Vocabulary Word List (ALL)

Ad Hominem

An argument attacking a person's character rather than the position they hold.

Allegory

A story or picture with a hidden moral or political meaning.

Antithesis

Putting two contrasting ideas together for effect.

Apostrophe

Addressing an absent or nonhuman entity as if present.

Connotation

The additional meaning or feeling a word invokes.

Deduction

Reaching a conclusion through logical reasoning.

Euphemism

Substituting a mild word for a harsh one.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.

Irony

Expressing the opposite of what is meant for effect.

Metaphor

Applying a word or phrase to something it doesn't literally denote.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence that is not grammatically complete until its end.

Personification

The attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman.

Point of View

The perspective from which a story is told.

Predicate

The part of a sentence containing a verb and stating something about the subject.

Pronoun

A word that can function by itself as a noun phrase.

Prose

Written or spoken language without metrical structure.

Refutation

The action of proving a statement or theory to be wrong.

Repetition

The action of repeating something that has already been said.

Rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked solely to produce an effect.

Running Style

A writing style with long and intricate sentences.

Sarcasm

The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize.

Simile

A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another.

Style

The way in which a writer expresses their ideas.

Subject

The topic of a discussion, piece of writing, or work of art.

Syllogism

A form of reasoning drawing a conclusion from two premises.

Subordination

The process of linking two clauses in a sentence.

Symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Thesis

A statement or theory put forward as a premise to be maintained.

Tone

The general character or attitude of a piece of writing or speech.

Transition

A word, phrase, or sentence that connects one topic or idea to another.

Understatement

The presentation of something as being smaller or less important than it actually is.

Verb

A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence.

Voice

The distinctive style or manner of expression of a writer or speaker.

Zeugma

A figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses.

Ad Hominem

Relating to or associated with a particular person.