De-escalating an argument Flashcards
Grow into Something
phrasal verb
To gradually develop into something
* When disagreements grow into arguments they can become a real problem.
* His company grew into a very successful international business.
Priority
noun
Something that is the most important
* Right now my priority is being able to create better speeches and presentations.
* Our priority today should be to finish this task.
De-escalate
verb
To make something less serious / dangerous
* There are several proven techniques on how to de-escalate an argument.
* The government was able to de-escalate the conflict.
Something ‘gets out of hand’
phrase
Something becomes too difficult to control
* It seems his drinking is getting out of hand.
* It looks like their falling stock prices are getting out of hand.
Get worked up
phrasal verb
To get very angry about something
* Remember to breathe when you get worked up.
* She always gets worked up when her husband comes home after midnight.
Let your emotions get the best of you
phrase
To lose control of your emotions
* You shouldn’t let your emotions get the best of you every time you get upset.
* Seems he always lets his emotions get the best of him.
Shut someone out
phrasal verb
To stop listening / talking to someone
* He is always shutting me out when he gets stressed.
* Please don’t shut me out like that.
Give someone your attention
Verbal phrase
To listen to someone carefully
* It’s important to give your team members your full attention.
* Please give me your attention!
Calm someone down
phrasal verb
To stop someone from feeling angry or upset
* I was trying to calm my wife down after she lost her wallet.
* It’s not always easy to calm someone down.
Put yourself in someone’s shoes
idiom
To imagine how you would feel or act if you were in the same situation as someone else
* You should try to put yourself in her shoes and maybe then you’ll understand her better.
* I’m trying to put myself in his shoes.
Upset
adjective
Worried, unhappy or angry
* He always gets upset when someone is late for a meeting.
* I got pretty upset at him after reading his comments.
Acknowledge someone’s feelings
verbal phrase
To accept someone’s thoughts and emotions
* It’s important to acknowledge the other person’s feelings if you get into an argument.
* She finds it hard to acknowledge her boss’ feelings.
Perspective
noun
Someone’s way of seeing / thinking about something
* I’m trying to understand his particular perspective.
* I don’t understand their perspective.
Raise one’s voice
verbal phrase
To speak loudly, usually because someone is angry
* Please don’t raise your voice when you get upset.
* He tends to raise his voice when he’s having a bad day.
Insulting language
noun
Language / words that is rude and offensive
* He’s always using some insulting language when he speaks to me.
* Please don’t use that insulting language around here.
Aggressive
adjective
Doing something in a strong / forceful way
* He has a very aggressive attitude at work.
* Their aggressive marketing strategy has really paid off.
Feel threatened
verbal phrase
To feel as if someone is trying to harm you
* I always feel slightly threatened when he speaks to me in that tone of voice.
* You have no reason to feel threatened!
Conflict
noun
A serious disagreement / argument
* We are trying to avoid any conflict between team members.
* There was a lot of conflict in their department.
