Words To Avoid In Professional Settings

adjective showing a feeling of patronizing superiority

• Her condescending tone during the meeting was off-putting to many attendees.
• I can't stand the way he talks to us, it's so condescending.
• She always acts so high and mighty, it's really condescending.
• The dark clouds seemed to cast a condescending shadow over the town.

noun Cursing can also be used as a noun to refer to the act of using profane language.

verb Cursing is a verb that refers to the act of using profane or offensive language.

• The politician was caught on camera cursing at the press during the interview.
• I heard my neighbor cursing loudly after he dropped his phone.
• She was cursing up a storm after she failed her driving test.
• The dark clouds overhead seemed to be cursing the town with a never-ending storm.

adjective causing someone to lose their dignity and the respect of others

• The remarks made by the speaker were highly demeaning towards certain groups of people.
• I can't believe he said that, it was so demeaning.
• His comments were straight up demeaning, no doubt about it.
• Her actions spoke volumes and were just as demeaning as her words.

noun a person who attaches themselves to a group or individual, typically for personal gain or advantage

• The wealthy socialite was always surrounded by a group of hangers on at her parties.
• He's just a hanger on, always trying to be part of the cool crowd.
• Those hangers on are just looking to mooch off of someone else's success.
• Negative thoughts can be like hangers on, clinging to your mind and weighing you down.

noun a conversation or discussion that is not meaningful or productive

• Engaging in idle talk during work hours is not conducive to productivity.
• Stop with the idle talk and let's get down to business.
• I'm not interested in your idle talk, I have better things to do.
• His mind was filled with idle talk, preventing him from focusing on the task at hand.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'ill-considered' is an adjective that describes something that was not carefully thought out or planned.

adverb An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. 'Ill-considered' can also function as an adverb to describe how something was done without proper consideration.

• The project suffered due to the ill-considered decisions made by the management.
• His ill-considered actions led to a lot of trouble for everyone involved.
• She always regrets her ill-considered choices when it comes to relationships.
• The ill-considered words he spoke left a lasting impact on their friendship.

adjective Imprudent is an adjective that describes someone who acts without thinking about the consequences, often in a careless or reckless manner.

• It would be imprudent to make such a hasty decision without considering all the consequences.
• It's pretty imprudent to spend all your money on unnecessary things.
• Dude, it's so imprudent to ditch school just for a concert.
• Taking unnecessary risks in life is like walking on a tightrope without a safety net, it's imprudent and dangerous.

noun lack of ability or skill to do something successfully

• The project suffered delays due to the team's incompetence in meeting deadlines.
• I can't believe their incompetence caused such a mess.
• Their incompetence is really messing things up for everyone.
• Incompetence is like a leaky boat, sinking the whole operation.

adjective showing a lack of good judgment or discretion; not wise or prudent

• It is important to be discreet in professional settings and avoid any indiscreet behavior.
• She was being so indiscreet by gossiping about her coworkers behind their backs.
• Don't be so indiscreet, you'll end up getting yourself into trouble.
• His indiscreet actions spoke louder than words, revealing his true character.

noun lack of skill or ability, incompetence

• The company suffered greatly due to the manager's ineptitude in decision-making.
• I can't believe his ineptitude caused such a mess at work.
• His ineptitude is off the charts, he can't seem to get anything right.
• Her ineptitude was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

adjective suggestive or indecent in a sexual way

• The movie was criticized for its lewd content and explicit scenes.
• I can't believe he made such a lewd joke in front of everyone.
• She was wearing a really lewd outfit at the party last night.
• His lewd behavior towards his coworkers was completely inappropriate.

adjective extremely unpleasant or offensive

• His obnoxious behavior at the meeting was completely unacceptable.
• I can't stand hanging out with him, he's so obnoxious.
• She's always acting all obnoxious around her friends.
• The bright neon sign was obnoxious in the otherwise serene landscape.

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.

noun a person who is excessively bold or confident

adjective showing excessive confidence or boldness; taking liberties

• It would be presumptuous of me to assume I know all the details without proper research.
• Don't be so presumptuous to think you can just show up without RSVPing.
• Who does he think he is, being so presumptuous about his chances of winning?
• Her presumptuous attitude towards authority figures often gets her into trouble.

verb to cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive routine

• The overly strict rules stultify creativity in the workplace.
• I feel like all these regulations really stultify the fun around here.
• The teacher's boring lectures really stultify me.
• His negative attitude seemed to stultify any hope of progress in the project.

adjective not genuine; fake or artificial

• Her ungenuine smile did not fool anyone at the business meeting.
• I can tell he's being ungenuine when he compliments me like that.
• Stop being so ungenuine, just be yourself.
• The painting looked beautiful from afar, but up close you could see the ungenuine brush strokes.

adjective an adjective that describes someone who is acting like a jerk or behaving in a rude or offensive manner

• His behavior towards his colleagues was deemed dickish and unprofessional.
• I can't believe how dickish he was being at the party last night.
• He's always acting so dickish, it's really annoying.
• The way she cut in line was a dickish move that upset everyone behind her.