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AP Literature Semester Test Flashcards

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3490838121aquisitiveable to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property0
3490841366banalhackneyed, trite, commonplace1
3490843159carpingtending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; pegging, nagging criticism2
3490847344emulateto imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model3
3490849931germanerelevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting4
3490856085invidiousoffensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment5
3490858191reconnaissancea survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination6
3490862308taciturnhabitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little7
3490867391tenablecapable of being held or defended8
3490869862maelstroma whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool of violence and destruction9
3490876821sacrilegeimproper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred10
3490879389aminadversiona comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval11
3490883543myopicnearsighted; lacking a broad realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment12
3490888293halcyona legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent13
3490903108celerityswiftness, rapidity of motion or action14
3490905194incendiarydeliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; one who deliberately starts fires, arsonist15
3490912110nefariouswicked or criminal activity16
3490913976verdantgreen with grass or other rich vegetation17
3490916658distraughtdeeply upset or agitated18
3490919220piquantpleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor; pleasantly stimulating or exciting to mind19
3490922497pejorativetending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disagreement; derogatory, deprecatory; belittling20
3490929170talismanan object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical power an amulet21
3490931942summarilywithout delay or formality; briefly; concisely22
3490934118encomiuma formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute23
3490936386temporizeto stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise24
3490942175malapropismthe erroneous substitution for the correct word which is similar in sound, but the very different meaning25
3490946413oxymorona figure of speech that juxtaposes two opposite or apparently contradictory words to present an emphatic and dramatic paradox for a rhetorical purpose or effect26
3490970603dues ex machinaan unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel27
3490995714hubrisexcessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis28
3490998664foila character who contrasts with another character (usually protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other characters29
3491037227didacticsomething that instructs or provides information for a particular purpose; teaches a lesson30
3491042302hyperbolea figure of speech that uses deliberate exaggeration to achieve an effect, whether serious, comic, or ironic. It could also be described as an overstatement31
3491059465archetypean original model or type after which other similar things are patterned32
3491068243pathosa quality in a work or a portion thereof that makes the reader experience pity, sorrow, tenderness33
3491075132apostrophea figure of speech in which the speaker directly and often emotionally addresses a person who is dead or otherwise not physically present34
3491726074clichean expression used so often that is has become hackneyed and has lost its original impact35
3491733060denouementa term that both refers to the events following the climax of a plot and implies some ingenious resolution of the dramatic conflict and explanation of plot36
3491748934parallelisma rhetorical figure used in written and oral compositions since similar constructions37
3491756777rhetorical questiona figure of speech in which a question is posed not to solicit a reply, but to emphasize a foregone or clearly implied conclusion38
3491763288similea figure of speech that compares 2 distinct things by using words such as like or as to link the comparison39
3491768685understatementa term, which is a form of irony, when taken literally, minimizes its evident significance or gravity; deliberately expressed as less important than it really is40
3491780276allegorya work in which an abstract concept is presented as though it were a character who speaks and acts as an independent being41
3491788992anagnorisismoment in a play or other work when a character makes a critical discovery42
3491792264chorusgroup of performers who comment on the main action, typically speaking and moving together43
3491798316hamartiaa fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine44
3491802531moiraperson's fate of destiny45
3491804450farcea comic dramatic work using buffononery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations46
3491811687connotationan idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning47
3491815731denotationthe literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests48
3496471997tonein written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience49

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