—| B2-C1 (intermediate to advanced) |—

In North American and British English, this word typically means:

• NOUN (countable; informal): the brief written summary or explanation of an artistic work (e.g. movie, TV show, book, play, painting, sculpture, etc.)

EXAMPLES:

1. “Before I buy a book on Amazon, I always read the blurb and check out how people have rated it.”

2. “When she’s feeling spontaneous, she doesn’t look at the movie’s blurb before pressing play on Netflix. Sometimes, the blurb ruins the watching experience because it reveals too much–she likes to be surprised when she watches a film.”

Do you like reading the blurb of a movie or book before you watch or read it? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below.

ASSOCIATED WORDS:

Some synonyms associated with “blurb” include:

• recap (noun; countable; informal)

• summary (noun; countable; standard)

• synopsis (noun; countable; formal)

• overview (noun; countable; business English)

• rundown (noun; countable; business English)

• abstract (noun; countable; academic, scientific, technical)

• recapitulation (noun; countable; elevated; uncommon)