black book

/'blækbuk/

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Word: Black Book

Part of Speech: Noun

Basic Definition: A "black book" is a list of people who are not liked, trusted, or who are out of favor. It can also mean a record of people or companies that someone does not want to deal with anymore.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "black book" when talking about people you don't want to associate with, or when you want to refer to someone’s list of enemies or disliked individuals.
• It's often used informally and can have a negative connotation.

Example Sentence:

• "After the argument, she put him in her black book and decided to stop talking to him."

Advanced Usage:

• Sometimes, the term can be used in a more general sense to refer to a list of contacts or information that someone keeps private, especially if it includes sensitive or negative information.

Word Variants:

• There are no direct variants of "black book," but related phrases include "to keep a black book" or "to be in someone's black book."

Different Meanings:

1. Business Context: In some contexts, a "black book" can refer to a list of clients or contacts that a professional keeps for networking, but this usage is less common and can vary by profession.
2. Literary Usage: In literature, a "black book" can symbolize secrets or hidden information about people.

Synonyms:

• Blacklist: A list of people or entities that are banned or excluded.
• Hall of Shame: A list of individuals who are considered guilty of wrongdoing or failure.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly include "black book," but you might hear phrases like "in someone's bad books," which means someone is not pleased with you.

Summary:

In summary, a "black book" is a metaphorical list of people that someone dislikes or wishes to avoid.

Academic

Noun

1. a list of people who are out of favor

Synonyms

• blacklist
• shitlist