Relationship Vocabulary | English Vocabulary Lesson B2: In this vocabulary lesson, you will be learning B2 adjectives. I made a list of adjectives that are used to describe relationships. And remember these are adjectives. And they’re used to describe situations, they’re usually used to describe nouns. So lots of these situations we’re describing the person or the actual relationship itself.
We’re all involved in relationships somehow in some part of our lives. Either in the past or in the present, and hopefully, for those of you who are not, in the future. So relationships are a really, really important part of our lives. So I’m going to give you some insight into the adjectives that we use to describe different aspects of our relationships, both good and bad.
14 B2 Adjectives: Relationship Vocabulary
- Supportive
- Distant
- Tight-knit
- Caring
- Close
- Tense
- Dysfunctional
- Insincere
- Hollow
- Fake
- Dishonest
- Weak
- Stable
- Solid
1. Supportive
Meaning: this word is used to describe a person, if a person is supportive, then they’re going to help
Explanation:
So giving support is all about giving help. So supportive when we have a problem. Supportive when we need to have a discussion about our work that we’re not happy with. Supportive when we had an argument with our parents or siblings or our children. So in a relationship, somebody who’s supportive is really, really important to be there, at the right time, the right moment.
Example:
- I have a strong, loving, and very supportive relationship with my parents.
- My mum is always supportive when I have a problem.
2. Distant
Meaning: lacking togetherness, emotions and feelings
Explanation:
They’re not connecting with us, or they’re cutting themselves off from communication with others, or that they seem to be preoccupied.
So when you’re trying to talk to somebody who is distant, they literally could be in another location, they could be sitting in front of you, but their mind is somewhere else, their thoughts are on something else, they’re focusing on perhaps their job or focusing on some other aspects of their life, but they’re cutting you off. And therefore they look, they feel and you can sense that they are distant, they’re not really there.
Example:
- The key to preparing an emotionally distant relationship with our partners is communication and sincere listening skills.
3. Tight-knit
Meaning: Really closed, bonded, and connected together (often in relation to family)
Explanation:
We often use it not only in a relationship of two people but in relation to family. So a family relationship we can refer to it as a very tight-knit family. Tight-knit means they are really supportive of each other. [B2 Adjectives: Relationship Vocabulary]
Example:
- They are a very tight-knit family. If a problem happens for one member of the family, they’re all there to lend a helping hand.
4. Caring
Meaning: to be very kind and generous, help people who need support, and help
Example:
- He has a very caring personality. He likes to look after people. He is always there if his mother needs him.
- She is very caring with her elderly grandmother, she goes to visit her every weekend. She brings food. She cleans the house.
5. Close
Meaning: a relationship that is built on trust and love; A close relationship is a relationship, which is tight, and is not easily broken, a relationship. And both parties to the relationship understand each other very, very well.
Explanation:
We have a very close relationship. Of course, in all relationships, you can have your ups and downs, you can have your difficulties, you can have your arguments, but overall, if you’re close, nothing is going to get in the middle. So everything is close, very hard to break that to get in between.
Example:
- When we are trying to establish a close relationship, we have to understand the other party and respect them (to understand what they want, understand what their needs are).
They have a very close relationship, they have been together since they were teenagers. Nothing seems to upset them.
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6. Tense
Meaning: never relaxed, there are always problems to happen
Explanation:
So when a relationship is tense, not necessarily about the person, although a person can be tense, or when you feel that all your muscles are tight, then you could describe yourself as tense or you’re waiting for something bad to happen, then you can be tense, you can be on edge.
But a tense relationship is not necessarily a good relationship. A tense relationship is something that is waiting for a bomb to explode or something to cause problems. It’s never relaxed. It’s nobody in the relationship is ever at ease. [B2 Adjectives: Relationship Vocabulary]
Example:
- There’s a very tense relationship because he’s lost his job and he’s on edge or he’s a little bit nervy.
- There’s a tense relationship because she’s not quite sure whether she wants to get married or not.
7. Dysfunctional
Meaning: everybody is doing their own thing, and nobody is looking after the other; when something does not work.
Explanation:
We often hear the expression a dysfunctional family. Dysfunctional means it doesn’t work. A dysfunctional family is a family that seems to have no rules, no boundaries, no manners, and everybody is doing their own thing. And everybody’s getting into trouble for different reasons. Somebody’s on drugs, somebody’s in trouble with the law. One or two members of the family are not working, they’re living on benefits. All sorts of social problems.
Example:
- If you come from a dysfunctional family, you are not alone, you don’t need to repeat mistakes.
8. Insincere
Meaning: somebody is sincere, they truly believe in what they say, they’re sincere in their thoughts. So thoughts or comments might look on the face of it to be friendly, but you know in reality that these are quite insincere, there’s nothing to them.
Example:
- The comments that she makes have been completely insincere. They are just words. (no love, no respect, no real meaning or feeling of support behind them. So completely and utterly insincere).
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9. Hollow
Meaning: When something is hollow, it’s empty, there is no love, respect, or feelings.
Example:
- The relationship was hollow. I felt that nobody was loving me, caring, or bothered about me at all. (it means it’s empty, there’s no love, there’s no respect, there are no feelings. Well, of course, there may be feelings, but the feelings may not be positive, so they are negative feelings, and you feel hollow inside).
10. Fake
Meaning: when a relationship is fake, it means false
Explanation:
So if somebody tries to present a relationship as a good relationship, but in reality, it’s not then it’s a fake relationship. If they try to present, that they are a loving couple, or that they are a couple of care or whatever that might be. But deep down both parties to the relationship. [B2 Adjectives: Relationship Vocabulary]
Example:
- Lilly had a fake relationship with her best friend. She always pretended to be interested in what Maria was saying.
11. Dishonest
Meaning: When a relationship is dishonest, that can relate and refer to the person. If he or she is done something dishonest. That means they’re not being true to their word. So they tell you something, but then they break their promise. They tell you something, then they tell somebody else something different. So they are being dishonest.
Example:
- I don’t want us to have a dishonest relationship. That is not what you deserve.
12. Weak
Meaning: it cannot stand tension or pressure; so the relationship will collapse at any sign of trouble.
Example:
- If you have a weak relationship, it will not withstand any work-related troubles. it will collapse.
13. Stable
Meaning: a stable relationship is something that is flat, it is even. It’s not up and down. It’s a stable that is built on loyalty, trust, consistency, and safety
Example:
- They have been in a stable relationship sine their first date 15 years ago.
14. Solid
Meaning: when something is solid, and you’re built on a solid foundation, then the relationship will withstand pressure points, it will be able to survive the argument, it will be able to survive the disagreement, the financial crisis, whatever the crisis that will happen from time to time.
Example:
- If you can sort out your differences in a constructive manner, it is a good sign that you are in a solid relationship.
Conclusion
Well, that’s all about relationships. And remember, this is about adjectives relating to relationships, I’m not giving you relationship advice. But it’s about the English, the adjectives you can use to describe the relationships that you might have with family and friends or work colleagues. [B2 Adjectives: Relationship Vocabulary]
So let me give them to you one more time. Supportive, distant, tight-knit, caring, close, tense, dysfunctional, insincere, hollow, fake, dishonest, weak, stable, and finally solid.
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