Expand your vocabulary so you can express your ideas as precisely as possible. Reading is a great way to expand your vocabulary. The more you read, the more words you will be exposed to. When you encounter new words, use the context of the sentence and a dictionary to discover their meaning.  For example, use nouns, adjectives, verbs, and the tone used in the sentence to guess the meaning of the word. Then, look up the word in the dictionary to see if your judgment is correct. Read novels, literary works, journals, magazines, newspapers, blogs, and books of interest. We encounter new words every day through reading, conversations, TV, and music. By keeping a dictionary and/or thesaurus handy, you will be able to instantly look up new words that you encounter throughout the day. Use whatever version you prefer, i.e., print, online, or electronic.  When you encounter a new word, look up its pronunciation and meaning(s). Then, go to the thesaurus and learn similar words and phrases, as well as antonyms. Great apps that provide these services are the Free Dictionary app, the Dictionary.com app, and the Thesaurus.com app. Make a point to learn a new word every day. If not every day, then learn a new word at least five days out of the week. You can either develop your own list, or use a word-a-day calendar or website.  For example, Dictionary.com’s Word-of-the-Day is a great place to start. The Free Dictionary app has a variety of features that will enhance your vocabulary. For example, each day it has new words for you to learn and word games to help you expand your vocabulary. Word games are also great tools to help you broaden your vocabulary. Pick word games that are challenging, and ones that will help you discover new words and meanings.  Fun word games that will help you expand your vocabulary are crossword puzzles, Scrabble, anagrams, word jumble, and Boggle. Websites that offer fun games are WordPlays.com, Vocabulary.com, and Freedictionary.com.

Summary: Read, read, read. Keep a dictionary handy. Learn a word a day. Play word games.


The whole point of a verbal bully’s attacks is to unsettle you, so don’t give them the satisfaction. Stay calm, cool and collected despite any taunts or insults. To do this, it may help to  breathe deeply, count silently, or mentally repeat an affirmation, such as “I will remain calm.” Ignoring the person is an option. An even more powerful response, however, is to make it clear to the person that the remark doesn’t bother you. Make eye contact with the person, then shake your head in dismissal and look away. Most verbal bullying is carried out because the person hopes to offend you. If you can see any truth to their comment, throw the attacker off balance by agreeing with them. When you accept the statement, it loses its power and the attacker loses relevance. For example, someone says “You’re fat,” you might say “You’re right. I am fat." Avoid becoming defensive with the person. Instead, put the attacker in the hot seat by pulling apart their remark. Analyze the remark and ask questions about it.  For example, someone says, “You’re stupid.” You might respond with “Wow, stupid is such a strong word. Is there a reason you’re trying to insult me?”  However, if the bullying behavior is out of control or you feel unsafe, do not have any contact with the attacker. Just walk away. If you witness someone else being verbally attacked, help defend them by bringing the attacker's common decency into question. In response to their "bad parent" role, play the role of the overly kind parent.  For instance, if the attacker calls your friend a name, you might say, "Carl, name-calling doesn't look good on you. Show everyone that there's a decent human being under there somewhere." They'll likely feel shamed by their behavior and apologize.
Summary: Remain calm. Dismiss the person’s attack. Agree with them, if it's true. Dismantle the attack. Play the kind parent.