herring, the author took attention away from the real issue at hand.
Reductio ad Absurdum
The Latin for “to reduce to the absurd.”
Ex)
Straw Man
When a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak.
Ex) Everyone became extremely angry at the parent for using a straw man and wasting time.
Non-sequitur
Latin for “it does not follow.” When one statement isn’t logically connected to another.
Ex) She drives a BMW. I own a bird.
Oversimplification
When a writer obscures or denies the complexity of the issues in an argument.
Ex) A phone is something you yell into so you can communicate.
Freight-Train
Sentence consisting of three or more very short independent clauses joined by conjunctions.
Ex) The kitchen smelled like pies and different spices and banana pudding.
False Analogy
When two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lend readers to accept a claim or connection between them.
Ex) A broken plate is like a pillow, both comfortable to sleep on.
Faux pas
A social error or social blunder.
Ex) It is a definite faux pas when a lady passes gas at the dinner table.
Gratuitous
Unnecessary. Something that is excessive.
Ex) The movie was criticized for its use of gratuitous violence, especially since it did not further the plot.
Reticent
Reserved.
Ex) Amy was reticent at the party, preferring to stay close to her husband and avoiding talk with strangers.
Sumptuous
Extravagant, lavish, luxurious.
Ex) The meal of lobster and filet mignon was sumptuous.
Pontificate
To issue an authoritative decree.
Ex) The coach liked to pontificate about the correct way to set up a defense even though he had very little knowledge.
Ad hoc
For a specific purpose or end.
Ex) The council established an ad hoc committee to review textbook standards.
Degenerate
Having regressed or descended to a lower state.
Ex) What began as an intellectually rigorous debate concluded as a degenerate shouting match.
Syntactic Fluency
Ability to create a variety of sentence structures, appropriately complex and/or simple and varied length.
Syntactic Permutation
Sentence structures that are extraordinarily complex and involved.
Ad Hominem
In argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent’s ideas.
Discourse
Spoken or written language.
Generalization
When a writer bases a claim upon an isolated example or asserts that a claim is certain rather than probable.
Euphemism
A more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable.
Ex) He’s moved on rather than he died.
Inversion
Reversing the customary (subject first, then verb, then complement) of elements in a sentence or phrase.
Induction
The process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization
Impervious
Impenetrable.
We tried to dissuade Susan from sending the children to Montana, but she was impervious.
Consecrate
To proclaim as sacred.
Lincoln’s words served to consecrate the battlefield at Gettysburg.
Implicit
Implied or understood, though not expressed directly.
Ex) There was an implicit agreement between the two not to bring up the subject of Michael’s first wife.
Ludicrous
Absurd to the point of being laughable.
Ex) Your proposal that I accept a 75% pay cut is ludicrous.
Reprehensible
Abhorrent.
Ex) I agree that the crimes of child abuse are reprehensible.
Surrealistic
Unreal.
Ex) The astronauts walked across the surrealistic landscape of Mars.
Debilitate
To enfeeble or weaken.
Ex) Fran’s debilitating illness slowly sapped her will to live.
Asyndeton
Commas used (with no conjunctions) to separate a series of words. Ex) "Be one of the few, the proud, the Marines."
Deduction
The process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.
Invective
Verbally abusive attack.
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis.
Ex) He was so hungry he could have eaten a cow.
Parody
A work that ridicules the style of another by imitating and exaggerating its elements.
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole.
Ex) Do you want to go grab a bite?
Rhetorical Question
One that does not expect an explicit answer.
Polysyndeton
Sentence which uses and or another conjunction (with no commas) to separate the items in a series.
Ex) I’m hungry and I want to cry and I have so much homework.
Heterogeneous
Different.
Ex) Marie invited a heterogeneous group: poets, potters, mechanics, and who knows who else.
Tenable
Capable of being maintained.
Ex) Because of the large attacking forces, the troop’s position was no longer tenable, and preparations had to be made to retreat.
Conciliatory
Reconciling, soothing.
Ex) She was still angry despite the conciliatory words of her boyfriend.
Gregarious
Extremely outgoing, sociable.
Ex) She was not gregarious by nature which caused her to feel uncomfortable at large parties.
Incongruous
Not fitting in with the rest of the whole.
Ex) Dave’s sneakers were incongruous with the formal attire he wore to the banquet.
Meticulous
Excessively careful.
Ex) The accountant was meticulous as he checked the figures of the company.
Precarious
Uncertain; risky.
Ex) The tight-rope walker’s position was too precarious for most people.
Sarcasm
Harsh, caustic personal remarks to or about someone.
Satire
A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way.
Syllogism
A form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them.
Ex) Major Premise: All tragedies end unhappily.
Minor Premise: Hamlet is a tragedy.
Conclusion: Therefore, Hamlet ends unhappily
Symbolism
The use of symbols or anything that is meant to be taken both literally and as a representative of a higher and more complex significance.
Paradox
A statement that seems to contradict itself but that turns out to have rational meaning, as in this quotation from Henry David Thoreau; “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”
Irony
A situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is opposite to what was expected.
Extended Metaphor
A sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit. The extended metaphor is developed through a piece of writing.
Epistrophe
Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses.
Ex )When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
Repudiate
Disown; disavow or refuse any connection of oneself to something or someone.
Ex) Her mother repudiated any connection to her daughter after her daughter’s arrest.
Succinct
Brief, compact; to the point.
Ex) The speaker needed to be more succinct since the audience grew increasingly bored.
Placate
To pacify; to appease.
Ex) The teacher tried to placate the angry parent by explaining his grading.
Vilify
To slander; to berate; to degrade.
Ex) The jealous child vilified his friend to gain attention.
Solemnity
Seriousness; ritualistic dignity; ceremoniousness.
Ex) The solemnity of the baptism was ruined by the laughter of the toddler.
Eccentric
Not conventional; a little kooky; irregular.
Ex) The eccentric inventor spent all his waking hours fiddling with what he said was a time machine but was actually just an old telephone booth.
Fortuitous
Accidental; occurring by chance.
Ex) The program’s outcome was not the result of any plan but was entirely fortuitous.
Epigraph
The use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.
Colloquialism
A word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing.
Ex) Y’all ready?
Cacophony
Harsh, awkward or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony.
Euphony
A succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony.
Antithesis
The presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by a word, phrase, clause or paragraphs.
Ex) To be or not to be…
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent.
Ex) There was the delight I caught in seeing long straight rows. There was the faint, cool kiss of sensuality. There was the vague sense of the infinite…
Connotation
Implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind.
Impetuous
Impulsive; rash or sudden action
Ex) Samantha was so impetuous that she never took more than a few seconds to make up her mind.
Inane
Lacking sense, silly.
Ex) Their plan to make an indoor swimming pool by flooding their basement was inane.
Ambivalence
Uncertainty or indecisiveness.
Ex) I felt a real ambivalence about the event, I didn’t care if I went or not.
Amorous
Strongly attracted or disposed to love, especially sexual love.
Ex) His amorous feelings led him to send Janis fresh flowers every day for a week.
Taciturn
Habitually untalkative, inclined to silence.
Ex) Though Megan never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn.
Despondent
Feeling dejected, disheartened, hopeless.
Ex) Alexander was despondent for months after Abigail broke off their engagement.
Euphoria
A feeling of great happiness or well-being.
Ex) The student was in a state of euphoria when she found out she was accepted to Michigan State University.
Indifferent
Apathetic, having no marked feeling for or against.
Ex) Some of the guys felt indifferent about the dessert choice for the Super bowl party, they just wanted to watch football.
Negative-Positive
Sentence that begins by stating what is NOT true, then ending by stating what is true.
Didactic
Writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach.
Dissonance
Harsh or grating sounds that do not go together.
Explication
The art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text.
Resilient
Marked by the ability to recover readily.
Ex) The resilient ballplayer quickly recovered from his wrist injury.
Ostentatious
Excessively conspicuous; showing off.
Ex) The young lawyer had ostentatiously hung his Harvard diploma on the door to his office.
Patronize
To treat as an inferior; to condescend to.
Ex) Our guide at the art gallery was extremely patronizing, treating us as though we wouldn’t be able to distinguish a painting from a piece of sidewalk without her help.
Astute
Wise, shrewd.
Ex) The teacher made some astute observations regarding the student’s real abilities.
Enigma
Mystery
Ex) Despite all attempts to unravel the code, it remained an enigma.
Whimsical
Fanciful, quaint, mixture of fantasy and humor.
Ex) The whimsical little girl like to pretend she was a princess.
Chagrin
Embarrassment, dismay, humiliation.
Ex) Much to her chagrin, the little girl was caught stealing from the cookie jar.
Inundate
To overwhelm, to floor, to swamp.
Ex) The theater was inundated with requests for tickets.
Pragmatic
Practical.
Ex) When the student received an E on the assignment, his idea to buy his teacher lunch in exchange for an A seemed like a pragmatic solution to him.
Belligerent
Warlike, aggressive, hostile.
Ex) Jack was belligerent about hunting for pigs.
Chastise
Discipline, criticize severely.
Ex) After being chastised by her friends, Miranda decided to leave town for the weekend to get away.
