communicate poorly

[/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt ˈpɔːrli/]
verb phrase
comunicar-se mal
1. to convey information or express oneself in an unclear, ineffective, or inadequate manner
The manager communicated poorly with the team about the deadline changes.
O gerente comunicou-se mal com a equipe sobre as mudanças no prazo.
2. to fail to express thoughts, feelings, or intentions clearly to others
They communicate poorly because of the language barrier.
Eles se comunicam mal por causa da barreira de idioma.
3. to transmit information in a confusing or misunderstandable way
If you communicate poorly in your presentation, the audience won't understand your main points.
Se você se comunicar mal na sua apresentação, a audiência não entenderá seus pontos principais.
In both American and Brazilian business contexts, poor communication is a frequently cited issue in workplace conflicts and project failures. In Brazil, there is cultural emphasis on building relationships ('jogo de cintura') which can sometimes mask direct communication issues, whereas in the US, direct communication is typically valued more explicitly. The phrase is commonly used in professional development and educational settings in both countries.
NYC Slang
talk past someone; fumble the bag (contextually)
Synonyms / Sinônimos
miscommunicateexpress oneself poorlyfail to communicate effectivelyconvey unclearly
Antonyms / Antônimos
communicate clearlycommunicate effectivelyarticulate wellexpress oneself well

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
comunicar-se mal
standard usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
comunicar errado
colloquial variant used in informal speech
São Paulo
comunicar-se de forma inadequada
more formal business usage
Portugal
comunicar de forma inadequada
Portuguese European variant, slightly different word order

Related Words

miscommunicationclaritymessageunderstandingexpressionarticulation

Related Idioms & Phrases

lose something in translation
speak past each other
get wires crossed
fail to get the message across
falar por línguas diferentes
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