Political Rhetoric Vocabulary

noun evasive or ambiguous language

• The lawyer's speech was full of ambages, making it difficult for the jury to understand.
• Stop beating around the bush and just tell me the truth without any ambages.
• I can't stand all the ambages in his story, just get to the point!
• Her ambages were like a maze, leading me in circles without a clear answer.

adjective causing great fear or suffering

• The company is facing dire financial circumstances and may need to declare bankruptcy.
• I heard the news about the dire situation at the factory, it's really bad.
• Things are looking pretty dire for us right now, we need to figure something out.
• The storm clouds gathered overhead, a dire warning of the impending bad weather.

adjective not honest; disingenuous or deceitful

• The businessman was accused of being dishonest in his financial dealings.
• I can't trust him, he's always being dishonest about everything.
• She's such a snake, always being dishonest to get what she wants.
• His dishonesty was like a dark cloud hanging over the company's reputation.

noun a false statement made with intent to deceive

verb to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, with intent to deceive

• It is unethical to tell a lie in a professional setting.
• I can't believe he told such a big lie about what happened.
• Don't listen to him, he's just spinning a lie to cover his tracks.
• The painting's beauty was so captivating, it almost seemed to lie beyond reality.

verb To criticize or complain angrily or forcefully about someone or something

• She would often rail at the government's lack of transparency.
• He likes to rail at his boss when he's in a bad mood.
• The kids always rail at their teacher for giving them too much homework.
• The wind seemed to rail at the windows, trying to break through.

noun the practice of making threats of military action

• The diplomat warned that the recent military exercises were merely saber rattling and not a true threat.
• Don't pay attention to their saber rattling, they're just trying to intimidate us.
• Their saber rattling is just a bunch of hot air, they won't actually do anything.
• The CEO's threats of layoffs were just saber rattling to get employees to work harder.

adjective having a high-pitched and piercing sound

adverb in a shrill manner

• The shrill sound of the alarm woke me up from my deep sleep.
• I can't stand her shrill voice when she gets excited.
• The shrill ringtone on his phone is so annoying.
• The shrill criticism from her boss cut deep into her confidence.

noun a person who gives speeches or public addresses

• The speechmaker delivered a compelling address at the conference.
• The speechmaker really knew how to captivate the audience with their words.
• That speechmaker has some serious skills on the mic.
• The speechmaker's words were like music to the audience's ears.

adjective complete or sheer

• The contrast between the two candidates' policies was stark.
• The difference in taste between the two ice cream flavors was stark.
• The party was a total bust, the contrast was stark.
• The stark reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.

adjective having a harsh, loud, and grating sound or effect

• The politician's strident tone during the debate was off-putting to some audience members.
• She has a very strident way of expressing her opinions, always speaking loudly and forcefully.
• I can't stand his strident attitude, he's always so obnoxious.
• The strident sound of the alarm clock woke me up abruptly.

verb to cause extreme fear or intimidation in someone

• The government took action to prevent any group from attempting to terrorize the citizens.
• The bullies tried to terrorize the new kid at school.
• The gang thought they could terrorize the neighborhood, but they were quickly shut down by the police.
• The haunting memories continued to terrorize her dreams every night.

adjective Trenchant is an adjective that means vigorous or incisive in expression or style.

• The author's trenchant critique of the government policies sparked a heated debate.
• She always has a trenchant opinion on current events.
• His trenchant remarks really hit the nail on the head.
• The trenchant sword of justice cut through the lies and revealed the truth.

noun showy but worthless finery; nonsense or rubbish

adjective showy but worthless; delusive or shallow

• The museum curator refused to include any trumpery in the new exhibit.
• I can't believe she bought all that trumpery at the store.
• That trumpery is so tacky, why would anyone want to wear it?
• His promises were nothing but trumpery, with no real substance behind them.

adjective mentally unbalanced or disturbed; deranged

• The politician's behavior became increasingly unhinged during the debate.
• She was acting totally unhinged at the party last night.
• He's always been a bit unhinged, if you ask me.
• The movie's plot took an unhinged turn towards the end.

noun verbal abuse or censure

• The politician faced intense vituperation from his opponents during the debate.
• She couldn't handle the vituperation from her coworkers and decided to quit.
• The online comments were full of vituperation towards the celebrity's new hairstyle.
• The artist's bold painting received vituperation from traditional art critics.

noun a person who spreads fear, panic, or alarm

verb to spread fear, panic, or alarm

• The politician was accused of being a fearmonger, spreading misinformation to instill fear in the public.
• Don't listen to that fearmonger, he's just trying to scare you for no reason.
• I can't stand fearmongers who just want to stir up trouble.
• The fearmonger in her mind kept her from taking risks and pursuing her dreams.

noun a derogatory term for economic theories or practices considered to be misguided or flawed

• The concept of voodoo economics refers to the economic theories that are considered unrealistic or overly optimistic.
• Some people believe that voodoo economics is just a fancy term for wishful thinking.
• I don't buy into that voodoo economics nonsense - it's all smoke and mirrors.
• His plan to boost the economy seemed like a form of voodoo economics, promising big results with little substance.

noun a complete reversal of direction or opinion

verb to make a complete reversal of direction or opinion

• The military commander ordered an about-turn in strategy after analyzing the enemy's movements.
• I was heading to the store, but then I did an about-turn when I realized I forgot my wallet.
• The teacher made us do an about-turn on our project because she didn't like the direction we were going.
• After years of pursuing a career in finance, she made an about-turn and decided to follow her passion for art instead.