Here are the principal definitions of each word with an example sentence using the target word in context.
| blink |
eyes |
wink the eye; close eye rapidly without conscious effort; link wink but not intended |
He blinked rapidly as he tried to see in the bright sun. |
| glance |
eyes |
a quick look at something or someone |
He glanced at the documents and gave his OK. |
| stare |
eyes |
a long penetrating look at something or someone |
He stared at the painting on the wall for over ten minutes. |
| wink |
eye |
close eye rapidly with a conscious effort; like blink but intended |
He gave me a wink to signal that he understood. |
| point |
finger |
spot or show something with the finger |
He pointed to his friend in the crowd. |
| scratch |
finger |
scrape the skin |
If something itches then you probably need to scratch it. |
| kick |
foot |
strike with the foot |
He kicked the ball into the goal. |
| clap |
hands |
applaud |
The audience clapped enthusiastically at the end of the concert. |
| punch |
hands |
to strike with a fist |
Boxers try to knock out their opponents by punching them in the face. |
| shake |
hands |
move back and forth; greeting when seeing someone |
He shook the present to see if he could understand what was inside. |
| slap |
hands |
strike with an open hand |
Don't ever slap a child, no matter how angry you become. |
| smack |
hands |
similar to slap |
He slapped the table hard to emphasize the point he had just made. |
| nod |
head |
to move the head up and down |
He nodded his approval of what the candidate was saying as he was listening. |
| shake |
head |
to move the head from side to side |
He shook his head violently to show his disagreement with what she was saying. |
| kiss |
lips |
touch with the lips |
He sweetly kissed his wife as they toasted their fiftieth wedding anniversary. |
| whistle |
lips / mouth |
make a sound by blowing air through the lips |
He whistled his favorite tune as he drove to work. |
| eat |
mouth |
to introduce food into the body |
He usually eats lunch at noon. |
| mutter |
mouth |
to speak softly, often in a manner which is hard to understand |
He muttered something about how difficult his boss was and went back to work. |
| talk |
mouth |
to speak |
They spoke about old times and the fun they had had together as children. |
| taste |
mouth |
to perceive flavor with the tongue |
He tasted the vintage wine with relish. |
| whisper |
mouth |
to speak softly, usually without voice |
He whispered his secret into my ear. |
| breathe |
mouth |
to respire; take air into the lungs |
Just breathe that wonderful morning air. Isn't it fantastic! |
| smell |
nose |
to sense through the nose; to give scent |
Roses smell wonderful. |
| sniff |
nose |
short inhalation, often to smell something |
He sniffed the various perfumes and decided on Joy No. 4. |
| shrug |
shoulder |
raise the shoulders, usually to show indifference to something |
He shrugged when I asked him to explain why he had arrived late. |
| bite |
mouth |
grip with the teeth and introduce into the mouth |
He took a big bite out of the fresh apple. |
| chew |
mouth |
grind food with the teeth |
You should always chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. |
| stub |
toe |
strike one's toe into something |
He stubbed his toe on the door. |
| lick |
tongue |
draw tongue across something |
He licked his ice-cream cone contentedly. |
| swallow |
throat |
send down the throat, usually food and drink |
He swallowed his food even though he wasn't hungry. |
