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AP English Literature Flashcards

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6515524127ReproofTo give a warning or cautionary advice0
6515529966HackneyedA cliche1
6515554002LaconicTo use few words2
6515649525VerisimilitudeThe appearance of being true or real3
6515652154DiscursiveText that covers a wide range of subjects4
6515670492DerisionTo ridicule5
6515672099AllusionMaking a reference to historical event, myth, popular culture, sports etc.6
6515677800DictionAuthor's word choice7
6515680551ImageryUse of sensory detail to conjure up an image in the mind of the reader8
6515687594PolysyndentonListing with the use of conjunctions9
6515690211AsyndentonListing without the use of conjunctions10
6515693032IrascibleEasily angered, hot tempered11
6515698131RapaciousTaken by force; driven by greed12
6515703569ArchetypeAn original type or model from which others follow13
6515707899EruditeTo be learned; having much knowledge14
6515712360HyperboleExaggeration; used to make a point15
6515754804DenigrateTo speak ill of16
6515763001AmbiguityUncertainty or expressing double meaning17
6515791401PretentiousTo claim a special position of distinction without proof18
6515800149AmorphusLacking definite form; vague19
6515819658ParadoxA situation or feeling that appears to be contradictory but is actually true20
6515823023PedanticA term used to describe writing that borders a lecture21
6515833011SuperciliousToo proud, haughty, disdainful22
6515838683JuxtaposePlace two objects side by side to see how different they are23
6515856363SanctimoniousTo make a hypocritical show of religion or piety/devotion24
6515877490FecundFertile; fruitful in offspring or vegetation25
6515882890AbsurdityRidiculous to the point of being illogical, unreasonable, or meaningless26
6515891327Frame StoryA Story within a story27
6515892610SynecdocheWhen part of an object is used to represent the entire thing or vice versa28
6515900451LoquaciousVery talkative29
6515905635LugubriousExtremely sad or gloomy30
6515920681PerniciousCausing great injury, destruction, or ruin31
6515943324ExpositoryWriting that describes or discusses something32
6515948584HubrisExcessive pride arrogance or ambition33
6515953549IntransigentRefusing to compromise34
6515957142LitheMoving with ease; graceful35
6515961367Ubiquitospresent everywhere; or seeming to be36
6515965928WhimsicalSlightly odd or playfully humurous37
6515969883Vehementexpressed with intense feeling38
6515978341AuspiciousPromising success; a good omen39
6515981655IndefatigableUntiring; not yielding to fatigue40
6515992443ArdentPassionate; Zealous41
6515995580ArdorEnthusiasm or passion42
6516000715DiffidentLacking confidence in oneself; shy43
6516003030SagaciousTo be wise44
6516007562CapriciousCharacterized by sudden, unexplainable changes without evident reason45
6516016253AdmonitionA cautionary warning or advice; gentle reproof46
6516020364DidacticIntended to teach; pedantic47
6516025033SmarmyExcessive flattery; ingratiating48
6516031365CondescendingTo deal with people in a patronizingly superior manner49
6516042043ContemptOpenly disrespectful or disobedient50
6516047223PragmaticTo be practical...only with facts or actual occurences51
6516056402HarbingerOne who foreshadows or indicates what is to come52
6516061900GuileCraft or artful deceit; trickery53
6516163914CoyShy or modest; sometimes considered as flirtatious behavior54
6516197894DespondentA feeling of depression or hopelessness55
6516201810InsidiousSeemingly Harmless, but actually dangerous56
6516206199SuperflousUnnecessary57
6516207275PallidPale or Sickly looking58
6516212097RaucousMaking a loud or harsh noise59
6516215265DissonanceTension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements60
6516222888EffusiveAn outpouring of emotion or enthusiasm61
6516231824ContentiousVery Argumentative62
6516236579PompousArrogant; Self important63
6516340551Circumspectcareful to consider all circumstances and considerations64
6516345327EuphemismThe substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive term for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant65
6516357146FlippantLacking proper respect or seriousness66
6516361542AntithesisThe complete or exact opposite of something67
6516365215ElegyExpressing sorrow for something now past68
6516367140EtherealRelating to heavens or Spirits69
6516371790LamentTo express sorrow, mourning, regret70
6516392675ExplicateTo give a detailed explanation71
6516393755PolemicControversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion72
6516402760InfatuationA foolish or exaggerated passion or attraction73
6516407430RuckusA noisy commotion74
6516409498BanalCommonplace and predictable; trite75
6516420623ImpudentCharacterized by offensive boldness; insolent or impertinent76
6516426245FickleCharacterized by erratic change or instablility, especially with regard to affection77
6516430090PrevailTo be in greater strength or influence; to triumph78
6516435175MelodramaA play, story, television show, or movie characterized by exaggerated emotions79
6516440990DilemmaA problem that seems to defy a favorable answer80
6516445696ForlornSad, lonely, or hopeless81
6516449675PropencityA tendency82
6516452456DeludeTo deceive the mind83
6516466419RectitudeMorally righteous84
6516468250WryDry humor, often with a touch of irony85
6516471583OxymoronTwo contradictory words86
6516473489ColloquialAppropriate to the spoken language;dialect;informal conversation87
6516485640AbjectHopeless88
6516486755AgencyThe subject of a poem89
6516491159AllegoryA narrative description having a second meaning beneath the surface90
6516494615CaesuraA pause introduced into the reading of a line by a mark of punctuation91
6516505763PunA play on words with similar sounds on a single word with different meanings92
6516666122LitotesA type of understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negation of its contrary93
6516674357AnaphoraRepetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of several clauses94
6516678397PastoralA conventional form of lyric poetry that presents an idealized view of rural life95
6516742855SestinaPoem that has 6 stanzas of 6 lines each; same 6 words used to end the lines96
6516750485Tercet3 line stanza97
6516753269Pentameter5 metrical feet98
6516754944PontificateExpress opinions in a dogmatic (authoritative) way99
6516774909ConsonanceRepetition of consonant sounds at the end of words100
6516778838Non-SequiturA thought which does not logically follow what was said101
6516788119MendaciousLying; Untruthful102
6516792193GarishOverly decorated103
6516806711DirgeA slow, sad song; played at funerals104
6516811289CloisteredSecluded; cut off from the world105
6516814847ChiasmusThe inversion of the second of 2 parallel phrases106
6516830199HeresyA controversial or unorthodox opinion107
6516852021IdiosyncrasyA behavior characteristic particular to a group or individual108
6516859765LampoonSatire; to ridicule through exaggeration109
6516866870AphorismA brief statement of principle110
6516870588ProfoundVery intense; showing great insight/intelligence111
6516888335CompelForce someone to do something112
6516890095InscrutableDifficult to understabd113
6516891382ParsimoniousCheap; reluctant to spend money114
6517914111AudaciousDaring, Bold, Rash115
6517914986ObstinateStubborn, inflexible116
6517915363Ferventfanatical, ardent117
6517916110AcerbicBitter, Caustic118
6517917148SardonicMocking, scornful, derisive119
6517919167CallousPitiless, heartless, uncaring120
6517920325CatharsisRelease of emotion121
6517921168JargonSpecialized language or vocabulary of a group or profession122
6517922432AsideRemark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience only123
6517924815HomilyLecture or sermon124
6517925490ScapegoatPerson or group that bears the blame for another125
6517926069ClandestineDone in secret126
6517926865SoliloquyAct of speaking thoughts aloud when by oneself regardless of any hearers especially by a character in a play127
6517929311Morosesad, gloomy128
6517930058Mollifyto pacify; soften129
6517930623Raconteura good story teller or conversationalist130
6517931327Dilettantesomeone who takes up a practice or hobby in a superficial way131
6517933575FauxFake; a reproduction132
6517933853PatinaA thin or superficial layer on something; change in color due to age or use133
6517936045QuotidianCommonplace; done daily134
6517936983Vehementexpressed with intense feeling135
6517939728Abhorrentobjectionable, detestable136
6517940397Fawningflattering, submissive137
6517940795CerebralIntellectual, analytical138
6517942438Vacillateto go back and forth while making a decision139
6517942988Zealotsomeone who believes passionately about something; a fanatic140
6517944387Cajoleto persuade with flattery or gentle urging141
6517944838Effetemarked by over indulgence or decadence; weak142
6517946034Ephemeralshort lived; temporary143
6517946686Chutzpahboldness as exhibited by supreme confidence; boldness bordering on rudeness144
6517948866EnnuiBoredom or weariness, lack of excitement about life145
6517950644Dystopiaidea of a repressive and controlled society existing under the guise of a utopian society146
6517952438Meticulousextremely attentive to detail147
6517954840Coup d'etatOverthrow of an established order148
6517956141SkepticPerson who questions dogma or traditional beliefs149
6517958484Conundrumconfusing or difficult question/ puzzle150
6517959920Venerateto honor151
6517960411Iconoplasta person who attacks cherished beliefs or traditions152
6517962881VenialEasily forgivable153
6517966727TriteCommonplace, plain, hackneyed154
6517967373Gauchecrude, low class155
6517968259BourgeoisHaving to do with the middle class; marked by a concern for material interests156
6517969874HedonistPerson who pursues pleasure157
6517970168Fraughtfilled with158
6517971407Meterregularized rhythm mased on a pattern of accented/ non-accented syllables159
6517972500FootBasic unit used in measurement of verse160
6517972919Iambicmetrical foot consisting of 1 unaccented syllable followed by an accented161
6517974125trocheeopposite of iambic162
6517975955anapest2 unaccented followed by 1 accented syllable163
6517977358Dactyl1 accented followed by 2 unaccented164
6517978980Spondee2 syllables equally accented or almost equally165
6517980351dimetermetrical line consisting of 2 feet166
6517982341trimeterline containing 3 feet167
6517984930tetrameterline containing 4 feet168
6517985398pentameterline containing 5 feet169
6517987000hexameterline containing 6 feet170
6517987562heptameterline consisting of 7 feet171
6517988268octameterline containing 8 feet172
6517990602OdeA formal, ceremonious, completely organized form of poetry that honors or celebrates something173
6517993020ApostropheFigure of speech in which a character or speaker directly addresses an abstract concept, an object or person that isn't present174
6517995799Cinquain5 line stanza175
6517996437Heroic couplet2 rhymed lines of iambic pentameter176
6517997490Villanelle5 tercets followed by a quatrain (abaa)177
6518000488Elegypoem that honors someone who died or a time or way of life that has gone away178
6518002834EnjambmentRunning on of thought from one line, couplet, or stanza without punctuation179
6518005660Lyric Poempoem that emphasizes emotion of speaker180
6518006765Agencysubject of a poem, or line in a poem181
6518007954Heroic QuatrainQuatrain using Iambic Pentameter182
6518009217Ottava Rima8 line stanza using iambic pentameter (abababcc)183
6518011057Draconianunjustly harsh or severe184
6518011788Primordialexisting at the beginning of time185
6518014314Maximgeneral rule or principle186
6518014573MalevolentHaving a harmful or evil effect187
6518015225Blank VersePoetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter188
6518017906End stopped lineline of poetry that ends in a pause189
6518019376Dramatic MonologuePoem in which a single person, clearly not the poet utters a speech that makes up the entire poem190
6518020866Free VersePoem that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern191
6518022495Narrative poempoem that tells a story192
6518023977Speech Actpoem's manner of expression (what is poem doing)193
6518026304SycophantFawning flatter194
6518027316Dichotomya division between two things that are or are represented as being opposed195
6518028999Quandrya dilemma196
6518029360MaelstromA violent or turbulent situation197
6518029783RedolentExuding fragrance198
6518030677IdyllicSimple and carefree199
6518032392PaeanAn expression of joyful praise200
6518033077Pariaha social outcast;an untouchable201
6518034437Galvanizeto arouse awareness or action; to spur202
6518036372CharlatanA quack or fraud203
6518036920DogmaticArrogant or stubborn about beliefs204
6518038810Visageface or facial appearance205
6518039769VitriolicBitterly Scathing206
6518040642MalaiseGeneral feeling of depression or unease207
6518042700Vituperativecontaining or characterized by verbal abuse208
6518043608Anathemasomebody or someone that is greatly disliked and is therefore shunned209
6518045524Plaintivesad sounding or expressing sadness210
6518045806Subversivedesigned to overthrow a government or institution211
6518047575Extolto praise212
6518048117Pithybrief and to the point213
6518049211Harangueto address someone loudly and forcefully214
6518052920WantonUnrestrained215
6518053766JocularJoking, humorous, or playful216
6518054856SinecureA position requiring little work but giving the holder special status or pay217
6518056311AssonanceRepetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming with phrases or sentence218
6518058938Metonymyfigure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it219
6518059878Tawdrycheap; shameful220
6518060200Blithehappy or joyful221
6518061284Antediluvianold or antiquated222
6518062688Pathetic FallacyAttributing human emotion to inanimate objects or animals223
6518064046SynesthesiaCondition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another224

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