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Diasyrm

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Poetic technique of damning with faint praise or ironic compliment

Detailed Definition
Diasyrm is a rhetorical device in poetry where a speaker harshly or mockingly rejects a comparison by emphasizing the inferiority of one term; for example, saying “He’s no Achilles—he’s barely a schoolboy” uses diasyrm to deflate an implied analogy through scornful contrast, often for satirical or emphatic effect.
Example
Example in poetry:
Mocking hyperbole: “He’s as brave as a damp dishcloth”; Juvenal’s satires belittling foes; Pope’s “Dunciad” ridiculing bad poets; Modern: Twitter-era poetic roasts using diasrym
Additional Notes
Mock praise or ironic flattery; praising to insult. Related to irony, sarcasm, and satirical techniques. Opposite of sincere encomium. Study alongside other forms of blame-by-praise.
Also Known As
ironic praise mock compliment
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