com‧mu‧ni‧cate S3 W3 AC / kəmjunəkeɪt, kəmjunɪkeɪt / 动词
1 exchange information [不及物和及物动词] to exchange information or conversation with other people, using words, signs, writing etc :
We communicated mostly by e-mail.
communicate with
People use more than words when they communicate with each other.
communicate something to somebody
The decision was communicated to our staff late in 1998.
2 tell people something [不及物和及物动词] to express your thoughts and feelings clearly, so that other people understand them → convey :
A baby communicates its needs by crying.
communicate something to somebody
Without meaning to, she communicated her anxiety to her child.
His enthusiasm communicated itself to the voters.
A teacher must be able to communicate effectively to students.
3 understand [不及物动词] if two people communicate, they are able to talk about and understand each other’s feelings or desires :
Many couples make themselves miserable by not communicating.
communicate with
Parents sometimes find it difficult to communicate with their teenage children.
4 disease [及物动词，通常被动态] to pass a disease from one person or animal to another → communicable
5 rooms [不及物动词] if rooms or parts of a building communicate, you can get directly to one from the other :
communicating doors
THESAURUS
communicate 动词 [不及物和及物动词] to exchange information or have a conversation with someone, by telephone, letter etc, or by seeing them : Now that we live in different cities, we communicate by e-mail. | He is able to communicate using a special keyboard, which is connected to a computer. | This message is not being communicated to staff.
contact 动词 [及物动词] to write to, phone, or email someone especially for the first time, in order to give or ask for information : Neighbours contacted police after seeing a man with a gun. | She refused to comment when contacted by reporters from the local newspaper.
get in touch (with somebody) to write to, telephone, or email someone, especially someone who you do not see very often : I really ought to get in touch with Paula. It’s been months since we last spoke. | You’ve got my phone number if you need to get in touch.
get hold of somebody to succeed in contacting someone by telephone after trying several times : Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get hold of you all week. | It’s no use trying to phone Linda at work – she’s impossible to get hold of.
approach 动词 [及物动词] to contact someone that you do not know or have not contacted before, in order to offer them something or ask them for something : He has already been approached by several professional football teams. | The company confirmed that it had been approached about a merger.