pattern

Advanced Vocabulary for TOEFL - Literature and Writing

Here you will learn some English words about literature and writing, such as "lurid", "epic", "psalm", etc. that are needed for the TOEFL exam.

review-disable

Review

flashcard-disable

Flashcards

spelling-disable

Spelling

quiz-disable

Quiz

Start learning
Advanced Words Needed for TOEFL
abridged

(a book, play, text, etc.) made shorter than the original by omitting some details

[Adjective]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"abridged\"
allegorical

(of a story, play, image, etc.) using characters or events in a symbolic sense that represent a concept, quality, etc.

[Adjective]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"allegorical\"
lurid

shocking or sensational, especially in a gruesome or vulgar way

[Adjective]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"lurid\"
turgid

(of speech or writing) using a serious and elevated style that makes it tedious and complicated

[Adjective]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"turgid\"
acrostic

a poem or other piece of writing in which certain letters of each line, usually the initial letters, spell out a word or phrase

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"acrostic\"
burlesque

an absurd or comically exaggerated replication of a literary or dramatic work

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"burlesque\"
doggerel

poetry that is loosely styled by an irregular rhythm, intended to have a comic effect

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"doggerel\"
elegy

a song or poem expressing sadness, especially in the memory of a dead person or a bitter event in the past

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"elegy\"
epic

a long poem in narrative form giving an account of the extraordinary deeds and adventures of a nation's heroes or legends

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"epic\"
haiku

a Japanese poem with three unrhymed lines that have five, seven and five syllables each

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"haiku\"
lament

a song, musical piece, poem, etc. that expresses the feeling of sorrow and sadness after a loss or death

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"lament\"
lampoon

a drawing, speech, or text aiming to criticize something or someone in a humorous manner

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"lampoon\"
ode

a lyric poem, written in varied or irregular metrical form, for a particular object, person, or concept

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"ode\"
parody

a piece of writing, music, etc. that imitates the style of someone else in a humorous way

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"parody\"
psalm

any holy poem, song, or hymn, especially the ones in the Book of Psalms, used in Christian and Jewish worship

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"psalm\"
sonnet

a verse of Italian origin that has 14 lines, usually in an iambic pentameter and a prescribed rhyme scheme

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"sonnet\"
bard

a person who writes pieces of poetry and stories

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"bard\"
stanza

a series of lines in a poem, usually with recurring rhyme scheme and meter

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"stanza\"
canto

any of the sections into which a long poem is divided

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"canto\"
conceit

an elaborate image or a far-fetched metaphor, used in poetry

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"conceit\"
enjambement

the continuation of a line of poetry into another couplet or stanza without a break

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"enjambement\"
rhetoric

the use of language and figures of speech in a way that influences or entertains people

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"rhetoric\"
prosody

the systematic study of metrical structures and sounds in poetry

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"prosody\"
addendum

a section of additional material that is usually added at the end of a book

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"addendum\"
antagonist

villainous character who strongly opposes another person or thing

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"antagonist\"
appendix

a separate part at the end of a book that gives further information

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"appendix\"
blurb

a short promotional description of a book, motion picture, etc. published on the cover of a book or in an advertisement

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"blurb\"
marginalia

marks and notes written in the margins of a book or document

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"marginalia\"
glossary

a list of technical terms or jargons of a particular field or text, provided in alphabetical order with an explanation for each one

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"glossary\"
erratum

an error in a written or printed document

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"erratum\"
canon

generally accepted rules or principles, especially those that are considered as fundamental in a field of art or philosophy

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"canon\"
motif

a subject, idea, or phrase that is repeatedly used in a literary work

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"motif\"
codex

an ancient book, written by hand, especially of scriptures, classics, etc.

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"codex\"
magnum opus

the greatest literary or artistic piece that an author or artist has created

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"magnum opus\"
novella

a work of fiction with an intermediate length, which could be considered a short novel

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"novella\"
plot hole

an apparent mistake or inconsistency in the narrative of a book, motion picture, etc.

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"plot hole\"
prolixity

the fact of having an excessive number of words that results in being tedious

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"prolixity\"
to satirize

to use satire in order to criticize or ridicule a system, person, etc.

[Verb]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"to satirize\"
epilogue

a concluding part added at the end of a novel, play, etc.

[noun]
daily words
wordlist
Close
Sign in
Definition & Meaning of \"epilogue\"
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app