Nonverbal Communication Vocabulary

verb to close and open one or both eyes quickly

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

• She did not even blink at the outrageous proposal presented to her.
• I can't believe he didn't even blink at the high price of the concert tickets.
• I didn't even blink at the new slang word my friend used in conversation.
• The magician made the coin disappear in the blink of an eye.

noun an act of closing and opening one or both eyes quickly

adjective describing something that happens quickly or briefly

• The blinking lights on the control panel indicated a malfunction in the system.
• She kept blinking her eyes rapidly to stay awake during the boring lecture.
• Stop blinking at me like that, it's annoying.
• His constant blinking at the girl across the room was a subtle way of flirting.

noun a form of nonverbal communication through gestures, facial expressions, and other bodily movements

• It is important to be aware of your body language during a job interview.
• Dude, your body language totally gave away that you were lying.
• She was totally vibing with him, you could tell by their body language.
• His body language spoke volumes about his true feelings towards the situation.

noun the lower part of a person's face, below the mouth

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• She rested her chin on her hand as she listened intently to the speaker.
• He always has a bit of stubble on his chin because he forgets to shave.
• I accidentally bumped my chin on the table and now it's sore.
• The company's profits took a hit, causing their financial chin to take a downward turn.

adjective unable to hear or having impaired hearing

preposition indicating a lack of response or awareness to something

• The company seemed deaf to the concerns raised by its employees.
• She's completely deaf to any advice I give her.
• He's just deaf to all the haters out there.
• The politician appeared deaf to the cries for change from the public.

noun a feeling of self-consciousness, awkwardness, or shame

verb to cause someone to feel self-conscious, awkward, or ashamed

• He was deeply embarrassed by his mistake in front of the entire board of directors.
• She felt so embarrassed when she tripped and spilled her drink at the party.
• I was totally red-faced when I accidentally called my teacher 'mom' in class.
• The team's poor performance in the championship game was an embarrassing defeat for the entire school.

noun a steady or intent look

verb to look steadily and intently

• She fixed her gaze upon the intricate details of the painting.
• He couldn't help but gaze at the beautiful sunset.
• I caught him giving me the side-eye gaze during the meeting.
• His gaze lingered on the horizon, lost in thought.

noun a gesture, especially a dramatic one, used instead of speaking or to emphasize one's words

• The speaker used precise gesticulations to emphasize her points during the presentation.
• He's always waving his hands around when he talks, like his gesticulations will make his story more interesting.
• She was throwing up gang signs and other gesticulations while rapping on stage.
• His gesticulations of kindness towards the homeless man warmed the hearts of onlookers.

noun a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning

verb to make a gesture

• The diplomat's gesture of goodwill was well-received by both parties.
• She made a kind gesture by bringing me coffee this morning.
• He gave me the finger as a rude gesture while driving.
• Her words were a gesture of support during a difficult time.

verb to produce or emit something, such as a smell or light

• The flowers in the garden give off a pleasant fragrance.
• The barbecue is giving off a lot of smoke.
• The new air freshener gives off a really nice scent.
• His confidence gives off a strong presence in the room.

noun a brief or hurried look

verb to look quickly or briefly

• She took a quick glance at the report before the meeting.
• I just had a glance at the new menu, it looks delicious.
• I gave her a side glance when she walked in, she looked amazing.
• He glanced at the clock, realizing how late he was for the appointment.

noun a sullen or angry look or stare

verb to look or stare with sullen anger

• She fixed him with a stern glower, indicating her disapproval.
• He shot me a glower when I made a joke at his expense.
• The teacher gave us a serious glower when we were being too loud in class.
• The storm clouds seemed to glower over the horizon, signaling an impending downpour.

noun a complaint uttered in a low, indistinct tone

verb to complain or protest about something in a low, indistinct tone

• The employees were starting to grumble about the new policies implemented by the management.
• I could hear my stomach grumble as I walked past the bakery.
• Stop your grumbling and just get the job done.
• The thunder grumbled in the distance as the storm approached.

noun a part of the body at the end of the arm, consisting of fingers and a thumb

verb to give or pass something to someone

• Please hand me the document when you have a moment.
• Can you hand me that pen over there?
• Hey, hand me a slice of pizza, will ya?
• She played her cards close to her chest, not revealing her hand.

noun a movement of the head up and down, especially as a sign of agreement or acknowledgment

verb to move one's head up and down as a sign of agreement or acknowledgment

• She gave a nod of approval after reviewing the proposal.
• I nodded in agreement with what he was saying.
• The teacher nodded off during the boring lecture.
• The decision to move forward with the project received a nod from the board members.

verb to move the head up and down as a way of indicating agreement or understanding

• The professor was nodding in agreement with the student's insightful analysis.
• She caught her friend nodding off during the boring lecture.
• I saw him nodding his head to the beat of the music at the concert.
• The decision was made with everyone nodding in approval.

noun a gesture involving the raising of one's shoulders, often expressing uncertainty or indifference

• She gave a nonchalant shrug when asked about the company's financial performance.
• I don't know where to eat tonight, so I'll just shrug and let someone else decide.
• When he was caught cheating on the test, he just shrugged it off like it was no big deal.
• The politician's response to the scandal was to shrug and act like it was business as usual.

verb to form one's features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed

• The professor entered the room, smiling warmly at his students.
• I saw my friend across the street, smiling and waving at me.
• She walked into the party, smiling like she owned the place.
• The sun set over the horizon, smiling down on the world below.

verb Staring is a present participle form of the verb 'stare', which means to look fixedly or intently at someone or something.

• She noticed him staring intently at the painting in the art gallery.
• Why are you staring at me like that?
• Stop staring, it's rude.
• The solution to the problem was right in front of her, but she couldn't see it because she was too busy staring at the details.

noun a verbal retraction or withdrawal of a previous statement or assertion

• The act of unsaying something can sometimes be more damaging than saying it in the first place.
• I wish I could just unsay everything I said last night when I was drunk.
• I totally regret saying that, I wish I could just unsay it.
• Once words are spoken, it's impossible to unsay them and take them back.

adjective describing someone who is not smiling or showing happiness

• The unsmiling judge listened intently to the arguments presented in court.
• She always looks unsmiling, but she's actually quite friendly once you get to know her.
• The bouncer at the club was big and unsmiling, making sure no one underage got in.
• The unsmiling mountain loomed in the distance, casting a shadow over the valley.

adjective describing something that is not expressed verbally

adverb modifying a verb, adjective, or other adverb to indicate time, manner, place, or degree

• The unspoken agreement between the two parties was clear from the beginning.
• There was an unspoken understanding that they would always have each other's backs.
• We had this unspoken vibe that we were all on the same page.
• The tension in the room was palpable, like an unspoken truth hanging in the air.

verb A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. 'Unuttered' is not a verb in itself, but it can be derived from the verb 'utter' by adding the prefix 'un-' to indicate negation.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'unuttered' describes something that has not been spoken or expressed.

• Her unuttered thoughts were evident in the way she furrowed her brow.
• He could tell from her unuttered sigh that she was not happy with the situation.
• The unuttered eye roll she gave him spoke volumes.
• The unuttered emotions swirling within her heart threatened to overflow.

noun the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal

• Her visage displayed a serene expression as she greeted the guests.
• I barely recognized her with that new hairstyle, her visage looks completely different.
• Check out the visage on that guy, he looks like he just rolled out of bed.
• The visage of the city changed dramatically after the earthquake.

noun a gesture involving the closing and opening of one eye quickly, often as a signal or hint

verb to close and open one eye quickly as a signal or hint

preposition to pretend not to notice or ignore something

• The professor would never wink at inappropriate behavior in the classroom.
• I saw my friend wink at me from across the room during the meeting.
• She always winks at cute guys when we go out to the club.
• The company's CEO decided to wink at the rules and cut corners to increase profits.

noun An act of closing and opening one eye quickly as a signal or hint.

verb To close and open one eye quickly as a signal or hint.

• She gave a subtle wink to signal that the meeting was over.
• He always winks at me when he wants to flirt.
• I'll give you a wink when it's time to leave the party.
• The universe seemed to wink at me with a shooting star in the night sky.

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 a word that functions as the name of a specific person, place, thing, or idea

verb an action word that expresses an act, occurrence, or mode of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

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

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)

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

• She gave him evils when he arrived late to the meeting.
• She was giving him evils the whole time they were talking.
• She was totally giving him evils for no reason.
• The storm clouds gave the town evils as they approached.

noun a term used to describe the act of a woman sitting with her legs wide apart in a public space, similar to the concept of manspreading

• The issue of womanspreading has sparked debates on gender equality in public spaces.
• I saw a woman womanspreading on the train yesterday and it looked so comfortable.
• Stop womanspreading, you're taking up too much space!
• Her confidence was like womanspreading, unapologetically taking up space in the room.

noun a clasping or gripping of hands, especially as a form of greeting or agreement

• The two diplomats sealed their agreement with a firm handclasp.
• He greeted his old friend with a warm handclasp.
• The team celebrated their victory with a high-five handclasp.
• The handclasp of friendship between the two nations signaled a new era of cooperation.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific thing, person, or place

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

adjective a word that describes or gives more information about a noun

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

• The new company policy is likely to raise eyebrows among employees.
• His decision to quit his job and travel the world definitely raised some eyebrows.
• Her outfit really raised eyebrows at the party last night.
• The controversial art exhibit has certainly raised eyebrows in the art community.

noun the act or process of coming into or being in contact with something

adjective pertaining to or involving physical contact or touching

• The touchings between the two countries have improved diplomatic relations.
• I heard about the touchings between them, seems like they are getting along well.
• Have you seen the touchings going on between those two? It's kinda cute.
• The touchings of kindness and compassion in her actions were truly heartwarming.

noun a quick downward or forward movement of the head, typically as a sign of agreement or acknowledgement

• She gave a nod through the window to indicate that she was ready to leave.
• He nodded through the crowd to get his friend's attention.
• I'll nod through the meeting and catch up on the details later.
• The artist nodded through the final touches of the painting, satisfied with the result.