RHETORICAL DEFINITIONS - 10 definitions found
rhetorical adj 1: of or relating to rhetoric; "accepted two or three verbal and rhetorical changes I suggested"- W.A.White; "the rhetorical sin of the meaningless variation"- Lewis Mumford 2: given to rhetoric, emphasizing style at the expense of thought; "mere rhetorical frippery" [ant: unrhetorical] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) rhetorical also rhetoric adjective Date: 15th century 1. a. of, relating to, or concerned with rhetoric b. employed for rhetorical effect; especially asked merely for effect with no answer expected <a rhetorical question> 2. a. given to rhetoric ; grandiloquent b. verbal • rhetorically adverb Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary rhetorical 1. A rhetorical question is one which is asked in order to make a statement rather than to get an answer. He grimaced slightly, obviously expecting no answer to his rhetorical question... ADJ: usu ADJ n • rhetorically 'Do these kids know how lucky they are?' Jackson asked rhetorically. ADV: ADV with v 2. Rhetorical language is intended to be grand and impressive. (FORMAL) These arguments may have been used as a rhetorical device to argue for a perpetuation of a United Nations role. ADJ: usu ADJ n • rhetorically Suddenly, the narrator speaks in his most rhetorically elevated mode. ADV English Explanatory Dictionary rhetorical rɪˈtɔrɪkəl adj. 1 expressed with a view to persuasive or impressive effect; artificial or extravagant in language. 2 of the nature of rhetoric. 3 a of or relating to the art of rhetoric. b given to rhetoric; oratorical. ørhetorical question a question asked not for information but to produce an effect, e.g. who cares? for nobody cares. øørhetorically adv. [ME f. L rhetoricus f. Gk rhetorikos (as RHETOR)] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Rhetorical \Rhe*tor"ic*al\, a. [L. rhetoricus, Gr. ????. See Rhetoric.] Of or pertaining to rhetoric; according to, or exhibiting, rhetoric; oratorical; as, the rhetorical art; a rhetorical treatise; a rhetorical flourish. They permit him to leave their poetical taste ungratified, provided that he gratifies their rhetorical sense. --M. Arnold. -- Rhe*tor"ic*al*ly, adv. -- Rhe*tor"ic*al*ness, n. Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms rhetorical a. 1. Oratorical. 2. Declamatory, highly wrought. English Explanatory Dictionary (Synonyms) rhetorical rɪˈtɔrɪkəl adj. 1 stylistic, linguistic, poetic, expressive, oratorical: Zeugma, hysteron proteron, and anacoluthon are all terms for rhetorical devices. 2 artificial, contrived, for effect, unanswerable, not literal: The question, 'Why don't you drop dead', was purely rhetorical. 3 pretentious, bombastic, flamboyant, extravagant, florid, fustian, high-flown, inflated, grandiose, euphuistic, turgid, grandiloquent, magniloquent, long-winded, windy, orotund, wordy, prolix, sesquipedalian, Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin: The rhetorical style of Crampton's parliamentary speeches appear to be doing the party more harm than good. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 92 Moby Thesaurus words for "rhetorical": Gongoresque, Johnsonian, affected, articulate, artificial, aureate, bedizened, big-sounding, bombastic, chichi, contrived, convoluted, declamatory, elevated, elocutionary, eloquent, embellished, euphuistic, exaggerated, expressive, extravagant, flamboyant, flaming, flashy, flaunting, florid, flowery, fluent, for effect, forensic, fulsome, fustian, garish, gassy, gaudy, glib, grand, grandiloquent, grandiose, grandisonant, high-flowing, high-flown, high-flying, high-sounding, highfalutin, imposing, inflated, inkhorn, labyrinthine, lexiphanic, linguistic, lofty, long-winded, lurid, magniloquent, meretricious, mouthy, oratorical, ornate, orotund, ostentatious, overblown, overdone, overelaborate, overinvolved, overwrought, pedantic, poetic, pompous, pretentious, prolix, purple, sensational, sensationalistic, sententious, sesquipedalian, showy, sonorous, stilted, stylistic, swelling, swollen, tall, tortuous, tumescent, tumid, turgid, unanswerable, vocal, voluble, windy, wordy |
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