Abstract
adjective
existing in though or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence
Aesthetic
adjective
a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.
Anecdote
noun
a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
an account regarded as unreliable or hearsay
Assertion
noun
a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.
the action of stating something or exercising authority confidently and forcefully.
Berate
verb
scold or criticize
Biased
adjective
favoring one opinion over another opinion
Bleak
adjective
charmless and inhospitable; dreary.
lacking vegetation and exposed to the elements.
cold and miserable.
Colloquial
adjective
informal
Condescending
adjective
having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority
Conscientious
adjective
wishing to do what is right, especially to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.
relating to a person's conscience.
Contemptuous
adjective
showing contempt; scornful
Discern
verb
perceive or recognize (something).
distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses.
Disdainful
adjective
showing contempt or lack of respect.
Domesticity
noun
home or family life
Ease
noun
absence of difficulty or effort.
verb
make (something unpleasant, painful, or intense) less serious or severe
Elegiac
adjective
relating to or characteristic of an elegy
Empirical
adjective
based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic
Erratic
adjective
not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable
Fabricate
verb
construct or manufacture (something, especially an industrial product), especially from prepared components.
invent or concoct (something), typically with deceitful intent
Fateful
adjective
having far-reaching and typically disastrous consequences or implications
Haughty
adjective
arrogantly superior and disdainful
Harbors
noun
a place on the coast where vessels may find shelter, especially one protected from rough water by piers, jetties, and other artificial structures.
verb
keep (a thought or feeling, typically a negative one) in one's mind, especially secretly.
give a h
Hypocrisy
noun
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense
Imply
verb
strongly suggest the truth or existence of (something not expressly stated).
(of a fact or occurrence) suggest (something) as a logical consequenceadjective
Inconsequential
adjective
not important or significant.
Infer
verb
deduce or conclude (information) from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements
Inscrutable
adjective
impossible to understand or interpret
Justification
noun
the action of showing something to be right or reasonable
Legacy
noun
an amount of money or property left to someone in a will
Magnanimity
noun
the fact or condition of being magnanimous; generosity
Melancholy
adjective
a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause
Morose
adjective
sullen and ill-tempered
Naive
adjective
(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
(of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent
Notorious
adjective
famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or deed
Novice
noun
a person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation
Objective
adjective
(of a person or their judgment) not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.
noun
a thing aimed at or sought; a goal
Obscure
adjective
not discovered or known about; uncertain.
verb
keep from being seen; conceal
Ominous
adjective
giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious
Pragmatic
adjective
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
relating to philosophical or political pragmatism
Propensity
noun
an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way
Query
verb
ask a question about something, especially in order to express one's doubts about it or to check its validity or accuracy.
noun
a question, especially one addressed to an official or organization
Ramification
noun
a consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome
Reflective
adjective
providing a reflection; capable of reflecting light or other radiation
relating to or characterized by deep thought; thoughtful
Refute
adjective
prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove
Reluctant
adjective
unwilling and hesitant; disinclined
Resignation
adjective
an act of retiring or giving up a position.
the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable
Sentimental
adjective
of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia
(of a person) excessively prone to feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia
Serene
adjective
calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil
Skeptical
adjective
not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations
Somber
adjective
dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy
Tactful
adjective
having or showing tact
Testimony
noun
a formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law
Trivialize
verb
make (something) seem less important, significant, or complex than it really is
Undermine
verb
damage or weaken (someone or something), especially gradually or insidiously
Vice
noun
immoral or wicked behavior
Vitality
noun
the state of being strong and active; energy.
Unprecedented
adjective
never done or known before
Whimsical
adjective
playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way
Validity
noun
the quality of being logically or factually sound; soundness or cogency
Wily
adjective
skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully
Rhetorical Context Triangle
Audience
the listener, viewer, or reader of a text.
Text
generally means written word. now known as read
Subject
the topic of a text
Speaker
the person or group who created the text
SOAPS
a mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, and Speaker
Rhetorical Traingle
a diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience and subject in determining a text
Rhetorical Appeals
rhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasize what they find most important or compelling
Rhetoric
the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion
SOAPSTone
Refutation
a denial of the validity of an opposing argument
Pathos
greek for suffering or experience. Known for an emotional connection with the reader
Persona
the face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience
Propaganda
the spread of ideas and information to futher a cause
Concession
an acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable
Polemic
an aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion over all others
Connotation
meanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition
Context
the circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text
Counterarguement
an opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward
Occasion
the time and place a speech is giver or a piece is written
Logos
greek for embodied thought
speaker offers a clear, or rational idea
Ethos
greek for character
Purpose
the goal the speaker is trying to achieve
Hoarative Sentence
a sentence that calls to action
Cumulative Sentnece
a sentence that completes the entire sentence at the beginning and the details accumulate
Synecdoe
a figure of something that uses part of something to represent a whole
Anaphora
repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines
Parrallelism
similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses
Zeugma
use of two different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different, often incongruous, meanings
Asyndeton
omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words
Polysyndeton
using conjuctions between cordinate phrases, clauses or words multiple times
Antithesis
opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction.
Juxtaposition
placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences.
Rhetorical Question
a question that is asked but should not be answered
Figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer
Antimetabloe
repetition of words in reverse order
Periodic Sentence
sentence whose main cause is withheld until the end