SAT · Literature & Rhetoric · Advanced

• nuance

  n. a subtle difference in meaning or expression

  The critic admired the nuance in her phrasing.

• allusion

  n. an indirect reference to another work or event

  His speech was full of allusions to ancient myths.

• candid

  adj. honest and direct in a frank way

  Her candid remarks surprised the formal committee.

• undermine

  v. to weaken something gradually or secretly

  The weak evidence undermined his entire claim.

• juxtaposition

  n. placing two things side by side for contrast

  The juxtaposition of light and dark created tension.

• polemic

  n. a strong verbal or written attack on a view

  The essay was a fierce polemic against censorship.

• didactic

  adj. intended to teach, often morally

  The fable had a clearly didactic purpose.

• laconic

  adj. using very few words

  His laconic reply revealed little of his feelings.

• verbose

  adj. using more words than necessary

  The verbose introduction tired the listeners.

• esoteric

  adj. understood by only a small specialized group

  The lecture was too esoteric for general readers.

• pithy

  adj. brief, forceful, and full of meaning

  She summed up the debate in one pithy line.

• bombastic

  adj. using inflated, pompous language

  The politician's bombastic style impressed few.

• sardonic

  adj. mocking in a bitter or scornful way

  He gave a sardonic smile at the naive proposal.

• equivocate

  v. to speak vaguely to avoid commitment

  The witness equivocated when pressed for details.

• hyperbole

  n. exaggeration used for effect

  The review used hyperbole to praise the play.

• understatement

  n. a statement that makes something seem smaller

  Calling the storm a breeze was an understatement.

• antithesis

  n. the direct opposite of something

  His calm reply was the antithesis of her fury.

• paradox

  n. a statement that seems contradictory yet true

  The paradox of choice often leaves us paralyzed.

• satire

  n. the use of humor to expose folly or vice

  The novel is a sharp satire of modern greed.

• parody

  n. an imitation that mocks the original

  The sketch was a clever parody of the epic.

• eloquent

  adj. fluent and persuasive in expression

  Her eloquent appeal moved the whole assembly.

• ambivalent

  adj. having mixed or conflicting feelings

  He felt ambivalent about the abrupt ending.

• ambiguous

  adj. open to more than one interpretation

  The final line is deliberately ambiguous.

• connotation

  n. an idea suggested beyond the literal meaning

  The word carries a negative connotation.

• denotation

  n. the literal, dictionary meaning of a word

  The poem plays its denotation against its mood.

• motif

  n. a recurring element in a literary work

  The motif of water runs through the whole book.

• foreshadow

  v. to hint at a future event in a work

  The dark sky foreshadows the coming disaster.

• allegory

  n. a story with a hidden moral or political meaning

  The tale works as an allegory of power.

• archetype

  n. a typical, recurring model of a character or idea

  The mentor is a familiar literary archetype.

• prose

  n. ordinary written language without verse form

  His prose is dense yet remarkably precise.

• verse

  n. writing arranged in lines, as in poetry

  She rendered the legend in flowing verse.

• stanza

  n. a grouped set of lines in a poem

  Each stanza closes with the same refrain.

• protagonist

  n. the leading figure in a literary work

  The protagonist wrestles with private guilt.

• antagonist

  n. the opponent of the main figure

  The antagonist embodies blind ambition.

• exposition

  n. the part of a work giving background information

  The opening exposition sets the grim scene.

• climax

  n. the most intense point of a work

  The duel forms the climax of the drama.

• denouement

  n. the final resolution of a plot

  The denouement ties up every loose thread.

• catharsis

  n. emotional release through art

  The tragedy offers the audience a catharsis.

• pathos

  n. a quality that evokes pity or sadness

  The scene's pathos brought many to tears.

• ethos

  n. an appeal based on credibility or character

  Her ethos as an expert strengthened the case.

• logos

  n. an appeal based on logic and reason

  The lawyer relied on logos to convince jurors.

• diction

  n. the choice and use of words in writing

  The poet's diction is at once plain and rich.

• syntax

  n. the arrangement of words into sentences

  His twisted syntax mirrors the chaos within.

• cadence

  n. the rhythmic flow of language

  The chant's slow cadence lulled the crowd.

• lyrical

  adj. expressing emotion in a poetic way

  The passage is lyrical and deeply personal.

• evocative

  adj. bringing strong images or feelings to mind

  The evocative imagery recalls a lost summer.

• subtle

  adj. delicate and not obvious

  The shift in mood is subtle yet powerful.

• candor

  n. the quality of being open and honest

  The memoir is admired for its raw candor.

• rebuttal

  n. a reply that opposes an argument

  Her rebuttal dismantled the opposing case.

• refute

  v. to prove a statement to be false

  The scholar refuted the long-held myth.

• concede

  v. to admit something is true or valid

  He conceded the point but held his stance.

• assertion

  n. a confident statement of belief

  His bold assertion lacked supporting proof.

• premise

  n. a statement taken as the basis of reasoning

  The whole theory rests on a faulty premise.

• fallacy

  n. a mistaken belief or flawed reasoning

  The speech relied on an obvious fallacy.

• anecdote

  n. a short personal account of an event

  She opened with a charming anecdote.

• allude

  v. to refer to something indirectly

  The title alludes to a forgotten war.

• infer

  v. to conclude from evidence and reasoning

  Readers must infer the speaker's regret.

• coherent

  adj. logically connected and consistent

  The thesis is coherent from start to finish.

• cohesive

  adj. forming a unified, well-connected whole

  The chapters feel cohesive despite their range.

• digression

  n. a temporary departure from the main subject

  The lecture wandered into a long digression.

• soliloquy

  n. a speech spoken alone to reveal thoughts

  His soliloquy lays bare a tortured mind.

• monologue

  n. a long speech by one figure

  The actor delivered a haunting monologue.

• colloquial

  adj. informal, like everyday spoken language

  Her colloquial style invites the reader in.

• persona

  n. a constructed identity an author adopts

  The poet speaks through a wounded persona.

• conceit

  n. an elaborate, extended comparison

  The poem builds on a striking conceit.

• euphemism

  n. a mild term used for a harsh reality

  He used a euphemism to soften the bad news.

• jargon

  n. specialized language of a particular field

  The report drowned its point in jargon.

• idiom

  n. a fixed expression with a non-literal meaning

  The translator struggled with the idiom.

• trope

  n. a common figurative or recurring device

  The lonely hero is a familiar trope.

• subversive

  adj. seeking to undermine accepted ideas

  The pamphlet held subversive views on order.

• nostalgic

  adj. longing fondly for the past

  The essay strikes a deeply nostalgic note.

• melancholy

  n. a feeling of pensive sadness

  A quiet melancholy pervades the closing pages.

• somber

  adj. grave, dark, and serious in mood

  The somber tone suits the wartime theme.

• whimsical

  adj. playfully fanciful and unpredictable

  His whimsical humor lightens the grim plot.

• advocate

  v. to publicly support a cause or view

  The columnist advocates for plain language.

• contend

  v. to argue or assert a position

  Critics contend that the ending fails.

• dissuade

  v. to persuade someone not to do something

  The editor tried to dissuade the rewrite.

• eloquence

  n. fluent, persuasive expression

  The closing line is a model of eloquence.

• brevity

  n. the quality of being brief and concise

  The poem's power lies in its brevity.

• verbosity

  n. the use of excessive words

  The draft suffered from sheer verbosity.

• terse

  adj. brief and to the point, sometimes curtly

  His terse notes left no room for warmth.

• florid

  adj. excessively ornate in style

  The florid prose obscured a simple point.

• ornate

  adj. elaborately decorated in style

  Her ornate phrasing dazzled but tired readers.

• austere

  adj. severe and plain, without ornament

  The austere style mirrors the bleak landscape.

• caustic

  adj. sharply sarcastic and biting

  His caustic wit spared no one in the room.

• scathing

  adj. severely critical

  The review was a scathing dismissal of the work.

• derisive

  adj. expressing ridicule or contempt

  A derisive laugh greeted the clumsy line.

• mordant

  adj. sharply and bitterly critical or witty

  The satirist is famed for his mordant tongue.

• trenchant

  adj. sharp, vigorous, and incisive in expression

  Her trenchant analysis cut to the heart of it.

• incisive

  adj. clear, sharp, and direct in thought

  His incisive critique exposed every weakness.

• cogent

  adj. clear, logical, and convincing

  She made a cogent case for revising the plan.

• specious

  adj. seeming true but actually false or misleading

  The argument was specious despite its polish.

• tenuous

  adj. weak, thin, or lacking firm basis

  The link between the texts is tenuous at best.

• nebulous

  adj. unclear, hazy, or ill-defined

  The concept remained frustratingly nebulous.

• oblique

  adj. indirect or not stated openly

  She made an oblique reference to the scandal.

• allusive

  adj. full of indirect references

  The dense, allusive poem rewards rereading.

• elegiac

  adj. mournful, expressing sorrow for the lost

  The elegiac verses mourn a vanished world.

• polemical

  adj. strongly attacking or defending a view

  His polemical tone alienated some readers.

• discursive

  adj. rambling and moving from topic to topic

  The discursive essay drifts without clear aim.

• laudatory

  adj. expressing praise and approval

  The preface is unusually laudatory in tone.

Related decks

• SAT Vocabulary: Core

  English · 45 cards

• SAT Vocabulary: Advanced

  English · 45 cards

• SAT · History & Social Studies · Beginner

  English · 100 cards

• SAT · History & Social Studies · Intermediate

  English · 100 cards