Ms. Thompson

Literary/Rhetorical Devices

1. euphemism—the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive

2. circumlocution—the use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language; evasion in speech or writing

3. paradox—a seeming contradiction that may nonetheless be true (a brief paradox is an oxymoron)

4. aside—a piece of dialogue intended for the audience and supposedly not heard by other actors on stage; a digression

5. juxtaposition—the act of placing side by side, especially for comparison or contrast

6. interjection—a sudden, short utterance

7. hyperbole—exaggeration for effect

8. understatement—restraint or lack of emphasis in expression for rhetorical effect

9. syllogism—reasoning from the general to the specific; deduction

10. allegory—a literary device in which characters and events stand for abstract ideas, principles, or forces, so that the literal sense has or suggests a parallel, deeper symbolic sense

12. overstatement—exaggeration for effect (synonym of hyperbole)

13. generalization—an inference drawn from many examples; the formation of general notions or conclusions

14. encomium—warm, glowing praise; a formal tribute

15. rhapsody—exalted or excessively enthusiastic expression of feeling in speech or writing

16. anaphora—repetition at the beginnings of phrases or sentences

17. syntax—the pattern of words and phrases in a sentence

18. diction—a writer’s choice of words

19. dialect—the characteristic speech of a class or regional group

20. aphorism—a brief statement that is witty or wise

21. synecdoche—a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (such as "all hands on deck")

22. metonymy—a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated (such "the White House says," meaning "the president says")
 
 

Rhetorical Verbs

23. qualify (an argument)—to modify, limit, or restrict, as by giving exceptions

24. assert—to put (oneself) forward boldly or forcefully in an effort to make an opinion known

25. recapitulate—to repeat in concise form

26. undercut—to diminish or destroy the effectiveness of; undermine
 
 

Nouns

27. maverick—one that resists adherence to a group; a dissenter

28. naïveté—the state or quality of being artless, credulous, or uncritical

29. ineptitude—the state of being clumsy or incompetent
 
 

Adjectives

30. objective—uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices

31. brash—hasty and unthinking; lacking in sensitivity or tact

32. skeptical—marked by or given to doubt; questioning

33. esoteric—intended for or understood by only a particular group

34. didactic—intended to instruct; inclined to teach or moralize excessively

35. elegiac—of, relating to, or involving elegy or mourning or expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past

36. wry—dryly humorous, with a touch of irony

37. brusque—abrupt or curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt

Rhetorical Appeals

38. ethos—appeal to the character and reliability of the speaker

39. pathos—appeal to the emotions of the audience

40. logos—logical appeal created by the words and structure of speech or writing