epizeuxis
/ˌɛpɪˈz(j)uːksɪs/
epizeuxis means the repetition of words in immediate succession for emphasis. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
epizeuxis is pronounced /ˌɛpɪˈz(j)uːksɪs/.
Why “epizeuxis” is a great word
A rhetorical figure in which a word or phrase is repeated in immediate succession for emphasis or emotional intensity. Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐπι- (epi-, "upon") + ζευγνύναι (zeugnúnai, "to yoke, join"), via New Latin epizeuxis; first recorded in English 1580–90. Unlike anaphora, which repeats a word at the start of successive phrases to build cadence, or palilogia, a looser term for general repetition, epizeuxis is a breathless, compact insistence. It is the feverish pulse of "never, never, never," the stunned horror of "alone, alone, alone," or the desperate command of "run, run, run"—a rhetoric stripped bare, leaving a dent in the silence where language becomes pure force.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐπι- (epi-) + ζευγνύναι (zeugnúnai, “to yoke”)
noun
- The repetition of words in immediate succession for emphasis.“An Epizeuxis twice a word repeats,
And graces thus the theme on which it treats.”