Communication Skills Terminology

noun a phrase used to describe someone who is eagerly listening or paying close attention

• During the lecture, I was all ears to absorb as much information as possible.
• Tell me what happened, I'm all ears!
• Spill the tea, I'm all ears.
• As soon as she mentioned a surprise, I was all ears and eager to know more.

noun a person who is honest and truthful

adjective frank, outspoken, open and sincere

• The candidate gave a candid response during the interview.
• I appreciate your candid feedback on my presentation.
• She's always so candid, it's refreshing to hear her thoughts.
• His candid emotions were written all over his face.

noun a disagreement or argument between people who have previously been on good terms

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The falling out between the two business partners led to the dissolution of their company.
• I heard there was a falling out between Sarah and her best friend over a misunderstanding.
• There was a huge falling out between the band members after the lead singer quit.
• The falling out of favor with the boss resulted in a decrease in responsibilities and opportunities.

noun a state of agitated confusion or excitement

verb to make someone agitated or confused

• The speaker remained composed and unruffled, despite the attempts to fluster them.
• Don't let their questions fluster you, just take your time and answer confidently.
• She was totally flustered when he unexpectedly showed up at the party.
• The sudden change in plans completely flustered her, throwing off her entire day.

adjective describing someone who speaks openly and honestly without hesitation or reservation

• The professor appreciated the student's free spoken presentation during the seminar.
• I always enjoy your free spoken stories, they are so entertaining!
• Her free spoken rap lyrics were fire!
• His free spoken words flowed like a river, captivating everyone in the room.

verb to reach or gain access to something

preposition used to indicate the object of an action or effort

• It took me a while to get at the root of the problem.
• I finally figured out how to get at the information I needed.
• I can't seem to get at what she's trying to say.
• The detective tried to get at the truth behind the mysterious disappearance.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'invalidation' is a noun that refers to the act of making something invalid or void.

• The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, citing the invalidation of the contract due to lack of proper signatures.
• She felt a sense of invalidation when her ideas were dismissed by her colleagues.
• I hate when people try to invalidate my feelings just because they don't agree with them.
• The constant invalidation from her parents made her feel like her emotions didn't matter.

adjective showing good manners; polite

• She always conducts herself in a very mannerly way, showing respect to everyone she meets.
• He's so mannerly, always holding the door open for others without being asked.
• I appreciate when people are mannerly, it shows they were raised right.
• The way she gracefully navigates through difficult situations is truly mannerly.

verb A word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. In this case, 'misunderstood' is the past tense and past participle form of the verb 'misunderstand', which means to interpret or perceive incorrectly.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'misunderstood' describes a person or thing that has been incorrectly interpreted or not fully understood.

• The scientist's groundbreaking research was often misunderstood by those outside of the field.
• I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say about the project timeline.
• Don't worry, he's just a misunderstood artist who marches to the beat of his own drum.
• Her actions were often misunderstood, like a puzzle missing a few key pieces.

verb to unfold, reveal, or make accessible

adverb in a way that allows access or entrance

• The company plans to open up new markets in Asia next year.
• Let's open up a discussion about our upcoming project.
• I heard the new club is going to open up this weekend.
• Learning to trust others can really help you open up emotionally.

verb to place too much emphasis on something, to exaggerate the importance of something

• It is important not to overemphasize the impact of one study in the field of psychology.
• Don't make such a big deal out of it, you're overemphasizing the situation.
• Stop blowing it out of proportion, you're totally overemphasizing.
• She tends to overemphasize the importance of material possessions in her life.

adjective easily irritated or annoyed

• The professor was known to be tetchy when students interrupted his lectures.
• Don't be so tetchy, I was just asking a question.
• She's always so tetchy in the mornings before she's had her coffee.
• The atmosphere in the office was tetchy, with everyone on edge waiting for the boss's decision.

adjective not candid or sincere; dishonest or deceitful

• His uncandid response during the interview raised suspicions about his honesty.
• She gave me an uncandid answer when I asked her about the party.
• I could tell he was being uncandid with me about where he was last night.
• The politician's uncandid remarks left the audience feeling uneasy.

noun a person who is not troubled or worried; someone lacking interest or involvement

adjective not troubled or worried; lacking interest or involvement

• The CEO remained unconcerned about the minor setback in the company's quarterly profits.
• She seemed completely unconcerned about the upcoming exam, even though she hadn't studied at all.
• He's so chill, always unconcerned about what others think of him.
• The old oak tree stood tall and unconcerned as the storm raged around it.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'unexpressed' describes something that has not been communicated or conveyed.

• The unexpressed emotions of the protagonist added depth to the novel.
• She kept her unexpressed feelings bottled up inside.
• He's always holding onto his unexpressed thoughts, man.
• The unexpressed potential of the team finally came to light in the championship game.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'psychological safety' is a noun that refers to a shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.

• Creating a culture of psychological safety in the workplace is essential for fostering innovation and collaboration.
• Feeling comfortable to speak up without fear of judgment is what psychological safety is all about.
• You gotta make sure everyone feels chill and accepted - that's psychological safety, man.
• In a garden of psychological safety, ideas can bloom freely without the threat of being trampled.

noun a small or subtle expression that is difficult to detect without close observation

• The psychologist was able to detect the suspect's guilt through his micro expressions.
• I can always tell when my sister is lying because of her micro expressions.
• Dude, did you see the micro expression on his face when he got caught?
• Her eyes betrayed a micro expression of sadness before she quickly composed herself.

noun room - a space that is enclosed or set apart for a particular purpose

verb read - to look at and comprehend the meaning of written or printed matter by interpreting the characters or symbols

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

article a word that is used to indicate whether a noun is specific or unspecific

• It is important to read the room before making any decisions in a business meeting.
• Hey, can you read the room and tell me if now is a good time to bring up the topic?
• Dude, you really need to read the room before you say something like that.
• She failed to read the room and continued to make jokes at a somber event.

verb to understand and share the feelings of another

• It is important for healthcare professionals to empathise with their patients to provide the best care possible.
• I can empathise with what you're going through, I've been there before.
• I totally get it, I can empathise with your situation.
• As a writer, I try to empathise with my characters to make them more relatable to readers.