AP LANG TERMS

Trope

A commonly used theme, idea, or figure of speech.

Euphemism

A mild or pleasant word or phrase used instead of one that is harsh, offensive, or unpleasant.

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis.

Irony

The use of words to express a meaning different from, or opposite to, their literal meaning.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that describes one thing as another to show a similarity between them.

Metonymy

A figure of speech that uses the name of something closely related to represent the thing itself.

Oxymoron

A combination of two contradictory or opposite words.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but may actually be true.

Personification

Giving human qualities or actions to something nonhuman.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked to make a point rather than to get an answer.

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as.”

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole, or the whole represents a part.

Understatement; Litotes

Understatement presents something as less important or serious than it is. Litotes expresses an idea by denying its opposite.

Zeugma

A figure of speech in which one word applies to two or more other words in different ways.

Schemes

Patterns in the arrangement of words or phrases, often used for rhetorical effect.

Antithesis

The contrast of opposite ideas in a balanced sentence or phrase.

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures to express related ideas.

Tricolon

A series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses.

Juxtaposition

Placing two or more things side by side to compare or contrast them.

Inversion

Changing the normal order of words in a sentence.

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.

Ellipsis

Leaving out one or more words that are understood from the context.

Alliteration

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in nearby words.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases.

Antimetabole

Repeating words in reverse order in a sentence or phrase.

Polysyndeton

The repeated use of conjunctions, such as “and” or “or,” between words or phrases.