AP Words You Should Already Know

Front

Sequential repetition of similar sounds

Back

alliteration

Front

An indirect reference to something with which the reader is supposed to be familiar

Back

allusion

Front

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, clarify, or prompt further thought.

Back

annotation

Front

The picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the four modes of discourse.

Back

description

Front

exposition

Back

The immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background information necessary for understanding the plot; also, explanation; one of the four modes of discourse.

Front

extended metaphor

Back

A sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit, developed throughout a piece of writing.

Front

figurative language

Back

The opposite of "literal language"; writing that is not meant to be taken literally

Front

figures of speech

Back

Expressions, such as similes, metaphors, and personification, that make imaginative, rather than literal, comparisons or associations

Front

The excessive pride or ambition that leads a tragic hero to disregard warnings of impending doom, eventually causing his or her downfall

Back

hubris

Front

exaggeration

Back

hyperbole