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It comes from the verb to demean: verb (used with object)
to lower in dignity, honor, or standing; debase:

A toxic relationship is one that makes you feel unsupported, misunderstood, demeaned, or attacked.

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Collocations:

VERBS be, stay | become | remain

ADV. extremely, highly, very | quite | potentially potentially toxic chemicals

PREP. to This chemical is toxic to many forms of life.

Toxicity (noun)

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A relationship is toxic when your well-being is threatened in some way—emotionally, psychologically, and even physically.

ADJ. general | emotional, mental, physical, psychological, social, spiritual | human, personal | economic, financial, material

VERB + WELL-BEING contribute to, ensure, foster, promote A better water supply would contribute dramatically to the villagers' well-being. | threaten

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1 likely to suffer from a particular illness or be affected by a particular problem → immune

People with mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, major depression, or even depressive tendencies, may be particularly susceptible to toxic relationships

Collocations:
VERBS be, seem | become | remain | leave sb/sth, make sb/sth

Prep: susceptible to

ADV. easily, extremely, highly, particularly, readily, unusually, very certain highly susceptible individuals | quite, rather | genetically

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Target

That may make that person an easier target for toxic people.

Collocation:

PREP. off ~ The missile veered way off target and landed in the sea. | on ~ Politically speaking, his jibes were right on target. | ~ for an easy target for shoplifters

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Devalued comes from the verb to devalue: to make someone or something seem less important or valuable

You give more than you're getting, which makes you feel devalued and depleted.

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Depleted: physically/emotionally depleted (= weakened)

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Toll (noun)

a very bad effect that something has on something or someone over a long period of time.

You feel a toll on your self-esteem over time.

Collocation:

to feel a toll on something
to take its/their toll (on sth/sb)

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Definition of bring out the worst in:
to cause someone to show his or her worst qualities

I think competition brings out the worst in people.

Drinking brings out the worst in him.

You bring out the worst in each other. For example, your competitive friend brings out a spite-based competitive streak that is not enjoyable for you.

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You are not your best self around the person

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somebody/something is to blame (for something)
be widely blamed for sth

You are always to blame. They turn things around so things you thought they had done wrong are suddenly your fault.

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to make something weaker or destroy it, especially someone’s strength or their determination to do something SYN weaken

Some people are simply toxic to be around—they sap your energy with negative behaviors like constant complaining, critical remarks, and overall negativity.

sap somebody’s strength/courage/energy

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Flaws

a mistake, mark, or weakness that makes something imperfect

Or, they may argue with others constantly, explain why they know better, or point out the flaws of others—

Collocation:
VERB + FLAW | look for | discover, find, identify, see  | expose, highlight, point out/to, reveal

FLAW + VERB appear Flaws have appeared in the new version of the software.

PREP. ~ in one of the major flaws in his character

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It comes from the verb single out which means: to treat or to speak about (someone or something in a group) in a way that is different from the way one treats or speaks about others

But other times, people are deliberately rude and hurtful. In these situations, you may feel singled out and targeted through their mean words and actions

The coach singled out the players who played poorly.

The reviewer singled her performance out for praise/criticism.

—often used as (be) singled out
She was singled out for special treatment.

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Measure up:

to be good enough to do a particular job or to reach a particular standard.

And, no matter what you do, you feel like you're never measuring up or good enough.

Measure up TO sth: I cannot measure up to my father's expectations

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to use something to increase, become stronger, or succeed – sometimes used to show disapproval.

Some people, particularly narcissists and sociopaths, tend to feed off of other people's attention and admiration.

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To one-up (informal)

to get an advantage over someone by doing something better, more extreme, etc. than them, or by saying that you did or will do something like this:

They were trying to one-up each other over who had had the worst year.

Narcissists feel a need to one-up people and make them feel "less-than" in a quest for superiority.

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having less importance or value than other people or things:

You are assuming people who clean houses for money are somehow less-than.

Narcissists feel a need to one-up people and make them feel "less-than" in a quest for superiority.

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Insults

They may intentionally put you down in subtle ways or throw little insults at you if you share an accomplishment you are proud of

Collocations:

VERB + INSULT hurl, offer (literary), shout, throw T|  | endure, suffer Foreigners have to suffer constant insults from the local population. | exchange, trade The two groups of fans exchanged insults.

INSULT + VERB fly Insults were flying back and forth.

PREP. ~ to It was an insult to his wife.

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Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which the abuser attempts to sow self-doubt and confusion in their victim’s mind. Typically, gaslighters are seeking to gain power and control over the other person, by distorting reality and forcing them to question their own judgment and intuition.

Verb: to gaslight

Or, they may engage in gaslighting on a consistent basis.

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To protect yourself from (emotional) abuse

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To protect yourself from (emotional) abuse

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Wrath (formal noun)

Extreme anger

Remind yourself that you're not going to change them, and confronting them may only bring out more wrath without resolving anything.

VERB + WRATH arouse, bring (down), feel, incur, provoke | brave, face, risk I | turn, vent

PREP. ~ at his wrath at the insult | ~ of the wrath of God | ~ over the government's wrath over the incident

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To put distance between you and someone else

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To put distance between you and someone else

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To remove the toxic person from your life

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To remove the toxic person from your life

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Assertive communication is defined as “the ability to speak and interact in a manner that considers and respects the rights and opinions of others while also standing up for your rights, needs, and personal boundaries”

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Therapy:

When the toxic person is a family member or close friend, it may also be possible to encourage that person to get into therapy, which is often needed to solve the underlying issue behind the toxicity.

VERB + THERAPY need, require | be given, have, receive, undergo He will have to have shock therapy. | be in, go into I went into therapy because my doctor suggested it.

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If something drains you, it makes you very tired:

Consequently, if you're dealing with someone who drains you of your energy and happiness, consider removing them from your life, or at least limiting your time spent with them. And, if you're experiencing emotional or physical abuse, get help right away.

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Responsibility:

Toxic people rarely understand their own  toxicity. They fail to take responsibility for their mistakes, and they often pass the blame to their innocent partners. When a toxic person shrugs responsibility, it’s  a sign of defensive behavior.

Collocations:
have | accept, assume, bear, shoulder, take (on/over) | share | lay, place | delegate, devolve, hand over | admit, claim  | allocate, assign (sb), give sb | attribute

# shrik or shrug responsibility

RESPONSIBILITY + VERB fall on sb, lie/rest with sb

PREP. ~ for Full responsibility for the fiasco lies with the PR department. | ~ towards He feels a strong sense of responsibility towards his parents.

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put/place/lay  the blame on sb

blame sb for something

blame sth on sb

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In really toxic relationships, one partner may even sabotage the other partner’s success.

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Isolate (verb)

To isolate sb from sb
Presley’s phenomenal early success isolated him from his friends.

Does your partner isolate  you from your friends or family?

Isolated (adj)

VERBS appear, be, feel | become, get | remain | leave sb/sth
Prep: from

During this time, my daughter was physically and verbally abused, and she became isolated from her friends.

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Rift (noun)
a situation in which two people or groups have had a serious disagreement and begun to dislike and not trust each other

They want 100% of your  time and attention, so they use manipulative  tactics to cause rifts in your relationships.

VERB + RIFT cause, create, lead to | deepen, widen His actions only deepened the rift between himself and the majority of Congress. | heal, mend, patch up, repair

RIFT + VERB develop, occur, open up A rift had opened up within the party. | deepen, grow, widen

PREP. ~ among/between new evidence of a rift between the two countries | ~ in/within The debate has succeeded only in widening rifts within the Church. | ~ over a rift over public spending | ~ with trying to heal the rift with his brother

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TWIST SB'S WORDS [transitive] to change the true or intended meaning of a statement, especially in order to get some advantage for yourself

Toxic partners will make up lies and twist  people’s words.

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to be so strongly influenced by someone that they control you completely

A toxic partner wants you and your friend  to stop seeing each other. That way, you spend all  of your time trapped under your partner’s thumb.

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ˌred ˈflag noun [countable]
American English

something that shows or warns you that something might be wrong, illegal etc

From the outside,  it’s easy to spot, but when you’re trapped  in this toxic dynamic, it can be difficult to  recognize obvious red flags.

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To be forced to CHOOSE SIDES/PICK FAVOURITES 

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To be forced to CHOOSE SIDES/PICK FAVOURITES 

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ou may think your  partner is trustworthy. You may start to doubt  your friends and family. You may feel like  you have to pick favorites or choose sides.

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So, don’t let a toxic partner  disrupt your closest connections.

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ˈname-ˌcalling noun [uncountable]

when people use unpleasant words to describe someone in order to insult or upset them

hey don’t  call you names, exaggerate your flaws, or hurt  your feelings. Toxic criticisms, on other hand,  quickly resort to name-calling and exaggeration.

Resort to name-calling

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To have other person's best interests in mind or at heart

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To have other person's best interests in mind or at heart

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to be concerned about and want to help (someone)

He claims that he has her (best) interests at heart.

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Trait: an inherited characteristic

Not every toxic  trait is loud or insulting

VERB + TRAIT have, possess | lack | share She shares several character traits with her father. | display, exhibit, show | acquire, develop, inherit We do not know which behavioural traits are inherited and which acquired. | identify, recognize

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Silent treatment (noun)

an act of completely ignoring a person or thing by resort to silence especially as a means of expressing contempt or disapproval

To give sb the silent treatment

For example, have you ever  had a partner give you the silent treatment?  Or maybe your partner repeatedly ignored  your problems or neglected your needs?

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stonewalling (noun) : a refusal to communicate or cooperate

In some cases, a stonewalling partner will  stop talking to you for days or  weeks on end. When this happens,  you may feel like you’ve done something wrong.  You may feel like it’s your responsibility to  break down their walls and earn their attention.  But that’s exactly what your toxic partner wants. Stonewalling is one way that partners subtly  control and manipulate your behavior

To stonewall (verb): to stop a discussion from developing by refusing to answer questions or by talking in such a way that you prevent other people from giving their opinions:
The interviewer accused the minister of stonewalling on the issue of tax increases.

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to accept someone or something that is not exactly what you wanted because you cannot have what you wanted.

So, don’t settle for someone who takes advantage  of you. If someone isn’t willing to give as much  as they get, your partner is a toxic person.

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Are you always making compromises so your partner  can have what they want?

VERB + COMPROMISE agree on, arrive at, come to, find, make, reach, work out I'm not making any more compromises. They're still trying to work out an acceptable compromise. | look for, seek It is best to try to seek a compromise rather than a perfect solution. | offer, suggest After much discussion, she offered a compromise. | accept | reject

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ADJ. long-standing, old It's time to forget old grudges. | personal

VERB + GRUDGE bear, harbour, have, hold, nurse I don't hold grudges for very long.

PREP. ~ against Do you know anyone who might harbour a grudge against you?

One partner desperately wants to make up and move  forward, while the other partner is holding a  grudge.

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Your partner may be experiencing a range  of feelings, like sadness and shame,  but they don’t have the emotional intelligence to  differentiate between their emotions.

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Mental health + verbs

impact, damage, harm, ruin, undermine | risk

improve | deteriorate, fail, worsen

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unhappy or sad

Toxic people can leave you feeling down, are able to suck the energy right out of you, and can even mess with your ability to create new bonds long term.

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suck something out of/from something

to pull someone or something with great power and force into or out of a particular place.

Toxic people can leave you feeling down, are able to suck the energy right out of you, and can even mess with your ability to create new bonds long term.

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Bond: something that unites two or more people or groups, such as love, or a shared interest or idea → tie

VERB + BOND be linked by, feel, have | create, develop, forge, form | strengthen | break, destroy

Toxic people can leave you feeling down, are able to suck the energy right out of you, and can even mess with your ability to create new bonds long term.

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To WALK/BE/TREAD on eggshells

to be very careful not to offend or upset someone

You might feel as if you are walking on eggshells every time you are with a toxic person.

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To experience or suffer from isolation

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Head‧space /ˈhedspeɪs/ noun [singular] informal

your general mental and emotional condition

Before I start on a painting, I need to be in the right headspace.

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put yourself down

to criticize yourself so that people think that you are less good, clever etc than you really are.

Stop putting yourself down. You’re a very intelligent woman.

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VERB + STRAIN be/come under, feel, suffer (from)  | cause, create, impose, place, put Increasing demand is placing undue strain on services. | ease, reduce | cope with, stand, take | increase

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Voice (verb)

to say what you think about a particular subject, especially to express a doubt, complaint, etc. that you have about it:

I have voiced my objections to the plan to management.

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To speak your truth

Share your perspective, tell your story, open up about your experience.

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VERB + BOUNDARY have | form, mark The river forms the boundary. | share | draw, establish, fix, set The boundary was fixed just south of the farm. | redraw | cross We've just crossed the boundary into Sussex. | extend

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Draw the line

to never do something because you think it is wrong:

Draw the line AT/BETWEEN

Draw the line between what you will tolerate and what you won’t let pass.

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make amends (to somebody/for something)

to do something to show you are sorry for hurting or upsetting someone, especially something that makes it better for them

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Break free OF

to escape from someone who is trying to hold you

But in the end, you will look back and thank yourself for breaking free of a toxic relationship. It only gets better from there!

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Dating abuse or dating violence is the perpetration or threat of an act of violence by at least one member of an unmarried couple on the other member in the context of dating or courtship.

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However, when she began dating her new boyfriend, she started to withdraw from friends and had extreme mood swings.

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Swing (noun)

a noticeable change in opinions or emotions

swing to/towards/between etc

a big swing towards right-wing ideology

She suffers from mood swings.

Collocation:

to suffer from swings

Mood swings

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To seek counselling for x

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Self-worth: the feeling that you deserve to be liked and respected

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Literal meaning: If you pull away from someone who is holding you, you suddenly move your body backwards, away from them:

She pulled away just as he was about to kiss her.

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ADJ. sudden | spontaneous | occasional her occasional outbursts of temper | angry, furious, violent | emotional, hysterical, passionate

PREP. ~ against A player was cautioned for his angry outburst against the referee. | ~ of an outburst of anger/laughter/temper/violence

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/dɪˈpliːt/

to reduce the amount of something that is present or available

Dating violence depletes self-esteem, destroys self-worth and divides families.

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to deliberately frighten people by threatening to harm them, especially so they will do what you want

John continued to terrorize my daughter: stalking and harassing her. He broke our car windows.

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Trait: formal a particular quality in someone’s character.

A toxic relationship’s psychology isn’t always apparent, and even if it is, many of us fail to recognize the toxic relationship traits.

VERB + TRAIT have, possess | lack | share She shares several character traits with her father. | display, exhibit, show | acquire, develop, inherit We do not know which behavioural traits are inherited and which acquired. | identify, recognize

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en‧gulf /ɪnˈɡʌlf/ verb [transitive]

1 if an unpleasant feeling engulfs you, you feel it very strongly

You are always engulfed by a bad feeling.

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Passive-aggressive behavior is a pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them.

To engage in passive-aggressive behavior

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trick verb [transitive]
1 to deceive someone in order to get something from them or to make them do something

She knew she’d been tricked, but it was too late.

trick somebody into doing something

He claimed he was tricked into carrying drugs.

trick somebody out of something

The corporation was tricked out of $20 million.

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to discover why something does not work effectively and help to improve it:

They brought me in to troubleshoot - to go in, sort out the problem, and get out again.

This article presents you with 11 types of toxic relationships to help you troubleshoot and learn.

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definition:
A toxic relationship is a relationship that, on net balance, subtracts from your general well being.

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it takes two to tango (idiom)

If you say it takes two or it takes two to tango, you mean that a situation or argument involves two people and they are both therefore responsible for it. Divorce is never the fault of one partner; it takes two.

It’s not always true that it takes two to tango, and in abusive relationships the abusive partner can be the one responsible for all the toxicity.

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Definition of sociopathic
: of, relating to, or characterized by asocial or antisocial behavior or exhibiting antisocial personality disorder

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adjective

having an undue fascination with oneself; vain.

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someone who is emotionally shallow has difficulty connecting to others; who has no deep emotions; who is also probably self-preoccupied and with no big vision about life