Vocab final 1 2024

Allegory

A narrative that uses symbols to convey a deeper moral or political meaning.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting the opposite of what is anticipated.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural association attached to a word, beyond its literal meaning.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Vernacular

The everyday language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.

Antecedent

A word, phrase, or clause that is referred to by a pronoun or other word later in the sentence.

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures in a series of phrases or clauses to create a rhythm and enhance the clarity of the writing.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction, such as 'deafening silence' or 'bittersweet.'

Onomatopoeia

A word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes.

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but may in fact express a possible truth.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize or mock individuals or societal norms.

Colloquial

Informal language or expressions that are typically used in conversation rather than formal speech or writing.

Synesthesia

An author's blending of human senses to describe an object. Phrases like a 'loud dress' or a 'chilly gaze' blend our sensory modalities.

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word, as opposed to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

Understatement

A figure of speech in which something is presented as less significant than it actually is, often for ironic effect.

Antithesis

A rhetorical device where two opposing ideas are contrasted in a parallel structure.

Apathetic

Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Haughty

Blatantly and disdainfully proud: having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior.

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.

Malicious

Characterized by a desire to cause harm or suffering to others.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

Litotes

Ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g., you won't be sorry, meaning you'll be glad).

Syllogism

A deductive scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion.