Word of the day: Jive (noun & verb)
Possible Meanings (as a noun):
- (Obsolete) A lively style of jazz music popular in the 1930s and 40s, characterized by a swinging rhythm and improvisation.
- Slang for deceptive or exaggerated talk; nonsense.
Possible Meanings (as a verb):
- (Obsolete) To dance to jive music.
- Slang for to speak in a way that is deceptive, exaggerated, or insincere; to mislead someone.
Focus: Slang meaning (noun & verb)
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Example Sentences (as a noun – slang):
- “Don’t listen to his jive – he’s just trying to avoid taking responsibility for his actions.” (Explanation: Jive refers to his deceptive talk meant to mislead.)
- The commercial promises amazing results, but it’s all just marketing jive. (Explanation: Jive describes the exaggerated and potentially untrue claims.)
Example Sentences (as a verb – slang):
- He was always jiving, making jokes and telling stories that were probably half-true. (Explanation: Jive describes his way of speaking in a playful but potentially insincere way.)
- “Stop jiving around and tell me what really happened!” (Explanation: Jive is used as a verb to tell someone to stop speaking evasively and be honest.)
Conversation Example:
Person 1: “Ugh, did you hear that politician’s speech? It was full of empty promises and what sounded like a bunch of made-up statistics.”
Person 2: “Yeah, totally! He was just jiving the audience. There was no substance behind any of it.”
Person 1: “Exactly! We need leaders who talk straight, not those who just jive their way through important issues.”
Can you use jive in a sentence of your own? Share your example in the comments below.