Online Communities

Word List

(to) bond (verb)

to develop or create a relationship of trust with somebody
● Iʼve bonded with so many ladies around the world!
● Word family: (a) bond (countable noun), bonded (adjective)
● Common collocations: (to) bond with, (to) form a bond, (a) bond between (two people), (a)
close/common/unbreakable bond, (to) have a bond
● Pronunciation: /bɒnd/

vulnerable (adjective)
someone who is vulnerable is weak or easy to hurt or attack physically or mentally
● Sharing too much personal information too soon in a new relationship can leave you feeling rather
vulnerable and emotionally exposed.
● Word family: vulnerability (noun)
● Common collocations: (to) make someone feel vulnerable, (to) leave someone feeling vulnerable,
(to) be especially/exceptionally/extremely vulnerable
● Pronunciation: /ˈvʌln(ə)rəb(ə)l/

IRL (abbreviation; written not spoken)

in real life: used in social media to distinguish between online activity and the real world
● Interestingly, most of my Hey Lady! friends are people I have never met IRL.
● Synonym: in the flesh

low-maintenance (adjective)
describes someone who is easy to please, does not require constant pampering or attention.
● Even though some of my facebook friendships are quite low-maintenance, I still love showing my
online friends how much they mean to me.
● Common collocations: a low-maintenance relationship/boyfriend/girlfriend, a low-maintenance
hairstyle/garden
● Opposite: high-maintenance
● Pronunciation: /ləʊ ˈmeɪntənəns/

(to) vent (verb)

to express your feelings of anger very strongly
● This is an online forum where people can go to get support and vent their frustration.
● Common collocations: vent your frustration/anger
● Pronunciation: /vent/
anonymous (adjective)
describes a person whose name is not known or that is not made public
● Some people prefer to be anonymous when posting on online forums.
● Word family: anonymity (uncountable noun), anonymously (adverb)
● Common collocations: complete/total/strict anonymity
● Pronunciation: /əˈnɒnɪməs/

mutual (adjective)
felt or done in the same way by each of two or more people/ belonging to or true of two or more people
● Our relationship was based on mutual trust.
● Word family: mutually (adverb)
● Common collocations: (a) mutual friend, (a) mutual understanding/ agreement, mutual
attraction/appreciation, mutually beneficial, ʻthe feeling is mutualʼ
● Pronunciation: /ˈmjuːtʃuəl/

(to) curate (something) (verb)

to carefully choose, arrange, and present different items to get a particular effect
● She has carefully curated her online persona.
● Word family: curation (noun)
● Pronunciation: /ˌkjʊˈreɪt/

non-verbal (adjective)
not involving words or speech
● When meeting people online, non-verbal communication such as smiling, nodding, and gestures
really enhance the experience.
● Word family: non-verbally (adverb)
● Common collocations: non-verbal communication
● Pronunciation: /nɒn ˈvɜː(r)b(ə)l/

cue (countable noun)

a thing said or done that serves as a signal to someone else to start speaking
● If you want to become a better communicator, itʼs important to become more sensitive not only to
the body language and non-verbal cues of others, but also to your own.
● Common collocations: non-verbal cues, to give a cue, to receive a cue
● Pronunciation: /kjuː/

virtual (adjective)
created by computers, or appearing on computers or the internet
● Most of us have online connections of some kind, and increasingly many that are exclusively virtual.
● Common collocations: (a) virtual community, virtual reality, (a) virtual classroom, (to) take a virtual
tour (of a place)
● Pronunciation: /ˈvɜː(r)tʃʊəl/