Communication verbs list

Learn these verbs and use them to communicate better with others

abandon one's beliefs or allegiances - apostatize , apostatise, tergiversate , renounce abandon to eternal damnation - reprobate , condemn God reprobated the unrepenting sinner abuse with coarse language - slang , abuse accept an excuse for - excuse , pardon , forgive Please excuse my dirty hands accept despite lack of complete satisfaction - settle , accept We settled for a lower price accord by verdict - give , give0 give a decision for the plaintiff accuse of a wrong or an inadequacy - arraign , accuse achieve harmony of opinion, feeling, or purpose - agree No two of my colleagues would agree on whom to elect chairman acknowledge applause by inclining the head, as of an artist after a performance - take-a-bow acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing - apologize , apologise , admit I apologized for being late, He apologized for the many typoes acknowledge freely and openly - make no bones about, admit He makes no bones about the fact that he is gay acknowledge praise or accept credit - take-a-bow They finally took a bow for what they did act as a cheerleader in a sports event - cheerlead, cheer act as an informer - inform0, inform She had informed on her own parents for years act between parties with a view to reconciling differences - intercede , mediate , intermediate , arbitrate , liaise , negotiate He interceded in the family dispute, He mediated a settlement act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression - cover , treat , deal , handle , plow , address , broach This book deals with incest, The course covered all of Western Civilization, The new book treats the history of China act seductively with (someone) - vamp , coquet activate or stir up - raise , incite raise a mutiny actively cause something to happen - let , make I let it be known that I was not interested add casually to a conversation - toss in, add `I don't agree with this,' she tossed in add details to - embroider , embellish , aggrandize , aggrandise , dramatize , pad , lard , blow-up , dramatise , exaggerate add details, as to an account or idea - elaborate , lucubrate, expatiate , exposit, enlarge , expand0, expound , dilate0, flesh-out , clarify She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation add inflections showing person, number, gender, tense, aspect, etc. - conjugate , inflect conjugate the verb add one's signature to after another's to attest authenticity - countersign , sign You must countersign on this line of the contract address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship - pray , commune pray to the Lord address a legal document to - instrument , address address a question to and expect an answer from - ask , inquire , enquire , ask , communicate Ask your teacher about trigonometry, The children asked me about their dead grandmother, I inquired about their special today, He had to ask directions several times address in a memorial - memorialize , memorialise , address The President memorialized the heroes of the battle address with continuously or persistently, as if with a barrage - bombard , barrage , attack The speaker was barraged by an angry audience, The governor was bombarded with requests to grant a pardon to the convicted killer address, (a work of literature) in a style less formal than a dedication - inscribe , dedicate administer baptism to - baptize , baptise , christen , name The parents had the child baptized administer Communion; in church - communicate , communicate , covenant administer on oath to - swear-in The speaker of the House swore in the new President admit (to a wrongdoing) - profess , confess , concede , admit She confessed that she had taken the money admit as valid - sustain , admit The court sustained the motion admit openly and bluntly; make no bones about - avow , avouch , admit admit or acknowledge a wrongdoing or error - make-a-clean-breast-of , own-up , fess up, confess the writer of the anonymous letter owned up after they identified his handwriting adopt as a belief - subscribe , support , approve , agree I subscribe to your view on abortion advance evidence for - cite , adduce , abduce , testify advertise especially by posters or placards - bill , advertize He was billed as the greatest tenor since Caruso advertize in strongly positive terms - tout , label This product was touted as a revolutionary invention advertize noisily or blatantly - ballyhoo , advertise advise or counsel in terms of someone's behavior - warn , admonish , monish, discourage , advise I warned him not to go too far, I warn you against false assumptions, She warned him to be quiet advise professionally - consult , advise The professor consults for industry affect as in thought or feeling - tinge , color , colour , distort My personal feelings color my judgment in this case, The sadness tinged his life affirm once again - reaffirm , affirm He reaffirmed his faith in the church affirm or avow formally or solemnly - protest , assert The suspect protested his innocence affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of - predicate , proclaim , assert The speech predicated the fitness of the candidate to be President agree to plead guilty in return for a lesser charge - plea-bargain, agree If he plea-bargains, he will be sent to a medium-security prison for 8 years allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting - allow , permit , tolerate , permit We don't allow dogs here, Children are not permitted beyond this point, We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital Next