Literary Criticism

noun a person who offers an argument in defense or justification of something controversial or questionable

• He was known as a skilled apologist for the controversial government policy.
• She always played the role of apologist whenever her friends got into trouble.
• I'm tired of being the apologist for everyone's mistakes.
• The artist was an apologist for abstract art, defending its value and significance.

noun a category of writing that is valued for its aesthetic qualities and literary style rather than its informative content

• The professor's expertise in belles-lettres is evident in her insightful analysis of classic literature.
• I enjoy reading belles-lettres in my spare time to relax and unwind.
• I never really got into that whole belles-lettres thing, I prefer more modern literature.
• Her writing style is like a beautiful tapestry, weaving together elements of belles-lettres with contemporary themes.

noun a state or quality of being dull; lacking interest or excitement

• The lecture was filled with dullness, causing many students to struggle to stay awake.
• I can't stand the dullness of this movie, let's change it.
• This party is so boring, the dullness is killing me.
• The dullness of his personality made it hard for others to connect with him.

noun a style of elaborate and exaggerated poetic expression named after the Spanish poet Luis de Gongora

• The literary critic analyzed the excessive use of Gongorism in the poet's work.
• I don't really get all that Gongorism stuff in poetry.
• Some people think Gongorism is just fancy words for no reason.
• His writing was so full of Gongorism that it felt like wading through a swamp of words.

adjective contrary to or differing from established beliefs or customs, especially in religion

• The bishop condemned the heretical teachings of the controversial theologian.
• Some people consider his ideas to be heretical and against tradition.
• Dude, that theory is totally heretical, you're gonna get in trouble for that.
• Heretical thoughts can sometimes lead to groundbreaking discoveries in science.

noun written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit

adjective pertaining to or dealing with the subject of written works

• The study of literature is essential for a well-rounded education.
• I really enjoy reading literature from different time periods.
• Diving into some lit literature this weekend!
• Her mind was a vast library of literature, filled with stories and knowledge.

verb to render incorrectly or inaccurately

• The translator misrendered the text, resulting in a significant error in the document.
• I think the website misrendered the information, it doesn't seem accurate.
• The meme misrendered the original image, making it look hilarious.
• Her emotions were misrendered by her poker face, hiding the turmoil within.

noun a small quantity or amount of something

adjective relating to a small amount or quantity

• He was only able to gather a modicum of evidence to support his claim.
• She only had a modicum of interest in the topic.
• I only have a modicum of patience left for this nonsense.
• Despite facing numerous obstacles, he managed to hold onto a modicum of hope.

noun obscenity - the state or quality of being obscene, offensive, or indecent

• The artist faced criticism for including obscenity in his latest work.
• I can't believe they let that movie show so much obscenity.
• The comedian's jokes were full of obscenity, but everyone was laughing.
• The corruption scandal was described as an obscenity to the country's values.

adjective relating to or characteristic of the Pharisees, a Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law

• The pharisaical leaders were known for their strict adherence to religious laws.
• Don't be so pharisaical about following the rules all the time.
• Stop being such a pharisee about everything!
• Her pharisaical attitude towards others' behavior was off-putting.

adjective describing something that involves repudiation or rejection

• The lawyer's argument was highly repudiative of the opposing counsel's claims.
• She gave a repudiative response to his proposal, making it clear she was not interested.
• He was so repudiative about the new policy, calling it a total joke.
• Her actions spoke louder than words, sending a repudiative message to those who doubted her abilities.

adjective showing disrespect or irreverence towards something sacred

• The desecration of the church was considered sacrilegious by the community.
• Dude, messing with that holy place is just straight up sacrilegious.
• You know that's totally sacrilegious, right?
• To some, using comic sans for a formal document is sacrilegious.

noun foolish or trivial talk or ideas

verb to talk or write in a trivial or foolish way

• The professor dismissed the student's argument as mere twaddle.
• Stop talking twaddle and get to the point.
• I can't stand listening to his twaddle anymore.
• Her mind was filled with twaddle, unable to focus on the task at hand.

adjective describing something that is not deserving of praise or commendation

• The politician's unpraiseworthy actions were met with widespread criticism.
• His behavior was totally unpraiseworthy, dude.
• She did something really unpraiseworthy and now everyone is talking about it.
• The artist's latest work was deemed unpraiseworthy by the critics.

adjective relating to or characteristic of an old-fashioned or overly conservative person

• The board members were hesitant to implement new technology, as they were seen as quite fogeyish.
• My grandpa's taste in music is a bit fogeyish, he still listens to records from the 1950s.
• Some people think wearing socks with sandals is totally fogeyish.
• Her outdated fashion sense made her seem a bit fogeyish in the eyes of her peers.

noun a slang term used to refer to garbage or something of low quality

• The garbo collected the trash from each house on the street.
• I saw the garbo picking up the garbage cans this morning.
• Hey, watch out for the garbo truck coming down the street!
• The garbo of negative thoughts cluttered her mind, weighing her down.

noun a person who enthusiastically praises or approves of someone or something

• The film received high praise from the acclaimed critic, known as an acclaimer in the industry.
• The acclaimer at the event couldn't stop raving about the new restaurant in town.
• Dude, that acclaimer is always hyping up the latest music releases.
• She was like an acclaimer of good news, spreading positivity wherever she went.

verb to praise or flatter excessively

• The renowned artist is often adulated for his exceptional talent.
• Everyone adulates her for her amazing fashion sense.
• The celebrity is constantly adulated by her fans.
• The company adulates their top performer as the 'star' of the team.