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English Review

Alliteration: the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

Anaphora: the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentneces

Antagonist: the protagonists adversary

Antimetabole: arrangement of ideas in the second clause in a reversal of the first

Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words

Characterization: how the character is portrayed

Climax: the point of highest interest in a literary work

Connotation: the implied or associative meaning of a word

Consonance: the repetition of a consonant sound within nearby words

Denotation: the literal meaning of a word

Diction: the word choices made by a writer

Dramatic irony: audience knows what the character doesnt

Dynamic character: a character that changes in response to the actions through which he or she passes

Epiphany: a moment of sudden revelation or insight

Epistrophe: the repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses

Exposition: background material about the characters, setting, and situation with which the author introduces the story

Extended metaphor: a metaphor that continues to be used in the story

External conflict: conflict not with the self

Falling action: the part of the story that follows the climax and leads to the resolution

First person narrator: the story is told from a character who narrates his or her own experience directly

Flashback: the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

Flat character: a character who embod ies a single quality and who doesnt not develop in the course of a story

Foreshadowing: the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in thework

Hyperbole: intentional exaggeration to create an effect

Imagery: the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

Inference: a conclusion on draws based on premises or evidence

Internal conflict: conflict within oneself

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Inverted order: a sentence with the predicate before the subject

Juxtaposition: a poetic or rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next toone another, often creating an effect of surprise and wit

Metaphor: a comparison of two things not using like or as

Mood: the overall feeling created by an authors choice of words

Natural order: constructing a sentence so that the subject comes before the predicate

Onomatopoeia: a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

Oxymoron: an expression in which 2 words that contradict each other are joined

Paradox: an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

Parallel structure: a grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or part of a sentence. It involves anarrangement of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs so that elements of equal importance are equally developedand similarity phrased.

Personification: endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics

Polysyndeton: the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural

Protagonist: the central character of the story

Repetition: device in which sounds, words, and ideas are used more than once to enhance rhythm and to createemphasis

Resolution: the conclusion of the story

Rhetorical fragment: sentence fragment used deliberately for a persuasive purpose or to create a desired effect

Rhetorical question: a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

Rising action: the part of the story in which the tension rises towards the climax

Round character: a complex character with several traits

Setting: the environment in which the story takes place

Shift: a change or movement in a literary piece resulting from

Simile: a comparison of 2 things using like or as

Situational irony: irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, sothat the outcome is contrary to what was expected.

Soliloquy: an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious toany hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts)

Static character: a character that changes little or not at all

Suspense: techniques used by author to keep the readers interesting in the story and in what will happen next

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Symbolism: using an object to represent something else

Synecdoche: using one part of an object to represent the entire object

Theme: a central idea of a work

Third person limited: the story is told from the viewpoint of one character who can see only a part of the whole story

Third person omniscient: the author is outside the story and presents the thoughts of all the characters involved

Tone: the writers attitude toward a subject, character, or audience; it is conveyed through word choice and detail

Verbal irony: irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaningthat is the opposite of the literal meaning.

Voice: the authors distinctive style or manner of expression

Altruistic: unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others

Ambivalent: uncertainty as to which approach to follow

Angular: lean and having prominent bone structure, stiff in character or manner

Arrogant: exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate ones own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner

Aversion: a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn away from it

Discern: to distinguish between, to detect with the eyes

Disdain: a feeling of contempt for someone or something regarded as unworthy or inferior

Disparage: to speak slightingly about

Disparity: inequality, the condition or fact of being unequal in #, rank, or degree

Embellish: decorate with ornamentation

Engender: to produce or generate

Insipid: dull, flat, lacking challenging or interesting qualities

Lament: to express sorrow, mourning, or regret demonstratively

Laud: praise, extol

Obscure: not clearly seen or easily distinguished, to conceal or hide as if by covering

Ostentatious: showy, conspicuous, fond of pretentious display

Prodigal: characterized by profuse and wasteful spending, lavish

Repudiate: to reject; to refuse to have anything to do with

Reticence: reserved, quiet, restraint

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Serene: utter calm, quietude, peaceful

Subtle: delicate, elusive, difficult to understand or perceive

Superfluous: exceeding what is sufficient or necessary

Taciturn: temperamentally disinclined to talk

Revere: to show devoted deferential honor to

Innocuous: harmless, inoffensive

Acrimonious: caustic, biting, or rancorous especially in feeling, language, or manner

Ameliorate: to make better, improve

Amenable: liable, responsible, read to yield

Amorphous: shapeless, lacking organization or form

Buoyant: capable of floating, cheerful, capable of maintaining a satisfactory high level

Cajole: to persuade with flattery or gentle urging in the face of reluctance

Calamity: a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortunes or loss; a disastrous event

Debase: to lower in status, esteem, quality or character

Efface: to eliminate or make indistinct by or as if by wearing away a surface

Elucidate: to clarify through explanation or analysis; to explain

Ephemeral: lasting a short time

Ferocity: the quality of intenseness; given to extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality

Flourish: to grow luxuriantly, to prosper/thrive

Haughty: blatantly and disdainfully proud

Impervious: impenetrable, not capable of being damaged or harmed

Inane: empty, insubstantial, lacking significance, meaning, or point; silly

Infallible: incapable of error, unerring, not liable to mislead, deceive, or disappoint

Indolence: inclination to laziness, sloth

Inscrutable: not readily understood, mysterious

Languid: sluggish in character or disposition

Malice: desire to cause pain, injury or distress to another

Oblique: not straightforward, indirectly stated

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Opulence: wealth, abundance

Penitent: causing/feeling regret

Perfunctory: mechanical, characterized by routine or superficiality, lacking interest or enthusiasm

REBECCA VOCAB

Insidious: characterized by treachery or slyness; crafty

Inviolate: not violated, kept sacred or unbroken

Mullioned: a window divided by a vertical strip or bar

Sepulcher: a vault for burial

Spurious: not true or genuine; false or counterfeit

Tenacious: holding firmly

Ablutions: washing of the body

Deride: making fun of; ridicule

Ennui: boredom

Furtive: done or acting in a stealthy manner

Gaucherie: awkwardness; tactlessness

Hide-bound: conservative and narrow-minded

Lorgnette: a pair of eyeglasses attached to a handle

Panacea: a supposed remedy, cure, or medicine; a cure all

Raucous: hoarse; rough-sounding

Succor: to assist; help; aid

Vistaed: a view or outlook seen through a long passage like houses or trees

Bezique: a card game

Milieu: environment; social or cultural setting

Derision: contempt or ridicule

Diffident: lacking self-confidence; timid or shy

Shingle: large coarse gravel

Placid: undisturbed, tranquil, calm

Au fait: acquainted with the facts

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Fastidious: not easy to please; very critical or discriminating

Gaiters: type of a shoe

Punctilious: very careful about every detail of behavior

Stolid: unexcitable; impassive

Lee: the side or direction away from the wind

Scuttle: a small hatchway in the outer hull or deck of a ship

Prophetic: that which predicts or foreshadows

Seacock: a valve below the waterline in the hull of a ship, used to control the intake of sea water

Gaol: jail

Quay: a wharf, usually of concrete or stone, for use in loading and unloading ships