Literary and Vocabulary Study Cards

Vocabulary flashcards defining key literary and descriptive terms including definitions, etymology, and connotations covered across the lecture slides.

Acquiesce

To accept something reluctantly but without protest.

Zeitgeist

The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.

Harbinger

A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.

Abhorrent

Inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant.

Denigrate

(1) To attack the reputation of; defame. (2) To deny the importance or validity of; belittle.

Catharsis

An emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress. Derived from a Greek word meaning "cleansing," it is used in literature for the cleansing of characters' emotions or any radical change leading to emotional rejuvenation.

Hamartia

A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine.

Hubris

A way of talking or behaving that is too proud; an extraordinary ego.

Imperious

Assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering.

Epigraph

A short, stand-alone quote, line, or paragraph that appears at the beginning of a book. Derived from the Greek epigraphein ("to write on"), it is most commonly a short quotation from an existing work used to set up themes or place the story's events in context.