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Tone Words
Words used to identify the specific tone of a passage
142
English
10th Grade
02/24/2010

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Term
Abstract
Definition
Theoretical, without reference to specifics
Term
Absurd
Definition
Contrary to logic, but sometimes artistically viable
Term
Affected
Definition
Assuming a false manner or attitude to impress others
Term
Ambiguous
Definition
Having two or more possible meanings
Term
Analytical
Definition
Inclined to examine things by studying their contents or parts
Term
Anecdotal
Definition
Involving short narratives of interesting events
Term
Angry
Definition
Resentful, enraged
Term
Archaic
Definition
In the style of an earlier period
Term
Austere
Definition
Stern, strict, frugal, unadorned
Term
Banal
Definition
Pointless and uninteresting
Term
Baroque
Definition
Elaborate, grotesque, and ornamental
Term
Bizarre
Definition
Unusually strange or odd
Term
Bland
Definition
Undisturbing, unemotional, and uniteresting
Term
Bombastic
Definition
Pretentious and pompous
Term
Breezy
Definition
Quick-paced, but sometimes superficial
Term
Childish
Definition
Immature (when applied to adults or to writing)
Term
Cinematic
Definition
Having the qualities of a motion picture
Term
Classical
Definition
Formal, enduring, and standard, adhering to certain traditional methods
Term
Colloquial
Definition
Characteristic or ordinary and informal conversation
Term
Comic
Definition
Humorous, funny, light
Term
Concise
Definition
Using very few words to express a great deal
Term
Confessional
Definition
Characterized by personal admissions of faults
Term
Contemptuous
Definition
Expressing contempt or distain
Term
Convincing
Definition
Persuasive, believable, plausible
Term
Convoluted
Definition
Very complicated or involved (as in the case of sentences with many qualifiers, phrases, and clauses)
Term
Crepuscular
Definition
Having to do with twilight or shadowy areas (as in the darker and more hidden parts of human experience)
Term
Cynical
Definition
A tendency to believe that all human behavior is selfish and opportunistic
Term
Decadent
Definition
Marked by a decay in morals, values, and artistic standards
Term
Depressing
Definition
Sad, gloomy (without any redeeming qualities of true tragedy)
Term
Detached
Definition
Disinterested, unbiased, emotionally disconnected
Term
Discursive
Definition
Moving pointlessly from one subject to another; rambling
Term
Dreamlike
Definition
Having the characteristics of a dream
Term
Earthly
Definition
Realistic, rustic, coarse, unrefined, instinctive, animalize
Term
Effeminate
Definition
Soft, delicate, unmanly
Term
Elegiac
Definition
Expressing sorrow or lamentation (elegy is a mournful poem)
Term
Emotional
Definition
Much given to strong feelings
Term
Epistolary
Definition
Involving letters
Term
Erudite
Definition
Learned, scholarly
Term
Eulogistic
Definition
Involving formal praise in speech or writing, usually in honor of someone dead
Term
Evocative
Definition
Having the ability to call forth memories or other responses
Term
Expressionistic
Definition
Stressing the subjective and symbolic in art and literature
Term
Facetious
Definition
Amusing, but light, unserious, frivolous
Term
Farcical
Definition
Humorous in a light way, comedy with high exaggeration
Term
Fatalistic
Definition
Believing that everything that happens is destined and, therefore, out of the hands of the individual
Term
Flamboyant
Definition
Conspicuously bold or colorful
Term
Fluid
Definition
Flowing smoothly
Term
Iconoclastic
Definition
Inclined to attack cherished beliefs and traditions
Term
Impressionistic
Definition
Inclined to use subjective impressions rather than objective reality
Term
Ironic
Definition
Characterized by an unexpected turn of events, often the opposite of what was intended
Term
Irreverent
Definition
Showing disrespect for things that are usually respected or revered
Term
Journalistic
Definition
Characterized by the kind of language used in journalism
Term
Lyrical
Definition
Intense, spontaneous, musical
Term
Metaphorical
Definition
Having the characteristics of melodrama in which emotions and plot are exaggerated and characterization is shallow
Term
Mournful
Definition
Feeling or expressing grief
Term
Mundane
Definition
Ordinary or common, as in everyday matters
Term
Naturalistic
Definition
Tending to present things in art and literature as they appear in nature or actuality
Term
Nostalgic
Definition
Inclined to long for or dwell on things of the past; sentimental
Term
Objective
Definition
Uninfluenced by personal feelings; seeing things from the outside, not subjectively
Term
Ominous
Definition
Indicating or threatening evil or danger as dark clouds indicate that a storm is coming
Term
Parody
Definition
A satirical imitation of something serious, such as a comic takeoff of Romeo and Juliet
Term
Persuasive
Definition
Able to get a person to do something or agree with one by appeal to reason or other convincing devices
Term
Philosophical
Definition
Interested in the study of basic truths of existence and reality
Term
Pious
Definition
Having or displaying a reverence for God and religion; sometimes used pejoratively, when the display is excessive and overly righteous
Term
Poetical
Definition
Having the qualities of poetry, such as pleasing rhythms or images
Term
Pompous
Definition
Displaying one's importance in an exaggerated way; sometimes this quality is found in comic characters
Term
Primitive
Definition
Simple and crude (primitivism in the arts tries to make use of a sophisticated way of what seems simple and crude)
Term
Prurient
Definition
Preoccupied with lewd and lustful thoughts
Term
Psychological
Definition
Having to do with the human mind and human behavior
Term
Puritanical
Definition
Strict or severe in matters of morality
Term
Realistic
Definition
Inclined to represent things the way they are
Term
Rhythmic
Definition
Characterized by certain patterns, beats, or accents
Term
Romantic
Definition
Having feelings or thoughts of love, but when associated with nineteenth century literature or any such literature it suggests a style that emphasizes freedom of form, imagination, and emotion
Term
Sardonic
Definition
Mocking, taunting, bitter, scornful, sarcastic
Term
Satirical
Definition
Using sarcasm and irony, often humorously to expose human folly
Term
Sensuous
Definition
Taking pleasure in things that appeal to the senses; sensual suggests a strong preoccupation with such things, especially sexual pleasures
Term
Stark
Definition
Plain, harsh, completely; simple or bare, when applied to style, sometimes even bleak or grim
Term
Subjective
Definition
Relying on one's own inner impressions, as opposed to being objective
Term
Surrealistic
Definition
Stressing imagery and the subconscious and sometimes distorting ordinary ideas in order to arrive at artistic truths
Term
Terse
Definition
Effectively concise, brief
Term
Trite
Definition
Stale, worn out, as in trite expressions
Term
Urbane
Definition
Sophisticated, socially polished
Term
Victorian
Definition
Prudish, stuffy, and puritanical
Term
Whimsical
Definition
Inclined to be playful, humorous, or fanciful
Term
Wordy
Definition
Using more words than necessary to say what you have to say
Term
Jargon
Definition
Nonsensical, incoherent, or meaningless talk, a hybrid language or dialect
Term
Vulgar
Definition
Crudely indecent; Spoken by or expressed in language spoken by the common people; vernacular
Term
Scholarly
Definition
Of, relating to , or characteristic of scholars or scholarship
Term
Insipid
Definition
Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull
Term
Precise
Definition
Clearly expressed or delineated; definite
Term
Esoteric
Definition
Not publicly disclosed; confidential; intended for or understood by only a particular group
Term
Connotative
Definition
The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning
Term
Plain
Definition
Not elaborate or complicated
Term
Literal
Definition
Being in accordance with exact meaning of a word or words
Term
Artificial
Definition
simulated; not genuine or natural; man-made
Term
Pedantic
Definition
Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules
Term
Euphemistic
Definition
The act of substituting a mild,indirect, or vague ter for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive
Term
Pretentious
Definition
Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious
Term
Pretentious
Definition
Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious
Term
Exact
Definition
Strictly and completely in accord with fact; not deviating from truth or reality
Term
Figurative
Definition
Based on or making use of figures of speec
Term
Abstruse
Definition
Difficult to understand; recondite; ambiguous
Term
Grotesque
Definition
Characterized by ludicrous or incongruous distortion, as of appearance or manner; outlandish, bizzare
Term
Concrete
Definition
Of or relating to an actual, specific thing or instance; particular
Term
Allusive
Definition
containing or characterized by indirect references
Term
Vexed
Definition
Distressed, perplexed, annoyed
Term
Restrained
Definition
Held-back, deprived, checked
Term
Poignant
Definition
Astute and pertinent; relevant; intense, moving, stimulating
Term
Audacious
Definition
Fearlessly, often recklessly daring; Unrestrained by convention or propriety; insolent; origanal
Term
Giddy
Definition
Frivolous and lighthearted
Term
Provocative
Definition
Tending to provoke or stimulate
Term
Sentimental
Definition
Resulting from or colored by emotion rather than reason
Term
Condescending
Definition
To deal with people in a patronizingly superior manner
Term
Zealous
Definition
Filled with or motivated by zeal; fervent
Term
Candid
Definition
Characterized by openness and sincerity of expression; unreservedly straightforward; impartial
Term
Didactic
Definition
Inclined to teach or moralize excessively
Term
Mock-Heroic
Definition
A satirical imitation or burlesque of the heroic manner or style
Term
Diffident
Definition
Reserved in manner; timid
Term
Petty
Definition
Lesser; minor
Term
Lugubrious
Definition
Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
Term
Bantering
Definition
Good-humored, playful conversation
Term
Flippant
Definition
Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert
Term
Patronizing
Definition
To treat in a condescending manner
Term
Facetious
Definition
Playfully jocular; humorous
Term
Clinical
Definition
Very objective and devoid of emotion; analytical
Term
Inflammatory
Definition
Arousing passion or strong emotion, especially anger, belligerence, or desire
Term
Benevolent
Definition
Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; organized for the benefit of charity
Term
Burlesque
Definition
A ludicrous or mocking imitation; a travesty
Term
Cynical
Definition
Negative or pessimistic, as from world-weariness; Expressing jaded or scornful skepticism
Term
Incisive
Definition
Penetrating, clear, and sharp, as in operation or expression
Term
Effusive
Definition
Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy profuse, overflowing
Term
Impartial
Definition
Not partial or biased; unprejudiced
Term
Turgid
Definition
Excessively ornate or complex in style or language; grandiloquent
Term
Contentious
Definition
Involving or likely to cause contention; controversial
Term
Insolent
Definition
Presumptuous and insulting in manner or speech; arrogant, disrespectful, rude, impertinent
Term
Slang
Definition
Language peculiar to a group; argot or jargon
Term
Idiomatic
Definition
Peculiar to or characteristic of a given language
Term
Cultured
Definition
A high degree of taste and refinement formed by aesthetic and intellectual training
Term
Picturesque
Definition
Strikingly expressive or vivid
Term
Homespun
Definition
Simple and homely; unpretentious
Term
Provincial
Definition
Limited in perspective; narrow and self-centered
Term
Trite
Definition
Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed
Term
Obscure
Definition
Not clearly understood or expressed; ambiguous or vague
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