B2 Unit 117: Communication 7
16 B2 words: sneer, overhear, hyphen, offhand, humbug, stammer… Learn them in 4 steps, then review them every day.
Word list
| Word | Meaning | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| sneer/snɪr/ n | sneeran unkind smile that shows no respect | A cold sneer appeared on his face when he heard the plan.A cold sneer appeared on his face when he heard the plan. | |
| overhear/ˈoʊvɚˈhir/ v | to overhearto hear what others say without them knowing | Sam did not mean to overhear their private conversation.Sam did not mean to overhear their private conversation. | |
| hyphen/ˈhaɪfən/ n | hyphena short line (-) joining words or word parts | Use a hyphen to join the two parts of "well-known".Use a hyphen to join the two parts of "well-known". | |
| offhand/ˈɔfˈhænd/ adv | offhandwithout preparation or much thought | Omar answered offhand, without really thinking about the question.Omar answered offhand, without really thinking about the question. | |
| humbug/ˈhʌmˌbʌɡ/ n | humbugnonsense or dishonest talk | Tom said the story about the ghost was complete humbug.Tom said the story about the ghost was complete humbug. | |
| stammer/ˈstæmɚ/ v | to stammerto speak with repeated sounds or pauses | Ben tends to stammer when he feels nervous before speaking.Ben tends to stammer when he feels nervous before speaking. | |
| blurt/blɝt/ n | blurta sudden, thoughtless way of saying something | Mia could not help but blurt out the surprise to her friend.Mia could not help but blurt out the surprise to her friend. | |
| semicolon n | semicolona punctuation mark (;) between parts of a sentence | Use a semicolon to join two closely related sentences.Use a semicolon to join two closely related sentences. | |
| quotable/ˈkwoʊtəbəl/ adj | quotablegood enough to be repeated or quoted | The speech was full of short, quotable lines that people repeated.The speech was full of short, quotable lines that people repeated. | |
| indent/ˌɪnˈdɛnt/ v | to indentto start a line further from the edge | Remember to indent the first line of each paragraph.Remember to indent the first line of each paragraph. | |
| gook/ɡʊk/ n | gookan offensive slang word for a person from Asia | Gook is an offensive word and should never be used.Gook is an offensive word and should never be used. | |
| wordlessly adv | wordlesslywithout speaking | Anna wordlessly handed him the letter and left.Anna wordlessly handed him the letter and left. | |
| reprove v | to reproveto tell someone gently that they did something wrong | The teacher had to reprove the boys for running in the hall.The teacher had to reprove the boys for running in the hall. | |
| overemphasize/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəˌsaɪz/ v | to overemphasizeto give too much importance to something | It is easy to overemphasize small mistakes and forget the good work.It is easy to overemphasize small mistakes and forget the good work. | |
| italicize v | to italicizeto print or write in slanting letters | Please italicize the titles of books in your essay.Please italicize the titles of books in your essay. | |
| unclearly adv | unclearlyin a way that is hard to understand | The speaker talked unclearly, so we asked him to repeat.The speaker talked unclearly, so we asked him to repeat. |