AP Lang & Comp Midterm terms

Absurd

Illogical; ridiculous; silly; implausible; foolish

Ambivalent

Having mixed feelings; uncertain; in a dilemma; undecided

Apathetic

showing little interest; ;lacking concern indifferent; unemotional

Ardent

enthusiastic; passionate

Belligerent

hostile; aggressive; combatant

Bitter

angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty

Colloquial

familiar; everyday langauge; informal; casual

Comic

humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting

Condescending

stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronizing

Dignified

Serious; respectful; formal; proper

Enthusiastic

excited; energetic

Evasive

ambiguous; cryptic; unclear

Formal

Respectful; stilted; factual; following accepted styles/rules

Grim

serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humor; macabre

Impartial

unbiased; neutral; objective

Indignant

Annoyed; angry; dissatisfied;

Irreverent

lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously

Light-hearted

carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous

Nostalgic

thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past

Optimistic

hopeful; cheerful

Resigned

accepting; unhappy

Satirical

making fun to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive

Sarcastic

scornful; mocking ridiculing

Sentimental

thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past

Whimsical

Quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat

Allusion

an indirect or passing reference to an event, person, lace, or artistic work

Analogy

comparing two things or instance in time often based on their structure and used to explain a complex idea in simpler terms

Diction

Refers to the authors word choice; choosing a particular word or an intended effect

Hyperbole

An intentionally exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally

Irony

The expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite of what the writer intends to create impact on the reader

Imagery

Visually descriptive or figurative language

Oxymoron

Using two opposing words together to create emphasis

Parallelism

Repetition of a grammatical structure for effect

Repetition

Repeating a word for effect

Symbolism

A thing that represents or stands for another thing