Media Analysis Vocabulary

noun a mistake or error, especially in a performance or speech

verb to make a mistake or error, especially in a performance or speech

• The miscue in the financial report caused a significant error in the analysis.
• Her miscue on the dance floor made everyone laugh.
• I totally miscued my response during the interview.
• His miscue in the game cost his team the victory.

noun excessive or exaggerated emphasis on something

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The professor warned against the overemphasis on one particular aspect of the research study.
• Don't put too much emphasis on that, it's just one small part of the project.
• Stop overdoing it, it's not that big of a deal.
• She tends to blow things out of proportion, always making an overemphasis on minor details.

adjective a term used to describe someone who has an irrational fear or suspicion of others

• The patient exhibited symptoms of being paranoid, constantly fearing for their safety.
• She's always so paranoid about losing her keys, she checks her bag multiple times.
• Don't be so paranoid, everything will be fine.
• The politician was paranoid about losing the election, constantly checking the polls.

adjective describing something as explicit or obscene in a sexual manner

• The government is cracking down on websites that host pornographic content.
• I accidentally stumbled upon a pornographic website while browsing the internet.
• Some people are into watching that kind of pornographic stuff, but it's not for me.
• The artist used vivid colors and provocative imagery to create a pornographic painting.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, indicating manner, time, place, or degree

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• I must respectfully take issue with the conclusions drawn in the research paper.
• I have to disagree with what you're saying.
• I'm not buying what you're selling.
• I can't see eye to eye with you on this matter.

noun a person who expresses their opinions publicly or frequently

• The opinionator carefully analyzed the latest political developments before sharing their thoughts.
• I always go to my friend Sarah because she's the best opinionator when it comes to fashion.
• My brother thinks he's some kind of opinionator, but really he just talks a lot.
• She was known as the opinionator of the office, always ready to give her two cents on any topic.

noun a person who holds extreme or radical views on social justice issues, often associated with the 'woke' movement

• The wokeist activists are pushing for more inclusive policies in the workplace.
• She's always going on about being the wokeist one in our friend group.
• Those wokeist Twitter users are constantly calling out problematic behavior online.
• The artist's work is often described as wokeist, challenging societal norms through their creations.

noun the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation

adjective relating to signs or symbols and their interpretation

• The study of semiotic systems is crucial in understanding communication processes.
• I find semiotic analysis of advertisements really interesting.
• I have no idea what semiotic means, can you explain it to me?
• The semiotic clues in the painting reveal a deeper meaning about the artist's intentions.

noun a term used to describe something that is showy or flashy, often in a superficial or ostentatious way

• The paddywhackery of the play's dialogue was criticized by many theater critics.
• I can't stand the paddywhackery in that TV show, it's just too over-the-top.
• The comedian's paddywhackery had the audience rolling with laughter.
• The politician's paddywhackery during the debate was a desperate attempt to win over voters.

noun a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors

• Stockholm syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages develop positive feelings towards their captors.
• Have you heard of Stockholm syndrome? It's when hostages start to sympathize with their kidnappers.
• Some people think Stockholm syndrome is like falling for your kidnapper, which is just messed up.
• Being in an abusive relationship can sometimes feel like having Stockholm syndrome, where you defend your partner despite their harmful behavior.

noun a combination of the words 'sex' and 'exposition', typically used to describe a scene in a movie or TV show that features both sexual content and important plot development

• The use of sexposition in literature can be a controversial topic among scholars.
• Did you notice the sexposition scene in that new TV show? It was so unnecessary.
• I can't believe they added a sexposition moment in the movie, it was so cringey.
• In a way, the sexposition in the play served as a metaphor for the characters' inner struggles.