auxesis

/ˌɒksɪˈsiːs/

Definitions

1. noun

a rhetorical device in which a statement or idea is repeated at varying levels of intensity, often to emphasize a point or create a sense of urgency.

“The politician’s speech was full of auxesis, as he repeated the phrase ‘We must act now’ several times to drive home the importance of the issue.”

Synonyms

  • emphatic repetition
  • rhetorical exaggeration

Antonyms

  • equivocation
  • understatement