AP English Language and Composition: The Anthropocene Reviewed Vocabulary

Perpetually

in a way that never ends or changes; constantly.

Precarious

in a way that is likely to cause problems or to have adverse consequences

Compulsive

resulting from an irresistible urge; uncontrollable.

saccharine

excessively sweet or sentimental in a way that is cloying.

anachronistic

belonging to a period other than that being portrayed; out of place in time.

ubiquitous

present, appearing, or found everywhere.

hearken

to listen attentively or to pay attention.

benevolent

well-meaning and kindly; showing goodwill.

prolific

producing many works, results, or offspring; highly productive.

nebulous

vague or ill-defined; lacking clarity.

coalesces

to come together to form one mass or whole; to unite.

unscrupulous

having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair.

viscerality

the quality of being deeply felt or instinctive; relating to deep emotions.

commensurate

corresponding in size or degree; proportional.

ostentatious

characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.

motif

a recurring theme or idea in a literary work.

em-dash

a punctuation mark used to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence, often to set off a clause or add emphasis.

anecdote

a short and interesting story about a real incident or person, often used to illustrate a point.

parallel structure

the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence or across multiple sentences to create balance and clarity.

humor

a quality that evokes laughter or amusement, often through exaggeration, irony, or cleverness.

understatement

a figure of speech that intentionally makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is, often for ironic effect.

hyperbole

a figure of speech that involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect.

juxtaposition

the act of placing two or more ideas, characters, or settings side by side to highlight their differences or create contrast.

personification

a literary device in which human traits, emotions, or intentions are attributed to non-human entities or abstract concepts.

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis.

epiphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis.

tonal shift

a change in the attitude or emotional tone of a piece of writing, often reflecting a shift in perspective or mood.

style + repetition

the use of specific stylistic devices to create emphasis and rhythm in writing.

line of reasoning

a logical progression of ideas or arguments that leads to a conclusion in writing.

implied claim

A statement or assertion that is suggested or inferred rather than explicitly stated, often used to support an argument.

analogy + alliteration

A rhetorical device that compares two different things to highlight a similarity, often using repeated initial consonant sounds for emphasis.

-ally

lasting, continuous

ubi-

everywhere

pre-

before, ahead

com-

together, with

a-

not, without

chron

time

nebul

cloud, mist

mens

measure

-ive

tending to, characterized by

-ine, -istic

pertaining to, characteristic of

-esce

to become, to grow

inauspicious

not conducive to success; unpromising

Gesticulation

a gesture, especially a dramatic one, used instead of speaking or to emphasize one's words.

importunate

persistent, especially to the point of annoyance or intrusion

preternatural

beyond what is normal or natural

vehemence

the display of strong feeling; passion

tumurt

a loud, confused noise

indefatigable

persisting tirelessly

ignominy

public shame or disgrace

vindicate

clear of blame or suspicion

propensity

an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way

intimations

an indication or hint

unavailingly

achieving little or nothing; ineffective

eccentricities

the quality of being eccentric

Introspection

examination of one's own thoughts and feelings

in-,im-

in, into

pre-

before

un-

not

intro-

on behalf of

de-

utterly, down, away, opposite

-ous, -ious

having qualities of

-al, -ial

having characteristics of

-ly

how something is

-ion, -ions

act; process

-ing

verb forms, present participles

-ity

state of

nomin

name

proffer

hold out (something) to someone for acceptance; offer.

pro-

on behalf of, in place of, before, for, in exchange for, just as

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

archetype

an original that has been imitated

alliteration

repetition of first letter of a word

dramatic irony

a literary device by which the audience's or reader's understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

foil

a character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight the protagonist's traits.

mood

the emotion the reader feels

authors purpose

why the author wrote it

situational irony

when the outcome of a situation is contrary to or different from what is expected

frame story

a literary device that surrounds another story or set of stories, providing context and information for how to read the larger story

tone

the emotion the author feels

persona

the voice, characteristics, or attitude an author uses to present a story

verbal irony

using words to convey a meaning that is opposite to or markedly different from their literal interpretation, often to emphasize a point, express humor, or level a sharp criticism

litote

uses understatement and negative language to convey a positive meaning.

concrete language

words and phrases that describe tangible, specific objects, actions, or experiences, allowing readers to clearly visualize and understand what is being described

point of view

the perspective from which a story is told, essentially who is narrating the events and how the author chooses to present the characters and plot to the reader, significantly impacting how the story is perceived