English Semester 1 Vocab/Key Terms

abashed (adj)

to feel embarrassed or ashamed

(antonym: un____)

adversity (n)

a very difficult or unfavorable situation

alliteration

repetition of the same letter sounds at the beginning of connected words

allusion

a reference to a significant historical, literary, cultural, or political figure or idea

anthropomorphism

non-human beings, like animals or objects, are given human traits, ambitions, emotions and behaviors

apathy (n)

a lack of feeling, emotion, or interest

apparition (n)

someone you see or think you see but who is not really there as a physical being

benevolent (adj)

kind

bewildered (adj)

when you are confused and cannot understand something or decide what you should do

bildungsroman (coming-of-age)

the story of a protagonist who navigates journey of self-discovery as they transition from childhood to adulthood

conciliatory (adj)

trying to end ana argument by making people feel less angry

contemplate (v)

to think about carefully and for a long time

convergence (n)

the coming together of different ideas, groups, or societies; the process by which these groups stop being different and become more similar

(antonym: divergence)

critique (v, n)

(v) to analyze, evaluate, or criticize(n) a piece of writing that analyzes, evaluates, or criticizes

cynical (adj)

believing the worst of human nature and motives

defiance (n)

a behavior or attitude that shows that you are not willing to obey someone

devoid (adj)

emphasizes that someone has nothing of a quality or thing

displacement (n)

the removal of something or someone from its usual place or position by something or someone which then occupies that place or position

dissent (v, n)

protest

dramatic irony

when the reader knows more than the characters know

edification (n)

something done to instruct

end stopping

when a sentence of poetry ends with a period or semicolon at the end of a line

enjambment

when a sentence in poetry spills onto the next line

ephemeral (adj)

lasting for a short period of time

equivocation

using language to deliberately confuse listeners

ethos

a method of persuasion based on the character and credibility of the speaker

euphemism

a gentler way of saying something harsh or uncomfortable

fable

a story which teaches a moral lesson; sometimes includes animals as the main characters

figurative language

language, like simile, metaphor, and personification, that is not meant to be interpreted literally

flash-forward

a jump ahead in time that breaks the chronological order of narrative

flashback

a jump back in time that breaks the chronological order of narrative

futile (adj)

when there is no point in doing something, usually because it has no chance of succeeding

grave (adj)

1. an event or situation that is very serious, important, or worrying
2. a person that is quiet and serious in their appearance or behavior

grotesque (adj)

when something is so unnatural, unpleasant, and exaggerated that it upsets or shocks you

heed (v, n)

to pay attention to

hysteria (n)

a state of uncontrolled excitement, anger, or panic among a large group of people

ignorant (adj)

lacking knowledge or awareness

imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the five senses

implicit (adj)

something expressed indirectly

(antonym: explicit)

incumbent (adj, n)

(adj) obligatory, required(n) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

irony

the opposite of what is expected

irreparable (adj)

damage or harm that is so bad that it cannot be repaired or corrected

juxtaposition

placing two (or more) images or ideas close together to emphasize the contrast

liable (adj)

likely to happen, probable

logos

a method of persuasion based on logic and reason

manifest (adj)

clear or obvious

manipulate (v)

to control someone or something (unfairly to gain an advantage)

maxim (n)

a short saying; a general truth or rule of conduct

memoir

a narrative, written from the perspective of the author, about an important part of their life. Rather than an autobiography that focuses on facts, memoirists choose a pivotal moment in their lives and try to recreate the event through storytelling.

mitigate (v)

to make something less unpleasant, serious, or painful

motif

an idea, symbol, or image that occurs multiple times in a text

obstinate (adj)

stubborn

oration (n)

a formal speech

oscillate (v)

to move repeatedly from one position to another and back again

paradigm (n)

a typical example or model for something

parallelism

the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same. This method adds balance and rhythm to sentences, giving ideas a smoother flow and thus persuasiveness

passive voice

a type of sentence in which the emphasis is on the action, while the subject is not known or de-emphasized

pathos

a method of persuasion based on emotion

perfect rhyme

a rhyme of identical vowel and consonant soundsex: we real cool. We skip school.

personification

attributing human qualities to inanimate objects

plausible (adj)

seems very likely to be true

(antonym: im____)

pretension (n)

a claim that someone is more important than they really are

pretext (n)

a reason that you pretend to have in order to hide your real reason or intention

privilege (n)

a special right or advantage given to only one person or group

prudent (adj)

someone who is sensible and careful

(antonym: im___)

reproach (n, v)

to criticize, reprimand, or scold

resigned (adj)

to accept an unpleasant situation or fact because you realize that you cannot change it

rhetorical triangle

using logos, ethos, and pathos to persuade

satire

the use of humor or exaggeration in order to show how foolish or wicked some behaviors or ideas are

scapegoating

a logical fallacy in which a speaker or leader blames an unpopular person or group of people from a problem

semi-autobiographical

partially about the author's life but contains elements of fiction

shrewd (adj)

tricky and clever (sometimes in a deceptive way)

slant rhyme/imperfect rhyme

a near rhyme where the words contain similar sounds but do not rhyme perfectlyex: we lurk late/we strike straight

slippery slope

stating that a small event will escalate into an extreme outcome

strawman fallacy

attacking a position someone doesn't actually hold

stream of consciousness

narration that captures the free-flowing thoughts of the mind

subjective (adj)

based on personal opinions and feelings rather than facts

(antonym: objective)

suppress (v)

to put down by force or authority; to silence

symbol

when an object, person, or idea in a text has an additional meaning beyond its literal one

tyranny (n)

cruel or oppressive use of power

vain (adj) (first def)

to take extreme pride in your own beauty, intelligence, or other good qualities

vain (adj) (second def)

do something without success

veritable (adj)

actual, true, or real; a word often used in figurative expressions to emphasize the size, amount, or nature of something.

vignette

short scenes that help the reader better understand d a character, idea, or setting

volition (n)

to do something because you have decided for yourself that you will do it and not because someone else has told you to do it.