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单词 verbal
释义
verbal
(once / 792 pages)
adj

If your friend tells you that the speech you just made was really verbal, he means you used too many words, overstated the point, went on too long, were redundant.
Verbal simply means, "having to do with words." If you hit someone that's a physically assault, but if you say nasty things to him, it's a verbal assault. Sometimes we use verbal to mean "spoken instead of written," usually to talk about agreements we've made. A child who is verbal is a child who can speak, and we call someone who's very articulate a verbal person.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS
aural / oral / verbal

Aural refers to the ear or hearing, and oral to the mouth or speaking. Something verbal is expressed in words, either spoken or written. Listen to the aural sensations of songs from outer space when you've been gassed for your oral surgery. Then stay non-verbal because you can't use words for a long time after the dentist wakes you up.

Aural is related to the sense of hearing:

While the songs may be familiar, the delivery is the aural version of having one's stocking stuffed. (technorati.com)

Audio teams capture far-flung aural impressions to set the proper movie mood (Dallas Morning News)

Our second word, oral, refers to something spoken (rather than written) or something related to the mouth:

The Long Island Storytelling Network will be telling tales at the library on Wednesday to help revive the oral tradition. (Storynet.org)

Oral cancer has always been a bigger threat to men than women. (Washington Post)

Now what about oral vs. verbal? They both relate to something expressed through words, but oral is spoken and verbal can be spoken or written. Oral and verbal are often used interchangeably — both describe spoken words after all. But they're not always interchangeable. If your little sister sticks everything in her mouth, she has an oral fixation. If she can recite the Constitution by age two, she's quite verbal. Consider these quotes from articles about college basketball:

K-State basketball gets oral commitment from 7-footer Diaz. (Wichita Eagle)

Gipson is Kansas State's second verbal commitment. (Fox Sports)

Using those definitions, Diaz told K-State he'd join the team. He didn't sign any paperwork. But Gipson could have signed on the dotted line, or he might have just spoken his commitment.

Remember: if it's related to the ear or hearing, you want aural. If it's related to something spoken or to the mouth, it's oral. And although verbal can mean spoken or written, oral can only mean spoken.  

WORD FAMILY
verbal: nonverbal, verbalise, verbalism, verbalize, verbally+/nonverbal: nonverbally/verb: verbal, verbify, verbs/verbalise: verbalisation, verbalised, verbaliser/verbalised: unverbalised/verbalism: verbalisms/verbalization: verbalizations/verbalize: verbalization, verbalized, verbalizer, verbalizes, verbalizing/verbalized: unverbalized/verbally: non-verbally
USAGE EXAMPLES
Superintendent Eddie Johnson tells reporters that the officer shot the man several times during a “verbal altercation” shortly after 9 a.m.
Washington Times(Jan 02, 2017)
Verbal rehearsal of material—the shopping list you recite as you walk the aisles of a supermarket—is part of our working memory system.
The New Yorker(Jan 01, 2017)
Also, he often prefers to educate somebody, with a verbal warning.
Seattle Times(Jan 01, 2017)
1adj of or relating to or formed from words in general
verbal ability
2adj relating to or having facility in the use of words
a good poet is a verbal artist
a merely verbal writer who sacrifices content to sound
verbal aptitude
Ant
mathematical, numerical
relating to or having ability to think in or work with numbers
3adj communicated in the form of words
verbal imagery
a verbal protest
Syn
communicative, communicatory
able or tending to communicate
4adj expressed in spoken words
a verbal contract
Syn
spoken
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
5adj prolix
"you put me to forget a lady's manners by being so verbal"- Shakespeare
Syn
prolix
tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
6adj of or relating to or formed from a verb
verbal adjectives like `running' in `hot and cold running water'
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更新时间:2025/3/10 10:43:41