Meaning & use
verbal feedback
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
Comments or reactions about someone's work or behavior that are given by speaking rather than in writing.
Grammar: Uncountable in this sense: say 'some verbal feedback' or 'a piece of verbal feedback', not 'a verbal feedback'.
Patterns
- give someone verbal feedback
- receive verbal feedback
- verbal feedback on something
After the presentation, the manager gave me verbal feedback on my speaking pace.
The teacher provided verbal feedback on each student's essay during the tutorial.
I prefer verbal feedback because I can ask questions right away.
Common combinations
- give verbal feedback
- The coach gave verbal feedback after every practice match.
- receive verbal feedback
- New employees receive verbal feedback from their mentors each week.
- constructive verbal feedback
- Constructive verbal feedback helps learners improve without feeling discouraged.
- verbal feedback session
- We scheduled a verbal feedback session for Friday afternoon.
- provide verbal feedback
- The supervisor provided verbal feedback on the team's performance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- oral feedback
- Very similar, but 'oral' is slightly more formal and often used in academic or medical contexts.
- spoken feedback
- Focuses on the spoken nature; 'verbal feedback' is the more common fixed phrase.
- comments
- Broader; can be written or spoken, while 'verbal feedback' is specifically spoken.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: verbal feedback or written feedback? verbal feedback or nonverbal feedback?
verbal feedback vs written feedback
Written feedback is given in writing (e.g., notes, emails), while verbal feedback is spoken aloud.
verbal feedback vs nonverbal feedback
Nonverbal feedback involves body language, facial expressions, or gestures, not words.
Practice
The teacher gave us ______ feedback after the oral exam, explaining our mistakes face to face.
Choose one answer.
The sentence mentions 'face to face', which indicates spoken feedback, so 'verbal' is correct. 'Written' would mean the feedback was in writing, not spoken. 'Nonverbal' would mean no words were used, which contradicts 'explaining our mistakes'. 'Formal' describes the style, not the medium, and does not fit the context of speaking.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “verbal feedback”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.