AP Lang vocabulary

Active Voice – The subject does the action. Ex: She baked a cake.

Passive Voice – The subject receives the action. Ex: The cake was baked by her.

Allusion – A reference to something well-known. Ex: His love for sweets is his kryptonite.

Persona– A public image someone uses in situations. Ex: In her poem, the persona reflects the inner thoughts of a troubled youth.

Alter Ego – A character representing the author's beliefs. A second self. Ex: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Anecdote – A short, interesting story to prove a point. Ex: My grandpa always tells a story about working hard in his youth.

Antecedent – The word a pronoun refers to. Ex: Sarah lost her book. ("Sarah" is the antecedent of "her.")

Classicism – Writing focused on reason and reality. Ex: Ancient Greek and Roman literature.

Comic Relief – A funny moment in a serious story. Ex: The gravedigger scene in Hamlet

Diction – Word choice in writing. Ex: Using "joyful" instead of "happy" to show a deeper feeling.

Colloquial – Everyday casual language. Ex: "Gonna" instead of "going to."

Connotation – The emotions behind a word. Ex: "Home" feels warm and comforting, while "house" is just a building.

Denotation – The dictionary definition of a word. Ex: "Snake" means a reptile, but its connotation might mean betrayal.

Jargon – Words used in a specific profession. Ex: "BP" in medicine means blood pressure.

Vernacular – Everyday language spoken in a specific region. Ex: "Y’all" is common in the South.

Didactic – Writing meant to teach a lesson, doesn’t keep it open for interpretation, straightforward. Ex: Aesop’s fables “tortoise and hare”, slow and steady wins the race.

Adage – A short saying with a moral lesson. A wise saying people often repeat. Ex: "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Allegory – A story where everything, events and characters, symbolizes a deeper meaning. Not obvious it needs an interpretation. Ex: Animal Farm represents political ideas.

Aphorism – A short, wise statement. Ex: "Actions speak louder than words."

Ellipsis – Leaving out words for effect. Ex: "Rain, endless rain…"

Euphemism – A polite way to say something unpleasant. Ex: "Passed away" instead of "died."

Figurative Language – Writing that isn’t literal. Ex: "He has a heart of stone."

Analogy – A comparison showing relationships. Ex: "Life is to humans as water is to fish."

Hyperbole – Extreme exaggeration. Ex: "I’ve told you a million times!"

Idiom – A phrase that doesn’t mean what it says. Ex: "It’s raining cats and dogs."

Metaphor – A comparison without "like" or "as." Ex: "Time is a thief."

Metonymy – Using a related word instead of the actual one. Ex: "The White House issued a statement." (White House = President.)

Synecdoche – Using a part to represent a whole. Ex: "All hands on deck." (Hands = sailors.)

Simile – A comparison using "like" or "as." Ex: "Her smile was as bright as the sun."

Synesthesia – Mixing senses in descriptions. Ex: "Loud colors."

Personification – Giving human traits to non-human things. Ex: "The wind howled in the night."

Foreshadowing – Hints about what will happen later. Ex: A character mentioning a storm before disaster strikes.

Genre – A category of literature. Ex: Mystery, romance, horror.

Gothic – Writing with mystery, gloom, and death. *Ex: Dracula or Frankenstein.

Imagery – Descriptive language that creates pictures in your mind. Ex: "The golden sun dipped below the horizon."

Invective – Harsh or cruel words. Ex: "You’re a worthless fool!"

Irony – The opposite of what you expect happens. Ex: A fire station burns down.

Verbal Irony – Saying the opposite of what you mean. Ex: "Great job!" after someone spills juice.

Dramatic Irony – The audience knows something the character doesn’t. Ex: In Romeo and Juliet, we know Juliet is alive, but Romeo doesn’t.

Situational Irony – A surprising twist. Ex: A pilot is afraid of heights.

Juxtaposition – Placing two things side by side for contrast. Ex: A rich man standing next to a homeless man.

Mood – The overall feeling of a story. Ex: A horror story has a dark and eerie mood.

Motif – A recurring element in a story that doesn’t show the moral lesson directly but reinforces a theme. Ex: Green light in the Great Gatsby shows his unreachable dreams but doesn’t show the moral directly.

Oxymoron – Two opposite words put together. Ex: "Bittersweet" or "deafening silence."

Pacing – How fast or slow a story moves. Ex: Action scenes are fast-paced, while deep emotional moments are slower.