Interpersonal Communication

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'awkward' describes a situation or behavior that is uncomfortable or embarrassing.

• The awkward silence in the meeting room made everyone feel uncomfortable.
• It was so awkward when I accidentally bumped into my ex at the grocery store.
• That party was so awkward, I wanted to leave after five minutes.
• The awkward dance between the two politicians during the debate was hard to watch.

verb to convey or exchange information, thoughts, or feelings through speech, writing, or other means

• Effective leaders must be able to communicate clearly and concisely with their team members.
• We need to communicate better if we want to avoid any misunderstandings.
• Dude, we gotta communicate more if we're gonna pull off this project.
• In a relationship, it's important to communicate not just with words, but also with actions.

verb to deny the truth or validity of something

• The company decided to disaffirm the contract due to a breach of terms.
• She chose to disaffirm the agreement because it just didn't feel right.
• I'm gonna disaffirm that deal because it's sketchy.
• Sometimes we need to disaffirm our own beliefs in order to grow.

adjective causing discomfort or unhappiness; unpleasant

• The weather forecast predicts disagreeable conditions for the weekend.
• I find her attitude quite disagreeable.
• I can't stand hanging out with him, he's so disagreeable.
• The taste of the medicine was disagreeable, but it was necessary for my recovery.

noun a brief or unexpected meeting

verb to come upon or experience unexpectedly

• During the business trip, we had an unexpected encounter with a potential client at the airport.
• I had a strange encounter with my neighbor's cat last night in the backyard.
• I had a weird encounter with that new guy from work at the bar last weekend.
• The artist's encounter with nature inspired her latest series of paintings.

noun a humble request or plea

• She made a heartfelt entreaty to the board of directors for more funding.
• I couldn't resist her entreaty to come to the party with her.
• His entreaty for us to ditch class and go to the beach was tempting.
• The entreaty of the setting sun seemed to beckon us to stay a little longer.

noun excessive and insincere praise, especially that given to further one's own interests

verb flatter (to praise someone insincerely to their face in order to manipulate or deceive them)

• The politician was not swayed by the flattery of the lobbyists.
• She couldn't help but blush at his flattery.
• I see you trying to butter me up with all that flattery.
• Flattery is like perfume - smelling it is fine, but swallowing it is dangerous.

verb to stop feeling anger toward someone who has done something wrong; to stop blaming someone

• The judge has forgiven the defendant for his crime.
• I've already forgiven you for forgetting my birthday.
• I can't believe she forgave him for cheating on her.
• Time has a way of helping us forgive and move on from past hurts.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adverb a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb

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

• It should go without saying that honesty is a crucial virtue in business.
• You know it should go without saying that you need to study for the exam.
• Dude, it should go without saying that you can't skip leg day at the gym.
• The love between a parent and child should go without saying, it's a bond that can't be broken.

adjective describing something that is in agreement or harmony; peaceful and balanced

• The orchestra played a harmonious symphony that captivated the audience.
• Their voices blended together in a harmonious melody during the karaoke session.
• The group of friends had a harmonious vibe going on at the party.
• The colors in the painting created a harmonious balance that was pleasing to the eye.

noun a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts

• The orchestra played in perfect harmony, creating a beautiful symphony.
• When we all work together in harmony, things get done much quicker.
• Me and my best friend are always in sync, we're like harmony personified.
• Finding harmony within yourself is the key to true happiness.

verb to dismiss or disregard something as unimportant or insignificant

• She tried to explain her side of the story, but he seemed to make nothing of her words.
• I told him about my concerns, but he just made nothing of it.
• I poured my heart out to her, but she totally made nothing of my feelings.
• The artist's abstract painting seemed to make nothing of traditional artistic conventions.

noun the state or quality of being fully grown or developed

adjective having reached full growth or development; mature

• The company values employees who demonstrate professionalism and maturity in their work.
• It's important to show maturity when dealing with difficult situations at work.
• Dude, you need to grow some maturity and stop acting like a child.
• The maturity of the wine improved with age, becoming more complex and rich in flavor.

noun a feeling of agreement or harmony between people

adjective shared or common between two or more parties

• Effective communication is essential in building mutual understanding between colleagues.
• We need to make sure everyone is on the same page to have mutual understanding.
• Let's get on the same wavelength so we can have mutual understanding.
• Just like two puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together, mutual understanding creates harmony in relationships.

noun the state or quality of being mutual; mutual dependence or relationship

• The success of the partnership relies on the mutuality of interests between the two companies.
• Our friendship is built on a foundation of mutuality and respect.
• We're totally on the same wavelength, it's like a mutuality thing.
• In a world of give and take, mutuality is the key to maintaining balance.

noun a duty or commitment to fulfill a responsibility

adjective obligatory, required by a sense of duty or responsibility

• It is our obligation to ensure all employees receive proper training.
• I feel like it's my obligation to help out my neighbors when they need it.
• I don't have any obligation to hang out with him if I don't want to.
• Her love for her family is an obligation that she gladly fulfills.

adjective feeling or showing irritation or annoyance

• She was quite peeved when she found out about the mistake in the report.
• I could tell he was peeved when he slammed the door on his way out.
• She was totally peeved that her favorite show got canceled.
• The dark clouds looming overhead seemed to reflect her peeved mood.

verb to take unwarranted advantage of someone's kindness or trust

preposition upon

• It is not appropriate to presume upon someone's generosity without asking for permission first.
• Don't just presume upon your friend's willingness to help without checking with them first.
• You can't just presume upon your parents to give you money whenever you want.
• He always presumes upon others to do his work for him, without putting in any effort himself.

verb to appease or pacify someone or something

• The villagers offered sacrifices to propitiate the angry gods.
• She tried to propitiate her boss by bringing him coffee every morning.
• I heard he's trying to propitiate his way back into the group after that fight.
• Her apology was meant to propitiate his wounded ego.

noun a connection, association, or involvement between people or groups

• The company aims to build a strong relationship with its customers through excellent customer service.
• I have a great relationship with my boss, we get along really well.
• My bestie and I have a super tight relationship, we tell each other everything.
• Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship, just like the roots of a tree provide stability.

verb to revoke, cancel, or repeal a decision or agreement

• The board voted to rescind the decision made at the previous meeting.
• They decided to rescind the offer they had made earlier.
• I heard they're gonna rescind that rule next week.
• She wished she could rescind the hurtful words she had said in anger.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• The doctor identified the sore spot on the patient's back as a muscle strain.
• I told my friend about the sore spot on my shoulder from working out too hard.
• I can't lift my arm because of this sore spot from yesterday's gym sesh.
• Bringing up that topic is a sore spot for him, so let's avoid it.

adjective reluctant to associate with others in a social or friendly manner

• The new employee came across as standoffish during the team meeting.
• She can be a bit standoffish at first, but she warms up once you get to know her.
• I thought he was being standoffish, but he was just shy.
• The standoffish behavior between the two countries was finally resolved through diplomatic negotiations.

adjective expressing a threat or conveying a sense of impending harm or danger

• The company received a threatening letter from a competitor's legal team.
• I saw a group of teenagers making threatening gestures towards each other.
• Don't mess with him, he's known for being really threatening when he's angry.
• The storm clouds were threatening in the distance, hinting at a potential downpour.

verb to assign responsibility for a fault or wrong

preposition indicating the person or thing responsible for something

• The investigation revealed that the faulty equipment was to blame for the accident.
• Don't worry, you're not to blame for what happened.
• She's always looking for someone else to blame for her mistakes.
• The storm was to blame for the cancellation of the outdoor event.

adjective describing someone who is lacking in assertiveness or confidence

• She was often perceived as unassertive in meetings, rarely speaking up to share her ideas.
• He's a bit unassertive when it comes to making decisions, always asking others for their opinions.
• Don't be so unassertive, man! Stand up for yourself and speak your mind.
• The unassertive clouds hovered in the sky, unwilling to release any rain.

noun a person who gives a formal assurance or guarantee

verb to support or confirm the validity or truth of something

• The CEO vouched for the integrity of the new hire during the board meeting.
• I can vouch for my friend's cooking skills, they are amazing!
• I'll vouch for him, he's a solid dude.
• The glowing reviews from critics vouched for the quality of the restaurant's food.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality (e.g. someone, time, day)

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being (e.g. give)

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

article a word that is used to indicate whether a noun refers to a specific or general item (e.g. the)

• She is so busy that she would not give someone the time of day.
• He's too stuck up to even give her the time of day.
• I wouldn't give that guy the time of day if my life depended on it.
• After what he did, she would not give him the time of day even if he begged.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

• It seems that some members of the board have it out for the new CEO.
• I think some of my coworkers have it out for me.
• I heard that Karen really has it out for you, watch your back.
• The universe seems to have it out for him, everything keeps going wrong.

verb A word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence. In this case, 'be' is a verb that indicates a state of existence or being.

pronoun A word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it). In this case, 'someone' is a pronoun that refer

• It is important to respect others' boundaries and sometimes it's best to just leave someone be.
• Hey, just leave me be for a while, I need some space.
• Stop bothering me, just leave me be!
• When dealing with a difficult situation, sometimes it's best to take a step back and leave someone be to figure things out on their own.

adjective in agreement or harmony

• The company's policies are in accordant with industry regulations.
• Our preferences are not accordant, so we'll have to compromise.
• I can't believe we're so accordant on this issue!
• Their voices were so accordant, it was like listening to a beautiful harmony.

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, such as 'accusing' which is the present participle of the verb 'accuse'

• The prosecutor was accusing the defendant of committing perjury.
• She was accusing him of cheating on the test.
• They're always accusing me of being lazy.
• The dark clouds were accusing the sun of hiding its light.

adverb modifying a verb, adjective, or other adverb to indicate accusation or blame

• She looked at him accusingly, questioning his actions.
• Why are you staring at me accusingly like that?
• Stop giving me that accusing look, it's making me uncomfortable.
• The dark clouds gathered accusingly in the sky, as if ready to unleash a storm of judgment.

verb to accept, comply, or submit passively without protest

• The board members were hesitant at first, but ended up acquiescing to the CEO's proposal.
• After much debate, they finally gave in and acquiesced to the plan.
• They were totally against it at first, but eventually caved and acquiesced.
• The clouds seemed to part, acquiescing to the sun's warm embrace.