Verbs of Verbal Action - Verbs for Negative Communication

Here you will learn some English verbs referring to negative communication such as "offend", "brag", and "gossip".

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Verbs of Verbal Action

to cause someone to feel disrespected, upset, etc.

Ex: Sharing insensitive comments about someone 's background can easily offend them and create tension .

to intentionally say or do something that disrespects or humiliates someone

Ex: Offering a backhanded compliment can unintentionally insult the person you 're trying to praise .

to do or say something to purposely hurt or disrespect someone

Ex: He chose to affront his critics by making a dismissive remark during the interview .

to treat someone disrespectfully by showing a lack of attention or consideration

Ex: He chose to slight his colleague by not acknowledging the hard work she had put into the project .
to curse [verb]

to use offensive and impolite language

Ex: When he stubbed his toe , he could n't help but curse out of pain and frustration .
to swear [verb]

to use offensive or vulgar language in order to express strong emotions

Ex: Upset by the news , she could n't help but swear under her breath .
to cuss [verb]

to express oneself using impolite language

Ex:
to boast [verb]

to talk with excessive pride about one's achievements, abilities, etc. in order to draw the attention of others

Ex: At the family reunion , the proud grandmother could n't resist boasting about her grandchildren 's academic accomplishments and talents .
to brag [verb]

to talk with excessive pride about one's achievements, possessions, etc. often in exaggerated manner

Ex: The student could n't resist bragging about the high score on the challenging exam .
to crow [verb]

to express great pride in one's achievements, success, etc.

Ex: The proud parent could n't resist crowing about their child 's achievements at the school assembly .

to loudly brag and exaggerate, trying to impress or intimidate others

Ex: Instead of quietly proving his point , he chose to gasconade about his intelligence during the class discussion .

to describe something better, larger, worse, etc. than it truly is

Ex: Do n't believe everything he says ; he has a habit of exaggerating the challenges he faces .

to brag and exaggerate loudly

Ex: She tends to rodomontade about her accomplishments , making it difficult for anyone to have a genuine conversation with her .

to exaggerate something for emphasis or to achieve a specific effect

Ex: Her tendency to hyperbolize her achievements in the workplace led to skepticism among her colleagues .

to make something seem better than it really is by exaggerating its positive qualities

Ex: During the job interview , he realized he had unintentionally oversold his technical skills , creating challenges when he joined the team .

to describe something in a way that makes it seem more important or extreme than it really is

Ex: The news article aimed to present the facts objectively and not overstate the impact of the recent events .

to make something seem more important or noticeable by highlighting it

Ex: He plays up his connections to make himself seem more influential .

to talk about the private lives of others with someone, often sharing secrets or spreading untrue information

Ex: The group of friends spent hours gossiping about the latest celebrity scandals and gossip .
to talk [verb]

to gossip about someone's personal life

Ex: She did n't want to post anything on social media because she knew people would talk .

to uncover and share information about any wrongdoing, corruption, etc. involving an important or famous person or business

Ex: The reporter 's decision to muckrake against political corruption led to significant public awareness and calls for reform .

to reveal someone's wrongdoing or misbehavior to others

Ex: The neighbor had a habit of tattling about others ' activities , pointing out perceived missteps in an attempt to stay informed .