Interpersonal Communication Skills

noun a movement or process in which someone or something moves repeatedly in one direction and then in the opposite direction

adverb moving repeatedly in one direction and then in the opposite direction

• The negotiations went back and forth between the two parties for weeks.
• We kept going back and forth on which restaurant to choose for dinner.
• We were texting back and forth all night.
• Her emotions were going back and forth like a pendulum.

noun a situation where two or more people or groups come together in a hostile manner, often to address a disagreement or conflict

• The two nations decided to engage in diplomatic talks to prevent a military confrontation.
• I heard there was a confrontation between the neighbors about the loud music last night.
• I'm not looking for a confrontation, I just want to talk things out.
• The protagonist's internal confrontation with his fears was beautifully portrayed in the novel.

adverb in a terse and rude manner

• The professor curtly dismissed the student's question during the lecture.
• She just curtly told him to leave her alone.
• He responded curtly with a simple 'whatever'.
• Her words cut through the tension in the room, landing curtly on his ears.

adverb In a careful and prudent manner, without drawing attention to oneself.

• She discreetly handed him the envelope containing the confidential documents.
• He discreetly slipped the note into her hand during the meeting.
• Let's discreetly sneak out of the party before anyone notices.
• The artist discreetly incorporated hidden messages in his paintings for observant viewers to find.

noun a person who lavishes praise, especially to excess, in order to gain favor or advantage

• She saw through the flatterer's insincere compliments.
• Don't trust that flatterer, he's just trying to get something from you.
• That flatterer is such a brown-noser.
• Beware of the flatterer who speaks sweet words but has ulterior motives.

verb to successfully communicate or convey a message or idea

adverb in a manner that effectively communicates or conveys a message or idea

• It is important to effectively get across your point during a business presentation.
• I tried to get across to my friend that he needs to study for the exam.
• I couldn't get across to him that I was just joking.
• The artist used vibrant colors to get across the feeling of happiness in the painting.

noun a disposition to be unkind, unfriendly, or malicious

• His ill-nature demeanor made it difficult to work with him.
• She always had an ill-nature attitude towards everything.
• Don't mind his ill-nature, he's just in a bad mood.
• The ill-nature of the storm caused widespread damage.

noun a person who acts as though they know everything and is often annoyingly boastful about it

• The professor was often perceived as a know-it-all due to his extensive knowledge in the subject.
• My coworker is such a know-it-all, always correcting everyone during meetings.
• Don't be such a know-it-all, no one likes a show-off.
• She acted like a know-it-all when it came to fashion, always giving unsolicited advice to others.

noun the action or sound of laughing

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

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• The room was filled with the sound of joyous laughter during the charity event.
• We couldn't stop laughing at the hilarious jokes during the comedy show.
• Their jokes were so funny, we were in stitches with laughter all night.
• Her laughter was like music to his ears, bringing warmth to his heart.

noun a mistake in reading or interpreting something

verb present participle form of 'misread', meaning to read or interpret something incorrectly

• The misreading of the contract led to a costly legal dispute.
• She misread the recipe and ended up adding too much salt.
• I totally misread the situation and thought he was mad at me.
• His misreading of her intentions caused him to make a big mistake.

adjective excessively eager in offering unwanted help or advice; meddlesome

• The officious clerk insisted on following every rule to the letter.
• The officious neighbor always tries to tell everyone what to do.
• That officious teacher is always up in everyone's business.
• Her officious attitude was like a dark cloud hanging over the group project.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'openhearted' describes someone who is kind, generous, and sincere in their emotions and actions.

• She was known for her openhearted approach to leadership, always willing to listen and empathize with her team.
• My openhearted friend always knows how to make me feel better when I'm down.
• I love hanging out with Sarah, she's so openhearted and easy to talk to.
• His openhearted nature was like a beacon of light in a world filled with darkness.

noun a person who is irritating because they behave as if they know everything

• The student was reprimanded for being a smart aleck during the lecture.
• Don't be such a smart aleck and just answer the question seriously.
• Stop being a smart aleck and just chill out.
• His constant jokes and sarcasm made him come off as a smart aleck in social situations.

noun an excessive or exaggerated response to a situation or stimulus

• The company's decision to terminate the employee seemed like an overreaction to the minor mistake.
• Calm down, you're overreacting to the situation.
• Don't freak out, it's just a little overreaction.
• Her emotional outburst was like an overreaction to a small spark.

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

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

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)

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

conjunction a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause

article a word that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun

• The presentation was designed to be understood even by non-speakers, with explanations provided on non-speakers.
• I'll make sure to simplify my explanation for the non-speakers, with extra details on non-speakers.
• I'll break it down for the non-speakers, giving them the lowdown on non-speakers.
• His gestures were so clear that they spoke volumes even on non-speakers.

noun a noun referring to the quality of being friendly, pleasant, and easy to approach or talk to

• Her affability made her a favorite among the guests at the diplomatic reception.
• His affability always puts everyone at ease during social gatherings.
• I love hanging out with her because of her cool affability.
• The affability of the old bookstore drew customers in like a warm embrace.