SYS means “see you soon.” It’s a text abbreviation that people use in messaging threads when they’re planning to see each other in the near future. People sometimes write “SYS” at the end of a conversation about their plans together for later that day.
SYS exampleGrace: Hey, Sis! Any chance I can ride with you to the show tonight?
Nicole: Of course! Can we pick you up at 7:30?
Grace: That’s perfect. SYS!
TipUse capital letters for text abbreviations like “SYS,” “LMAO” or LMK. The all caps formatting will make your text messages reader friendly. Without all caps, the acronym might look like a spelling error.
To ensure your messages are error free, why not install the QuillBot app?
SMH means “shaking my head.” It’s a text abbreviation that people use in online chats and text messages to show disapproval or frustration. You can add “SMH” to a piece of mildly frustrating information that you’re sharing, or you can use “SMH” as a reaction to a moderately difficult situation.
SMH exampleCoworker 1: I just read that I-70 is going to be closed again next week. SMH.
Coworker 2: Oh no! Hopefully, they’ll finish the construction soon.
TipOnly use “SMH” with people with whom you have a close personal rapport. “SMH” might come across as too negative if you use it with a supervisor or someone you don’t know well.
It’s also important to use correct grammar and spelling errors when you’re writing instant messages. To ensure your messages are error free, why not install the QuillBot app?
If you’re making arrangements or appointments, morning is considered any time before 12 p.m., noon (when afternoon starts), but not before the usual start of daily activities such as work or school. People often define the part of the morning they mean more precisely by specifying “early morning,” “midmorning,” or “late morning.”
The phrase “in the morning” or “in the mornings” is often used to talk about daily routines in the time between waking up and noon. Depending on context, it can refer to this entire part of the day or specifically to the time when you’re preparing to start your daily activities (e.g., getting ready for work or school) or the time before noon when you’re doing your daily activities (e.g., when you’re at work or school).
We often specify a time after about 1 a.m. when people are normally asleep by saying “[one, two, three, etc.] in the morning.”
In some contexts, such as weather reports, morning may be considered the time between sunrise and midday.
If you’re deciding if it’s the right time to say Good morning, then what time is considered morning can depend on whether you’re greeting someone at the beginning or end of the day.
What time is morning examples
Morning in a sentence
Context
Do you have any appointments in the morning next week?
Someone asking a dental office receptionist for an appointment any day next week at a time between 8 a.m. (when the dentist opens) and 12 noon
I’m always in such a rush in the mornings, so I have my breakfast at work.
Someone talking about their daily routine before starting work
I usually visit customers in the mornings.
Some talking about their daily work routine before noon
It didn’t finish until about three in the morning.
Someone talking about their neighbor’s party, which ended at 3 a.m.
You can expect a few light showers tomorrow morning, especially before 8 o’clock
A TV weather reporter giving tomorrow’s forecast
Good morning! You’re up early today.
A woman, who starts work very early and is on her way to work, greeting her neighbor in the street at 5 a.m.
With the loss of Pope Francis in April 2025, the process of selecting the new pope (known as the papal conclave) has become an international focus. During this process, Roman Catholic cardinals convene in the Sistine Chapel and remain secluded from the outside world until they elect the new pope (usually for 2–3 days).
But what does conclave mean exactly?
Most dictionaries define conclave as “a secret or private meeting of leaders,” but the original conclave meaning from ancient Rome is “a locked room.” It originates from the Latin root word “clave,” which means “key.” Conclave can refer to the papal election or (less formally) to a gathering of people with shared interests (e.g., fraternities and sororities).
Conclave in a sentence examplesThe cardinals in the papal conclave take an oath of silence.
The Phi Beta Sigma Conclave 2025 will take place in Tampa.
Ralph Fiennes won an Oscar for portraying a cardinal in the film Conclave.
The Scythes in Neal Shusterman’s novels attend three conclaves each year.
TipWhen you’re writing about important world events—such as the papal conclave—QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you with clear syntax and precise word choices.
Aesthetic is an adjective that means “artistic,” “pleasing to the eye,” or “related to the appreciation of beauty” (e.g., “I’m looking for a desk chair that’s not only functional but also aesthetic”).
Afternoon starts at 12 p.m. (midday) and finishes at about 5 or 6 p.m., when evening starts. However, as “afternoon” and “evening” are not precisely defined parts of the day, it’s best to clarify exactly what time you mean by “afternoon” with exact times when making plans and arrangements.
We start saying good afternoon instead of “good morning” as soon as the time reaches 12 p.m.
Afternoon in a sentence examplesPerson A: Are you free on Monday afternoon? Person B: Sure, is two thirty okay for you?
When we use the word evening to refer to plans and arrangements, we are generally thinking of a period of the day that begins at about 5 or 6 p.m. (17:00–18:00) and lasts up to about 11 p.m. or midnight (11:00–12:00). In other words, from when most people finish their working day until when most people go to bed.
As evening time is not a precise concept, it is best to clarify statements like “Let’s meet tomorrow evening” with exact times. If an event starts after about 9:30 p.m., we will probably describe it as starting in the “late evening,” rather than in the evening.
Evening examples
Evening in a sentence
Scenario
Comment
What about tomorrow evening?
Someone arranging when to go to the movies with a friend.
They are probably referring to a showtime in the earlier part of the evening (i.e., starting no later than about 9 p.m.)
I booked an evening flight.
Someone informing their family about vacation arrangements.
If the speaker is referring to a flight time after about 9:30 p.m., they would more likely specify “a late-evening flight” or “a flight in the late evening.”
Did you have a nice evening?
A babysitter welcoming the child’s parents home at 1 a.m. after they have been to the theater.
The word “evening” here refers to the parents’ entire outing to the theater, even though it continued past the typical evening hours.
Published on
November 6, 2024
by
Julia Merkus, MA
Revised on
May 6, 2025
Dogfooding refers to a practice where a company tests and evaluates its own products or product updates in real-life settings to collect feedback from its employees before public release. It comes from the phrase eating your own dog food.
Dogfooding can help businesses ensure the quality, usability, or reliability of their products and is a common practice in the tech industry. Dogfooding has two variants that are often combined:
Many companies use dogfooding before a product reaches its customers. This allows businesses to collect user experiences and identify bugs without harming their reputation. They process the feedback from the research process before the official release to actual customers.
Most companies also promote the internal use of their own software products after their release in order to collect more feedback on real-life issues other users might also face.
Dogfooding exampleMeta, Microsoft, and Google are examples of companies that use dogfooding during the development of new products or product updates. For example, Microsoft offers “Outlook Dogfood,” which helps them test the newest versions of Outlook before they release it to the public.
Published on
September 23, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
May 6, 2025
The phrase be supposed to is commonly used in everyday language to express obligation, expectation, or intention. A frequent misspelling of this phrase is “be suppose to.”
If you think something “is supposed to happen,” you expect it to happen because it is a prediction or plan (e.g., “It’s supposed to rain today”).
If you say someone “is supposed to do” something, you think that they should do it because it is the right thing to do, or because it is a rule or instruction (e.g., “You’re supposed to put glasses in this cupboard, not that one”).
Supposed to in a sentence examplesWe’re supposed to be going to a party this weekend.
Demure is an adjective that means “modest,” “shy,” or “reserved.” It is most commonly applied to women and girls or their clothing, though it can be used to describe people of any gender.
Demure in a sentence examplesThe CEO’s demure demeanor belied her shrewd negotiation skills.
She wore a demure dress to the gala, choosing understated elegance over flashy trends.
In response to the interviewer’s question, the actor gave a demure smile and changed the subject.