creative writing of verbs

273 Strong Verbs That’ll Spice Up Your Writing

Do you ever wonder why a grammatically correct sentence you’ve written just lies there like a dead fish?

I sure have.

Your sentence might even be full of those adjectives and adverbs your teachers and loved ones so admired in your writing when you were a kid.

But still the sentence doesn’t work.

Something simple I learned from The Elements of Style years ago changed the way I write and added verve to my prose. The authors of that little bible of style said: “Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs.”

Even Mark Twain was quoted, regarding adjectives: “When in doubt, strike it out.”

That’s not to say there’s no place for adjectives. I used three in the title and first paragraph of this post alone.

The point is that good writing is more about well-chosen nouns and strong verbs than it is about adjectives and adverbs, regardless what you were told as a kid.

There’s no quicker win for you and your manuscript than ferreting out and eliminating flabby verbs and replacing them with vibrant ones.

• How To Know Which Verbs Need Replacing

Your first hint is your own discomfort with a sentence. Odds are it features a snooze-inducing verb.

As you hone your ferocious self-editing skills, train yourself to exploit opportunities to replace a weak verb for a strong one .

At the end of this post I suggest a list of 273 vivid verbs you can experiment with to replace tired ones.

Want to download a copy of this strong verbs list to reference whenever you write? Click here. What constitutes a tired verb? Here’s what to look for:

• 3 Types of Verbs to Beware of in Your Prose

1. State-of-being verbs

These are passive as opposed to powerful:

Am I saying these should never appear in your writing? Of course not. You’ll find them in this piece. But when a sentence lies limp, you can bet it contains at least one of these. Determining when a state-of-being verb is the culprit creates a problem—and finding a better, more powerful verb to replace it— is what makes us writers. [Note how I replaced the state-of-being verbs in this paragraph.]

Resist the urge to consult a thesaurus for the most exotic verb you can find. I consult such references only for the normal word that carries power but refuses to come to mind.

I would suggest even that you consult my list of powerful verbs only after you have exhaust ed all efforts to come up with one on your own. You want Make your prose to be your own creation, not yours plus Roget or Webster or Jenkins. [See how easy they are to spot and fix?]

Impotent: The man was walking on the platform.

Powerful: The man strode along the platform.

Impotent: Jim is a lover of country living.

Powerful: Jim treasures country living.

Impotent: There are three things that make me feel the way I do…

Powerful: Three things convince me…

2. Verbs that rely on adverbs

Powerful verbs are strong enough to stand alone.

The fox ran quickly dashed through the forest.

She menacingly looked glared at her rival.

He secretly listened eavesdropped while they discussed their plans.

3. Verbs with -ing suffixes

Before: He was walking…

After: He walked…

Before: She was loving the idea of…

After: She loved the idea of…

Before: The family was starting to gather…

After: The family started to gather…

• The Strong Verbs List
• Disillusion
• Reverberate
• Revolutionize
• Supercharge
• Transfigure

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Powerful Verbs for Your Writing

Inventory Your Own Verbs for Powerful Writing

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Verbs are action words, right? We all remember that from elementary school. Verbs describe the action that is taking place.

But verbs don't have to surrender all the fun and emotional power to adjectives —the words that traditionally paint the pictures in our heads. As a matter of fact, the most powerful writers use verbs quite effectively to illustrate their writing.

Review Your Verbs

After you complete a draft of your paper, it might be a good idea to conduct a verb inventory. Just read over your draft and underline all your verbs. Do you see repetition? Are you bored?

Verbs like said, walked, looked, and thought can be replaced with more descriptive words like mumbled, sauntered, eyeballed, and pondered . Here are a few more suggestions:

• severed (with his eyes)

Get Creative With Verbs

One way to make verbs more interesting is to invent them from other word forms. Sounds illegal, doesn't it? But it's not like you're printing dollar bills in your basement.

One type of noun that works well is animal types, since some animals have very strong characteristics. Skunks, for instance, have a reputation for being stinky or spoiling the air.

Do the following statements evoke powerful images?

• He skunked the party up with his cologne... She snaked the hallways... She wormed her way out of the class...

Jobs as Verbs

Another noun type that works well is names of occupations. We often use doctor as a verb, as in the following sentence:

• She doctored the paper until it was perfect.

Doesn't that evoke the image of a woman hovering over a piece of writing, tools in hand, crafting and nurturing the paper to perfection? What other occupations could paint such a clear scene? How about police ?

• Mrs. Parsons policed her garden until it was completely pest free.

You can get very creative with unusual verbs:

• bubble-wrapped the insult (to suggest that the insult was surrounded by "softer" words)
• tabled your idea

But you do have to use colorful verbs tactfully. Use good judgment and don't overdo the creativity. Language is like clothing--too much color can be just plain odd.

List of Power Verbs

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• 24 Confusing Spanish Words and How to Use Them Correctly
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• A Collection of Shakespeare Lesson Plans
• What Are Verbs, and How Are They Used in Spanish?
• How to Write a Response Paper
• Using the Spanish Verb ‘Gustar’
• Subject and Object Questions in English

444+ Strong Verbs for More Powerful Writing and Storytelling

Picture this: You’re on a writing adventure, and you’re armed with a quiver full of arrows. These arrows are your words, your tools of the trade. But what if I told you that not all arrows are created equal? Some are dull, while others are sharp, gleaming, and ready to pierce the hearts of your readers. Which ones would you choose?

That’s right, you’d go for the most lethal, the most captivating, the most powerful arrows in your arsenal. In the world of writing, these arrows are known as strong verbs.

Now, buckle up and join me as we embark on a journey to uncover the secrets behind these magical linguistic weapons. Together, we’ll learn how to wield strong verbs like a pro and transform your piece of writing into a riveting masterpiece. Are you ready to become a true wordsmith? Let’s dive in!

What Are Strong Verbs?

Strong verbs are specific, precise words that convey a clear action or emotion. They paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind, making your writing more dynamic and compelling. Strong verbs stand on their own, without the need for adjectives or adverbs, and they often replace weaker, more generic verbs.

Strong verbs are essential for creating a vivid, immersive experience for readers. They serve as the driving force behind the action, helping to bring characters (whether they are round or flat characters ) and scenes to life. With the right choice of verbs, writers can paint a picture that is both engaging and emotionally resonant, allowing readers to become invested in the story.

In addition to their impact on storytelling, strong verbs offer a range of benefits that can enhance your writing overall:

• Clarity: Strong verbs provide clear, concise descriptions of actions, making it easier for readers to understand your message.
• Engagement: Powerful verbs draw readers in, keeping them interested and invested in your content.
• Emotion: Vivid verbs help evoke emotions, allowing readers to connect with your writing on a deeper level.
• Pacing: Using strong verbs can enhance the pacing of your narrative, sustaining momentum and ensuring a smooth flow.
• Variety: A diverse range of verbs prevents your writing from becoming repetitive, helping your readers to maintain their levels of attention.
• Impact: Strong verbs create powerful imagery, leaving a lasting impression on readers and making your content memorable.

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Strong Verbs vs. Weak Verbs

While strong verbs are specific, vivid, and powerful, weak verbs are vague, generic, and lack the impact needed to hold a reader’s attention.

Weak verbs tend to dilute the message and make the writing less dynamic. In contrast, strong verbs help paint a clear picture, allowing readers to visualize the action and connect with the story emotionally. By replacing weak verbs with their stronger counterparts, you can significantly improve the quality and impact of your writing.

Here are five examples of weak verbs and useful strong verbs that can replace them:

3 Types of Weak Verbs to Replace

Recognizing weak verbs in your writing is the first step towards creating more vivid content. Here are three common types of weak verbs to look out for in your writing.

1. State-of-Being Verbs

State-of-being verbs often contribute to weak writing as they lack action or specificity. These verbs include:

Replacing state-of-being verbs with strong action verbs can enhance clarity and make your writing more engaging.

Weak: The storm is fierce.

Strong: The storm ravages the coastline.

Weak: He does everything his boss tells him to do, although he dislikes him.

Strong: Despite his aversion for him, he always obeys his boss.

Weak: They had a secret now.

Strong: They remained silent about it and never shared the story with anyone.

2. Verbs That Rely on Adverbs

When a verb needs an adverb to provide additional information, it’s often a sign of a weak verb. Replacing the verb-adverb combination with a single, stronger verb can make your writing more concise and impactful.

Weak: She opened the door quietly.

Strong: She tiptoed through the door.

Weak: He looked around analytically.

Strong: He examined the room and those in it.

Weak: The horse moved quickly.

Strong: The horse galloped across the field.

3. Verbs With -ing Suffixes

Verbs with an -ing suffix can sometimes weaken your writing, particularly when they create a continuous tense or a gerund that isn’t necessary. Replacing them with a simple present or past tense verb can make your writing more direct.

Weak: The leaves were rustling in the breeze.

Strong: The leaves rustled in the breeze.

Weak: She was hesitating before making her decision.

Strong: She hesitated before making her decision.

Weak: The sun was setting behind the mountains.

Strong: The sun set behind the mountains.

The Ultimate Strong Verbs List

Unlock the potential of your writing with our handpicked selection of strong verbs. These powerful words will serve as inspiration for you to craft vivid, compelling stories that grab your readers’ attention.

• Commiserate
• Contemplate
• Deteriorate
• Disintegrate
• Reverberate
• Revolutionize
• Supercharge

Tips & Tricks for Using Strong Verbs

Using strong verbs can significantly elevate your writing, making it more vivid and intriguing for readers. Here are some practical tips and tricks to help you incorporate strong verbs into your writing effectively.

Read Widely

One of the best ways to develop a robust vocabulary, including a wide range of strong verbs, is to read widely. By exposing yourself to various genres and styles, you’ll naturally come across new verbs and expand your understanding of their usage.

Vary Your Verbs

While it’s essential to use strong verbs, be mindful not to overuse the same verbs repeatedly. Overusing a specific verb can make your writing monotonous. Instead, try to mix up your strong verbs list to keep your readers hooked. Experiment with different verbs to see which ones best convey the actions, emotions, and energy in your writing.

Convey Emotions

Strong verbs can evoke powerful emotions and create vivid images in the reader’s mind. Think about how a verb can convey the emotional intensity of a scene or action. For example, instead of using “said”, consider using more expressive verbs like “whispered,” “murmured,” “bellowed,” or “shouted” to add depth and emotion to your writing. This is important in any genre, but is crucial in stories where the inner world and perception of the characters carry the weight of the plot , such as romance novels or horror stories .

Use Active Voice

Incorporating strong verbs often goes hand-in-hand with using the active voice. The active voice makes your writing more engaging and direct, as it focuses on the subject performing the action. This emphasis on action can also help you select more powerful verbs. For instance, instead of writing “The letter was read by Emma,” write “Emma tore open the letter, her eyes racing across the words.” The active voice and the strong verbs “tore” and “racing” make the sentence more dynamic.

Revise and Edit

Finally, remember that strong verbs are often discovered during the revision and editing process. As you go through your drafts, keep an eye out for opportunities to replace weak verbs with more compelling options. Use your growing knowledge of vivid verbs to transform your writing, and don’t be afraid to make changes to enhance your prose.

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190+ Action Verbs: Powerful Words and Examples

Check out our guide with action verbs to add to your next piece of writing; create impactful storylines that keep your readers hooked with these powerful verbs.

Action verbs add an extra “oomph!” to your writing, helping you to describe the many things your characters will achieve throughout the story. Learning how to use action verbs will enhance your writing, help to define your characters, and allow your readers to grasp the plot points with ease.

However, action verbs aren’t just for story writing. They’re also ideal to use in your resume when applying for jobs. Check out what Indeed.com says about using action verbs:

“The action verbs give the reader a clear understanding of what is happening. When used within a resume or cover letter, action verbs help the application package stand out from other submissions.”

So, it’s important to learn the correct action verbs to use in your writing to make a lasting impact on the readers. Whether you’re working on a fiction book, an essay, or sprucing up your resume, we’ve got everything you need to level up your writing. If you’re interested in this topic, check out our list of feeling words for more!

What Are Action Verbs?

Mental action verbs, action verbs denoting personal improvement, action verbs denoting productivity  , action verbs denoting ability, action verbs denoting leadership traits, action verbs denoting initiative, action verbs denoting excellent communication skills, finance action verbs.

Action verbs, a.k.a. dynamic verbs, express an action a person takes. They are one of two major categories of verbs in English (the other one being stative verbs). In other words, active verbs describe what a person is doing or has done and are, consequently, often used in business.

One typical example where action verbs shine is the bullet statement format used when the writer wants to describe their accomplishments using a bare minimum of words. However, remember that not all action verbs are made equal. The words that cement the image of the writer accomplishing something instead of merely being in charge of it are the best choice.

E.g., “handling” is not as illustrative as “executing.” Precision takes precedence and makes a lasting impact. Therefore, pick your verbs carefully. You might also be interested in our list of boring words and phrases to avoid in your writing.

Action Verbs Printable

Mental action verbs describe intellectual or inner dynamic actions. Discerning them can be challenging as many stative verbs describe thoughts and opinions. Therefore, we’re starting with some notable examples of mental action verbs. You might also be interested in our homophones word list .

He was analyzing testimonials all night and was late for work in the morning.

2. Appreciate

He appreciates that cooperation with the sales department is a necessary evil.

3. Consider

Mark considered his roommate’s decisions as foolish but kept silent.

As a child, Anna dreamt of playing the flute, but her parents never allowed it.

5. Evaluate

Nicholas wasn’t able to evaluate the situation properly due to shock.

I fear that the situation is getting out of hand.

Don’t forget to bring the book tomorrow!

The idea is growing on me.

I imagine you’re referring to Star Wars.

The CEO failed to learn anything from employee feedback.

11. Memorize

I try to memorize five new Chinese words every day.

I’m always pondering how to improve my attitude in adversity.  

13. Remember

She could vaguely remember Nick’s face after all those years they’d been apart.

14. Resolve

He resolved to learn Japanese and head the regional branch.

Reviewing for exams can help students join the dots seamlessly.

Don’t you think John was unhappy about the prospect?

To underline success, professional and personal alike, you may use suitable action verbs denoting improvement. Here are some examples: 

17. Accomplish

I think I’ve accomplished much in this short amount of time.

18. Customize

Our IT team has customized the chatbot.

19. Demonstrate

They demonstrated their knowledge during the seminar.

Merging the two start-ups was the best decision they ever made.  

Larry modified his views to meet project requirements.

22. Overhaul

Shareholders have decided to overhaul the training program.

She set to revamp company policies to include hybrid work models.

24. Revitalize

Yoga classes can help you revitalize your body and spirit in no time.

25. Streamline

Mark worked hard to streamline operations to benefit the entire team.

26. Strengthen

She strengthened her resolve to deal with her past trauma.

27. Surpass     

He has truly surpassed himself with his latest whitepaper.

I’m just testing my theory out; is there something wrong with that?

Did you know she trained as a psychologist before becoming a translator?

30. Transform

Transforming my career advancement plans is the best thing I’ve ever done.

31. Translate

My teacher says I must translate this sentence twenty times to grasp synonyms.

We’d appreciate it if you could keep us updated on the procedure.

33. Upgrade

I’ve upgraded my skills! Now, I’m a high-level wizard!

There are many action verbs suitable for business English. Let’s consider some examples of verbs denoting productivity. You might also be interested in our list of describing words .

34. Achieve

I need to work hard to achieve my goals.

Becoming an author can be one of the most creative and rewarding careers.

36. Publish

The feeling of publishing your first novel is like nothing else; the excitement and pride you will feel are unparalleled.

37. Actualize

To actualize your potential, you need to train harder.

He’s adapting the play to suit a wider audience.

39. Address

He addressed the audience with an enthusiasm rarely witnessed before.

Individuals need to adjust their approach to suit the team.

41. Advance

The creditor advanced $100 million to help the business with debt repayments.

42. Amplify

Maria’s vision of the upcoming meeting with shareholders was amplifying her morale.

The initiative aims to boost sales during the peak season.

44. Capitalize

He capitalized on the sudden increase in demand.

45. Collect

I’m going to collect the latest issue of the magazine first thing tomorrow morning.

46. Compute

The management uses feedback to compute the rate of employee performance.

47. Conceive

I simply can’t conceive how you could be so insensitive!

48. Conceptualize

I’m unsure if I’ll be able to conceptualize the bigger picture, but I’ll give it my best shot.

49. Consolidate

The HR department consolidated its processes in an attempt to attract talent.

50. Construct

I’m constructing the argument in my mind and have yet to shape it into words.

51. Co-produce

Good news, everyone: we’ll be co-producing the new car model with Honda!

Hannah curated the exhibit alongside her husband, rumored to be an expert in the field. 

Nina has been tasked with debugging the company’s in-house software.

54. Deliver

Ronaldo rarely fails to deliver a perfect pass.

We’ve hired a wildly popular digital artist to design our holiday brochure.

He’s good at devising out-of-the-box solutions; that’s why we hired him in the first place.

57. Diagnose

Will you be able to diagnose the error by the end of the day?

58. Enhance

Simon is trying to enhance his reputation by demonstrating his unique expertise.

59. Expedite

Teams’ efforts expedited departmental plans.

60. Explore

The brand is exploring collaborating on a new project with the new regional start-up .

61. Further

Mary’s donation furthered her company’s positive outlook.

62. Improve

We need to improve our merger plans.

63. Maximize

Johanna’s superb design skills maximized company impact during the presentation.  

64. Proofread

Nicholas proofreads books for an established publishing company.

65. Reconcile

Reconciling opposing viewpoints may be challenging, but we need to succeed all the same.

66. Stimulate

Her speech stimulated everyone present to perform better.

67. Sustain

Seasonal earnings will sustain our business during the dormant season.

She refused to yield power to the shareholders.

Action verbs can be used to efficiently communicate one’s ability. Here are some examples to help you get started.

69. Administer

They had to administer the revenues to prevent unfair play.

I’m thinking of learning to code programs.

71. Complete

He is working overtime to complete work.

72. Develop

She’s trying to develop empathy in an attempt to reinvent herself.

73. Document

We need to document and report employee feedback before the next meeting.

74. Drive                        

Sadly, Mary can’t drive, although she’s having none of it!

She edits a business magazine that’s becoming more popular by the day.

76. Execute

The higher-ups are set to execute the new strategy.

There’s much I need to learn to expand my views.

78. Implement

We plan to implement a policy allowing all new hires to sign up for benefits.

79. Interpret

We need to interpret the stats as best we can; we’re not getting any help from higher-ups.

80. Operate

Do you know how to operate the machines?

81. Organize

If I wanted you to organize my life, I wouldn’t have looked for a roommate.

82. Perform

I need to study more if I want to perform better than average.

83. Prepare

I am prepared for any eventuality.  

84. Realize

Can you realize the target or not?

Action verbs can be rather impactful when denoting leadership traits. They communicate expertise and willingness to deal with any obstacle. Here are the finest examples of dynamic verbs denoting leadership aspirations and expertise:

85. Arrange

I’ll arrange everything, so the only thing you need to do is follow through.

Management assessed the cost of the latest marketing initiative at ca. £7,000.

I’m assigning this job to you because I find your soft skills quite suitable.

My brother said he’d assist me with the task.

You need to decide on your own how to attain the goal; it’s rather subjective.

90. Authorize

To appeal to the workforce, the CEO authorized additional PTO.  

He’s built his career around his seamless communication skills.

Peculiarly enough, chairing the meeting is a new hire.

She is performing her tasks so seamlessly that I’m wondering if she’s been coached by a professional.

94. Coordinate

We need to coordinate our efforts to get the job done ASAP.

95. Delegate

Shouldn’t she be delegating work faster?

Higher-ups are deploying resources more sparingly due to past grievances.

A police officer is directing the traffic again.

98. Empower

The matter of how to empower remote workers is gaining broad recognition.

Is it right to enable new hires to become workaholics?

100. Encourage

Top brass are encouraging project development as it is expected to make them rich overnight.

101. Enforce

The police are trying to enforce speed limits with varying degrees of success.

102. Engineer

Can we engineer a successful meeting between office employees and remote teams?

103. Examine

They’re examining the cause of the failure with the help of our brand-new AI solution.

104. Exceed

He is exceeding all expectations; he’s truly a marvel!

105. Explain

Joshua explained to his mates that he’d be leaving the band due to personal obligations.

106. Foster

They’re fostering a sense of inclusivity, but I can tell they’re not too happy about the whole affair.

107. Fulfill

He has failed to fulfill his promise and is trying to make amends.

Mr. Smith guided us through all the trials and tribulations of the takeover.

He is heading the meeting regardless of the uproar.

Helping him overcome the divorce was the best thing I ever did.

111. Individualize

Our HR teams are individualizing onboarding programs to allow for better personalization.

112. Inspect

We went to inspect the damage after the flood.

113. Instruct

The management instructed the team to align goals with the brand mission.

114. Invest

He’s invested in his studies and hardly has any spare time for anything else.

115. Investigate

They’ve investigated allegations of corruption and found nothing conclusive.

116. Lecture

Is he lecturing newcomers again?

Businesses are lobbying for proposed changes in the tax laws.

118. Maintain

Jonny is maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a little help from his wife.

119. Manage

He has managed finances for as long as I can remember.

120. Map         

IT teams are mapping all network drives at the moment.

121. Moderate

Mary thinks she needs to moderate her stance as she came across as overly harsh.

Our HR experts mold new hires’ characters with ease.

123. Motivate

I am motivated to help my friends achieve their goals.

124. Network

Company meetings are a good opportunity to network .

125. Orchestrate

He charged us with orchestrating the production.

126. Outperform

Our company will easily outperform our biggest competitor again.

127. Oversee

We need to appoint an engineer to oversee the construction.

128. Participate

We’ll all participate in the upcoming get-along and are fired up.

129. Partner

Mark and Maria partnered for the competition, hoping to place better.

They are planning a project in line with new directives.

131. Preside

The new integrator will preside at tomorrow’s meeting.

Their HR representative probed into my private life, and I’m outraged!

133. Project

The revenue is projected to surge again.

134. Spearhead

He spearheaded the company’s expansion into the U.S.A.

135. Supervise

The logistics department is supervising the distribution of resources.

136. Support

I planned to support her claim, but she’d been lying through her teeth.

By nature, initiative portends action. That’s why dynamic verbs are so illustrative in this regard. Take a look at a couple of examples below:

I’m asking you again: “Will you be joining us tonight?”

138. Balance

Balancing professional and private life can get tricky during the peak season.

139. Budget

An additional $10 million needs to be budgeted for new projects in Q3.

140. Calculate

I’m calculating the total right now.

Mr. Watson is continually charting the progress of each team member, so be careful.

We’ll be able to close the deal tomorrow.

143. Co-author

Maria and her brother have co-authored a vegetarian cookbook.

144. Collaborate

We’ll be collaborating with a Korean firm to develop the new product.

145. Create

Creating new initiatives is going as planned, so don’t worry.

146. Discover

I’m discovering more about the wabi-sabi concept with each passing day.

147. Establish                    

Establishing a new regional branch sounds like a good idea at this point.

148. Facilitate

To facilitate group discussion, project leaders should be inventive.

To form an impactful sentence, you should consider using active verbs.

Who founded the museum, do you know?

151. Formalize

They are planning to formalize the deal, but details have yet to be defined.

152. Formulate

Try as I might, I failed to formulate a proper response.

153. Gather

Everyone should gather here after work as we will throw a welcome party.

154. Initiate

There are several ways to initiate knowledge sharing, and AI is just the tip of the iceberg.

155. Institute

Policymakers are about to institute a number of measures to enforce public safety.

156. Introduce

Today, he’ll be introducing new technological developments in healthcare.

Join us for the outing tonight; it’ll be fun.

Don’t joke around; it’s a serious matter!

The football player kicked his opponent during the match and was removed from the game.

160. Launch

We’re launching the project tomorrow, so prepare for potential inquiries.   

161. Pioneer

He’s regarded as a pioneer in the world of art and literature.

Your son is playing with matchsticks again!

163. Present

I’ll present the latest developments I’ve worked hard to come by.

164. Propose

The judge proposed the establishment of special tribunals for the trial of offenses disturbing the general peace.

He did raise some important questions, but the audience remained silent.

I’ll have reached NY headquarters by 5 PM.

167. Survey

I’m surveying the terrain now, so give me some time, and I’ll get back to you with the findings.

168. Team (up)

They teamed up for the upcoming competition, and their morale is through the roof!

I’ve been tutoring my son, but he’s still as dumb as a brick! It’s infuriating!

170. Visualize

I can visualize my future in the company going forward.

Communication rules supreme, especially in the age of rapid digitalization. Use action verbs to demonstrate your skill! Let’s illustrate best practices.

171. Convince

I am sure I can convince her to share her thoughts.

172. Communicate

We need to communicate the news during the meeting.

173. Compose

It took me some time to compose myself after the incident.

174. Cooperate

My son refuses to cooperate and denies his involvement in the incident.

175. Correspond

He still corresponds with Jamaican friends he met in Germany five years ago.

176. Define

Will you be able to define what’s wrong with this initiative?

Yes, he is drafting the legislation, but he’s taking his time.

178. Illustrate

Let me give you an example to illustrate the point.

179. Outline

The professor outlined his methodology in his latest book.

180. Persuade

Can I persuade you to come with us to the meet-up after work?

181. Promote

Mark was promoted to the First Division after nailing down his previous mission.

182. Publicize

He never did publicize his book, but it was an instant success nevertheless.

We’ve managed to find a volunteer to write our manifest.

Finally, finance experts use action verbs galore and not without a good reason. This hectic industry is best described by dynamic words, but do note that these verbs can be equally impactful in other contexts as well.

Let’s take a look at some notable examples.

184. Appraise

The team is appraising the property , with estimates still being vague.

They audit all accounts annually to ensure they align with company policies.

186. Convert

He keeps converting all his cash from pounds into dollars. Is he planning to visit the States?

187. Decrease

I’m decreasing the revenue forecast due to last month’s unexpected losses.

188. Estimate

Analysts estimate the trend will be reversing any time now.

189. Forecast

Shareholders forecast the profit to grow by 2% in this quarter.

I’ve lowered the assessment to reflect recent data.

191. Measure

Measuring the impact of public involvement in research is never an easy task.

192. Qualify

They seem to think that reading a couple of books on AI qualifies them as experts.

193. Reduce

Team members worked hard to reduce the negative impact the latest marketing initiative had invoked.

194. Report

Reporting with the latest developments is our journalist Mark. Mark, tell us what’s going on!

195. Research

Researching her prior experiences, Viola discovered how to further her goals.

Financial aid is available to help those struggling with essential payments like rent or mortgage fees.

197. Advise

A great accountant will advise you on the best business practices as well as help with your taxes.

Looking for more? Check out our list of adjectives for strong men !

Meet Rachael, the editor at Become a Writer Today. With years of experience in the field, she is passionate about language and dedicated to producing high-quality content that engages and informs readers. When she's not editing or writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, finding inspiration for her next project.

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Novel writing ,

Vivid verbs – the easy way to spice up your writing.

By Harry Bingham

The ultimate guide on how to use verbs in your writing, including vivid verb examples and a handy list of over 333 strong verbs!

Sometimes you write something and it just feels… dead.

So you go to work on it, juicing it up with adjectives and adverbs. Trying to put a sparkle into your writing. Only then do you take a step back and look again.

And what you have is actually  worse . It’s still flat, but somehow trying too hard at the same time. Like playing canned laughter at your own bad party.

So let’s pare back and go back to basics.

Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn’t been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place. From The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one on your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day… fifty the day after that… and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. Stephen King

Others, such as  Elmore Leonard  and  Mark Twain , seem to agree.

So what’s the problem that all these authors are getting riled up about? The fix sounds simple enough, and yet we may still find ourselves asking: exactly what are vivid verbs?

Weak Verb + Adverb Versus Strong Verb

Take a look at these sentences:

• “No, Thomas,” she said  very   quietly .
• He ran  as quickly as he possibly could  to the station.
• She jumped  as high as she knew how  off the diving platform.

The words in italics are either adverbs or (same basic idea) adverbial phrases. And don’t you feel how cluttered they are? Don’t you feel like there are a lot of words being used there to communicate very little?

Here’s how we could have done it:

• “No, Thomas,” she whispered.
• He raced to the station.
• She leapt off the diving platform.

Fewer words. No adverbs. Simple, effective communication. Doing more with less.

And that’s the basic idea about vivid verbs. If you use the right verb, you will communicate more swiftly and effectively than if you choose the wrong one to start with – then try to patch the damage with yet more verbiage.

OK. So that’s a win. But there’s more to explore here – because, yes, there’s another way to go wrong with creative writing verbs, and it’s this.

State of Being Verbs

• Jerry  was a great believer in the virtues of cold water.
• Jemima was never out of bed before midday.

Notice that both those sentences use a state-of-being verb (in this case, “was”) to link a person to something about that person.

And, OK, there are plenty of times when that’s a perfectly fine approach. None of the issues raised in this blog post are rules; they’re more like guidelines, or at least useful things to think about.

But in this case, both sentences could be made better by using a more active verb – a vivid verb – in place of that state of being one. Here’s how those sentences could have gone:

• Jerry believed passionately in the virtues of cold water.
• Jemima lay in bed well beyond midday.

Better right? Jerry is now doing something, not just being something. And in Jemima’s case, we’ve removed that negative / state of being approach, and made a positive statement about her indolence. Both sentences seem somehow more active, more emphatic.

Oh yes: and you probably noticed that, in the sentence about Jerry, I slipped the word  passionately  in there. That’s optional, but if you want to strengthen the verb, you can. There’s no neat one-word way to say “believed passionately”, so using an adverb there is certainly a legitimate choice.

There Is / There Are

Another perfectly valid construction in English is to start a sentence with “there is” or “there are”. For example:

• There were  countless trees in that forest and only one of them…
• There are  many opportunities at this company…

Those sentences are not grammatically wrong. You won’t get shot if you use them.

Well, we could do better right? For example:

• Countless trees peopled that forest and only one of them…
• This company offers many opportunities…

In the first case, we’ve got rid of a horrible empty construction (“there were”), we’ve used a good strong verb (“peopled”), and the whole sentence has got better. It feels like that forest is more alive, more exciting. That’s a perfect demonstration of how a good vivid verb can help fix an underpowered sentence.

Same thing with the next sentence too. In the first version, the “company” features only as an afterthought. In the second version, it is actively offering something – it’s the subject of its own sentence and its generosity seems now like a positive act. And note the role of the verb here. The act of generosity is encapsulated in that verb, “offers”. We’ve killed a weak verb, added a vivid one – and our sentence has improved.

Better right? And so damn easy.

Passive Verbs vs Active Verbs

Let’s take a look at two more sentences.

• The cake  was made  by my grandma.
• The fender  was bent out of shape  by a fallen branch.

And yes: you spotted the issue there. In both cases, the sentences use the passive voice, not the active voice. So the person who actually made the cake was grandma. The thing that actually bent that fender was the branch. (Need more help remembering the difference between active versus passive?  Check out this easy guide .)

So in effect, both sentences pushed the real subject to the back of the sentence, almost as though shoving them out of sight. Here’s how to rewrite those sentences and make them better:

• My grandma made the cake.
• A fallen branch bent the fender. (Yes, you could say “out of shape” but doesn’t the word bent already convey exactly that? I think it does.)

But again, I want to remind you that we’re dealing with guidelines not rules here. Which of these is better:

• Detective Jonas arrested and charged the suspect.
• The suspect was arrested and charged.

The first sentence is all about the admirable Detective Jonas. But what if we don’t care about him? What if this story is all about the suspect, and what happens to him? In that case, the second sentence is better. In fact, the use of the passive voice here almost emphasises the suspect’s powerlessness.

As always in writing, you need to use your judgement. And if in doubt, you can find extra help  here and  here!

Sometimes Weak Verbs Are OK

And while we’re on the issue of judgement, let’s just remember that sometimes weak verbs are really OK.

For example, you can’t get a much blander verb than  say / said . So you might think that your dialogue should be littered with words like trumpeted, shouted, asserted, called, whispered, muttered, declaimed, hollered, and so on.

But can you imagine how ridiculous that would get how quickly? And what do you want people to pay attention to? The dialogue itself, or your comments about it?

There’s no contest.

In other words: weak / dull / lifeless verbs are fine when you don’t especially want to call attention to that part of your writing.  Let the dialogue shine . The rest of it can just go quietly about its job.

The Ultimate List Of 333+ Strong Verbs

OK. That’s a lot of preamble. But you want some vivid verbs? You got em.

Here goes, grouped by the kind of word they might replace:

Instead of say:

Ask, enquire, reply, answer, state, hiss, whisper, mumble, mutter, comment, bark, assert, shout, yell, holler, roar, rage, argue, implore, plead, exclaim, gasp, drawl, giggle, whimper, snort, growl, scream, sing, stammer

Instead of run :

Sprint, dart, bolt, canter, gallop, trot, zoom, hurry, speed, jog, saunter, scamper, hurtle, rush, scramble, spring, swing, swoop, dive, careen

Instead of walk :

Stroll, hike, promenade, saunter, march, amble, stride, tread, pace, toddle, totter, stagger, perambulate

Instead of look :

Observe, glance, stare, examine, peek, study, notice, see, glare

Instead of go:

Leave, depart, shift, take off, move on, quit, exit, take a hike, travel, drive, proceed, progress, run, walk away

Instead of eat :

Pick at, nibble, munch, chew, gobble, devour, consume, demolish, gulp, swallow, scarf, wolf

Instead of hold :

Grip, clench, grasp, seize, reach, embrace, clamp, clench, clasp, grab

Instead of give :

Provide, offer, present, hand over, deliver, contribute, furnish, donate, bequeath, pass over, pass to, extend, assign, allow, lend, bestow, grant, award, confer

Instead of let:

Allow, permit, authorise, agree to, consent to, accede to, give permission for

Instead of put:

Place, set, lay, position, settle, leave, situate, locate, plant, deposit, plonk, plunk

Instead of pull :

Yank, heave, haul, draw, cart, lug, hump, drag, tow, jerk, attract, pluck, wrench

Instead of move :

Progress, transfer, shift, topple, change, redeploy, refocus, relocate, prod, nudge, induce, cause, budge, stir, lead, encourage, propose, induce, slink, scamper, careen, zip, ram, drift, droop, heave, edge, stalk, tiptoe, creep, crawl, plod, waddle, drag, stagger

Sensory verbs / quiet:

Sigh, murmur, rustle, hum, patter, clink, tinkle, chime, whir, swish, snap, twitter, hiss, crackle, peep, bleat, buzz

Sensory verbs / noisy:

Crash, thunder, clap, stomp, beat, squawk, shout, yell, explode, smash, detonate, boom, echo, bark, bawl, clash, smash, jangle, thump, grate, screech, bang, thud, blare

Instead of tell :

Order, command, instruct, dictate, require, insist, warn, caution, decree, mandate, charge, direct, dominate, lead, rule

Instead of like:

Love, adore, yearn, treasure, worship, prefer, idolise, cherish, admire, enjoy, be fond of, be keen on, be partial to, fancy, care for, appreciate, hold dear

Instead of want:

Desire, crave, covet, yearn for, aspire to, envy, fancy, require, wish for, hanker after, need, lack, miss, aim for, choose

Instead of cover:

Bury, wrap, conceal, mask, veil, hide, cloak, shroud envelope, obscure, blanket, curtain

Instead of throw:

Toss, lob, chuck, heave, fling, pitch, shy, hurl, propel, bowl, cast, drop, project

Instead of surprise:

Confuse, puzzle, bewilder, baffle, bamboozle, disconcert, flummox, perplex

Have fun, my friends, and happy writing!

About the author

Harry has written a variety of books over the years, notching up multiple six-figure deals and relationships with each of the world’s three largest trade publishers. His work has been critically acclaimed across the globe, has been adapted for TV, and is currently the subject of a major new screen deal. He’s also written non-fiction, short stories, and has worked as ghost/editor on a number of exciting projects. Harry also self-publishes some of his work, and loves doing so. His Fiona Griffiths series in particular has done really well in the US, where it’s been self-published since 2015. View his website , his Amazon profile , his Twitter . He's been reviewed in Kirkus, the Boston Globe , USA Today , The Seattle Times , The Washington Post , Library Journal , Publishers Weekly , CulturMag (Germany), Frankfurter Allgemeine , The Daily Mail , The Sunday Times , The Daily Telegraph , The Guardian , and many other places besides. His work has appeared on TV, via Bonafide . And go take a look at what he thinks about Blick Rothenberg . You might also want to watch our " Blick Rothenberg - The Truth " video, if you want to know how badly an accountancy firm can behave.

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Enchanting Marketing

Writing advice for small business

351 Strong Verbs to Make Your Content Pop, Fizz and Sparkle

by Henneke | 117 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

S trong verbs add action, vitality, color, and zest to your writing. But what are strong verbs? And how do you use them?

This article covers:

How to use strong verbs

Why do the words jump off this page?

Why does this writing feel energetic and strong?

Why is it so fast-paced?

And do you wonder why your draft text seems a tad limp in comparison?

It happens to all of us.

First drafts often require an injection of power and pizzazz. First drafts are full of weak verbs, and weak verbs make your writing limp, flabby, and listless.

In contrast, strong verbs add action, vitality, color, and zest. So, the “secret” to writing with gusto is to choose stronger verbs.

What are strong verbs?

Strong verbs engage your senses, and help readers picture a scene (verbs in bold ):

Strong verbs allow readers to visualize actions. Instead of only reading words, they’re drawn into your writing, experiencing your story.

But strong verbs don’t need to convey powerful action. Subtle action can evoke powerful feelings, too. For instance:

Strong verbs are precise and concrete. In contrast, weak verbs are abstract and generic—they don’t help you visualize a scene. Examples of weak verbs are “to be,” “to provide,” “to add,” and “to utilize.” You can’t picture these words.

For instance, if someone provides feedback, is he shouting his comments? Or lecturing you with a smug face? Or perhaps scribbling a few suggestions in the margin of your handout?

You can’t picture “provide feedback,” but you can visualize “shouting,” “lecturing,” and “scribbling.”

Examples: How strong verbs breathe life into abstract ideas

Over the weekend, I read Ray Bradbury’s “Zen in the Art of Writing.” I enjoyed his word choice , and I loved how his verbs breathe life into abstract concepts, like storytelling and the Muse.

For instance, he describes how he started writing stories based on lists of nouns:

And the stories began to burst, to explode from those memories, hidden in the nouns, lost in the lists.

And he writes about the Muse:

The Muse, then, is the most terrified of all the virgins. She starts if she hears a sound, pales if you ask her questions, spins and vanishes if you disturb her dress.

And on eating books:

I tore out the pages, ate them with salt, doused them with relish, gnawed on the bindings, turned the chapters with my tongue!

Bradbury’s choice of strong verbs (like “gnaw” and “douse”) adds zest and power. He uses few adjectives and adverbs to keep his writing fast-paced .

Strong verbs in business writing

You might think strong verbs are only for fiction writers.

But that’s untrue.

Here’s Nancy Duarte in her book “ Resonate ” (about engaging your audience with story-based presentations):

Throughout history, presenter-to-audience exchanges have rallied revolutions, spread innovation, and spawned movements.

When a great story is told, we lean forward, and our hearts race as the story unfolds.

Haven’t you often wished you could make customers, employees, investors, or students snap, crackle, pop, and move to the new place they need to be in order to create a new future?

Here’s an example of Apple’s copy :

So whether you’re listening to music, watching videos, or making speakerphone calls, iPhone 7 lets you crank it up. Way, way up.

Apple Watch Series 2 counts more than just steps. It tracks all the ways you move throughout the day, whether you’re walking between meetings, doing cartwheels with your kids, or hitting the gym.

“To do” in the last sentence is, of course, a weak verb. Apple’s copywriters could have changed “doing cartwheels with your kids” into “cartwheeling with your kids” without disrupting the rhythm and making the sentence stronger.

It is nouns and verbs, not their assistants, that give good writing its toughness and color. ~ Strunk and White (in the Elements of Style)

How to choose strong verbs

No clear distinction exists between strong and weak verbs. It’s a gliding scale, and it’s up to you as a writer to decide how strong you’d like your verbs to be.

For instance, “to walk” is stronger than “to go” because it gives you an indication of how someone moved. But stronger options would be: to saunter, to hike, to shuffle, to trudge, to stride, or to plod. Each of these verbs gives you an indication of how someone walked:

• to saunter: picture a girl walking rather leisurely, perhaps peeking into the shop windows
• to hike: picture a woman in walking boots with a backpack, walking at a good pace
• to shuffle: picture an elderly woman moving ahead gingerly, hardly lifting her feet
• to trudge: picture a girl in wellies making a big effort, perhaps walking through the snow or mud
• to stride: picture a lady walking as if on the catwalk, with long strides
• to plod: picture a tired woman with sagging shoulders, walking rather tiredly

Strong verbs can also be used for abstract language . For instance, you could say you generated ideas during your brainstorm session. But how did your ideas arrive? For instance:

• A few ideas popped into your mind
• Your mind exploded with ideas
• A stream of ideas burst forward
• Ideas first trickled, then gushed forth
• The brainstorm session spawned a stream of ideas

Strong verbs are more precise than weak verbs; they can paint clear pictures—even of abstract activities like thinking and generating ideas.

How to improve your sentences with strong verbs

Imagine this: how would readers experience your voice if you used fewer adjectives and adverbs?

Here’s an example of text, sagging under adjectives and adverbs:

To add energy to the text, the first step is to strip the content back to its bare bones:

The stripped down version lacks nuance and color. So, let’s try stronger verbs and add a little context:

The thesaurus is your friend. Use a thesaurus to find more precise alternatives for weak verbs.

Your word choice shapes your voice

Finding your voice is about experimentation.

Write a first draft quickly using the words coming up into your mind.

Then, review your draft. In which sentences can you replace weak with strong verbs?

Which verbs can be more precise? Which verbs are sensory? Which verbs have a strong emotional connotation?

Play with your words. Have fun. And discover your voice.

FREE 22-page ebook How to Choose Words With Power and Pizzazz

• Discover 4 wordy rules for captivating your audience
• Learn how to fortify and energize your message
• Get examples that show you how to spice up your writing

A list of 351 strong verbs to inspire your writing

The list below is not exhaustive as many more strong verbs exist.

You can use a thesaurus to find other strong verbs, or keep an eye out for interesting verbs while reading.

To determine whether a verb is strong, ask yourself whether the verb has a sensory connotation. Does it make you hear, feel, smell, taste or see something? Does it paint a clear picture?

Onomatopoeic verbs

Onomatopoeic words express a sound, so they’re a sub segment of sensory verbs.

The word onomatopoeia comes from the Greek for making words—the sound has formed the word that represents it.

To crack, to tap, to snap, to sputter, to knock, to boom, to clap, to bang, to drum, to squeal, to bump, to chatter, to twitter, to chirp, to clank, to click, to click-clack, to tip-tap, to jingle, to jangle, to rattle, to tinkle, to hush, to murmur, to plop, to pop, to fizz, to sizzle, to swoosh, to gargle, to sizzle, to hiss, to burp, to hiccup, to whack, to thumb, to crunch, to creak, to squeak, to flutter, to giggle, to tee-hee, to cackle, to honk, to hum, to meow, to woof, to munch, to shush, to screech, to slosh, to squish, to whirr, to gnaw

Sensory verbs

Sensory verbs are strong because they paint clear pictures in readers’ minds and make them feel something.

To sparkle, to shine, to brighten, to wipe out, to muddle, to dazzle, to spark, to glow, to shimmer, to glimmer, to beam, to ripple, to tickle, to thrill, to explode, to burst, to guzzle, to gobble up, to breeze through, to drool, to spit, to roar, to thunder, to reverberate, to resonate, to rumble, to flavor, to smooth, to rub, to tremble, to whisper, to vibrate, to pulsate, to throb, to quiver, to buzz, to sip, to slurp, to slobber, to blemish, to applaud, to clash, to bounce, to blend, to shake, to savor, to tantalize, to tittilate, to pinch, to stroke, to brush, to bathe, to hose, to douse, to shower, to drench, to spray, to sprinkle, to trickle, to splash, to seep, to slide, to slump, to tumble, to nose-dive, to fly, to float, to clog, to swoop, to propel, to dig in, to dip, to surge, to wolf down, to shovel, to gulp down, to roll, to soar, to curl up, to unfold, to weave, to swipe, to tear, to polish, to pale, to vanish, to spin, to weave, to intertwine, to buckle down, to button up, to pierce, to stick to

Strong action verbs—intransitive

Action verbs propel a sentence forward, keeping readers engaged.

Instead of using weaker words like walk or move , try to describe the movement more precisely so readers can imagine the movement.

Intransitive verbs can stand on their own, without an object. For instance, I walk is intransitive because there’s no object that is walked by me. I hit you is transitive—you are the object as you are hit by me.

Strong action verbs—transitive

Below follow examples of words related to holding, pushing, or hitting something.

You can use these verbs for both concrete and abstract concepts. For instance, you can jump-start an engine or you can jump-start your career. You can squeeze a stress ball, or you can squeeze more to-do’s into your calendar. A cow regurgitates grass, and a blogger may regurgitate worn-out topics.

Negative emotional verbs

A verb like to fail has a strong negative connotation but doesn’t necessarily paint an unambiguous or vivid picture in a reader’s mind. Failure comes in different forms—you can marginally fail an exam or your start-up can fail utterly, and the feelings associated can vary. Do you sob for days? Do you fret you’re a failure? Do you feel crippled or bruised by the failure? Do you feel devastated or shrug your shoulders?

Below follow examples of more sensory verbs with negative connotations:

To choke, to strangle, to smother, to gag, to suffocate, to throttle, to cry, to howl, to sob, to blubber, to scream, to groan, to moan, to fret, to fume, to bleed, to nag, to steal, to kidnap, to ransack, to loot, to pilfer, to plunder, to snitch, to puke, to vomit, to yelp, to bark, to growl, to grumble, to mutter, to spout, to suck, to scold, to plummet, to collapse, to skid, to agitate, to slave, to labor, to wreck, to ruin, to cripple, to devastate, to decimate, to trash, to shatter, to torpedo, to sabotage, to capsize, to maul, to crush, to slash, to bruise, to hijack

Positive emotional verbs

The verbs below paint strong positive imagery in your reader’s mind.

Your apple tree can blossom, and your blog can flourish. A magician might be spellbinding, but your blog posts can hypnotize readers, too.

More Examples: 9+ Sentences With Strong Verbs

1. strong verbs in nora seton’s kitchen.

In her book The Kitchen Congregation , Nora Seton describes how she wanted her mother to spend more time with her when she was growing up:

I needed her there with me while I rolled, crawled, wobbled, ran, trampled, and grumbled on the red linoleum tiles of our kitchen floor.

It’s easy to picture the child rolling, crawling, wobbling etc on the kitchen floor? That’s how strong verbs help to paint strong imagery .

The following sentence is from the same book, describing the soaking of the grains:

All morning long the grains softened, gave in, soaked up, plumped, burst, spit their gluten and flavor into the dish.

Strong verbs don’t always come in long strings like that. Sometimes they pop up just here and there in a sentence. Here’s Seton musing in the kitchen:

I imagine a neutrino shower bombarding me, subatomic gunfire, zinging against the stainless steel in my hands and rocketing through the kitchen without trace.

2. Strong verbs on storytelling

Jane Alison uses 3 strong verbs in the title of her book about storytelling: Meander, Spiral Explode: Design and Pattern in Narrative .

Alison suggests patterns are natural and uses strong verbs to describe such patterns:

We follow natural patterns without a thought: coiling a garden hose, stacking boxes, creating a wavering path when walking along the shore. We invoke these patterns to describe motions in our minds, too: someone spirals into despair or compartmentalizes emotions, thoughts meander, heartbreak can be so great we feel we’ll explode.

3. Strong verbs on writing, a cat, and a praying mantis

In her book The Writing Life , Annie Dillard describes what writing is like:

This writing that you do, that so thrills you, that so rocks and exhilarates you, as if you were dancing next to the band, is barely audible to anyone else.

And in her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek , Dillard uses strong verbs to describes how her cat wakes her up in the middle of the night:

He’d stick his skull under my nose and purr, stinking of urine and blood. Some nights he kneaded my bare chest with his front paws, powerfully, arching his back, as if sharpening his claws, or pummeling a mother for milk.

And she describes a praying mantis laying eggs:

It puffed like a concertina, it throbbed like a bellows; it roved, pumping, over the glistening, clabbered surface of the egg case testing and patting, thrusting and smoothing.

Can you picture all the movements?

4. Strong verbs in the desert

In his book The Secret Knowledge of Water , Craig Childs describes a thunderstorm in the desert:

It sounded like a block of marble cleaved open with a sledgehammer. The sky broke in two with thunder. Echoes pounded back, thrumming against my spine. Lightning shot to the southeast. The air exploded again. Lightning then fell all around, snagging on the higher terrain. Scraps of lightning showed from behind rock towers. I counted the canyons by how many echoes of thunder were returned. Four pulses of thunder: four canyons. Then I heard the tapping. Rain began to fall. Another bolt of lightning. The rain increased, dabbing my face, making the sound of bean-filled rattles. I could hear it up on the cliffs, rain sheeting against rock.

In the above paragraph, the strong verbs describe a multi-sensory experience. There’s movement ( cleave open, break in two, explode ), sound ( pound, thrum, shoot, tap ), sight ( sheet ), and touch ( dab ).

5. Strong verbs describing an escape on horseback

In his book All the Pretty Horses , Cormac McCarthy describes Rawlins, Blevins, and John Grady escaping on horseback:

The horse skittered past Rawlins sideways, Blevins clinging to the animal’s mane and snatching at his hat. The dogs swarmed wildly over the road and Rawlins’ horse stood and twisted and shook its head and the big bay turned a complete circle and there were three pistol shots from somewhere in the dark all evenly spaced that went pop pop pop. John Grady put the heels of his boots to his horse and leaned low in the saddle and he and Rawlins went pounding up the road. Blevins passed them both, his pale knees clutching the horse and his shirttail flying.

Thanks to the strong verbs, you can see the boys escaping, almost feel the motion, and hear the noise of the hooves pounding up the road. The strong verbs include: skitter, cling, swarm, twist, shake, pound, clutch, and fly.

Note: This post was originally published on 14 February 2016; an expanded version was published on 12 June 2019; last update on 17 June 2022.

Recommended reading on strong writing:

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Reader Interactions

Leave a comment and join the conversation cancel reply.

January 20, 2024 at 9:36 pm

Hello Henneke, Is it ok to share your posts with my friends with the link of this page? Your examples of strong of verbs are great!

January 22, 2024 at 10:29 am

Yes, sure. Feel free to share. I’d appreciate it!

June 30, 2022 at 6:25 am

How many people know what a block of marble, being cleaved sounds like? overkill?

June 30, 2022 at 12:07 pm

What’s overkill and what isn’t is personal.

You may find it overkill. But to me, it seems an apt description of a dramatic thunderstorm. From what I’ve read, these storms are violent, and even though I might not know what cleaving a block of marble sounds like, I do know what cleaving a rock sounds like so it’s easy to imagine.

Again, that’s my personal view. It’s not objective, and you may have a different view. It’s like that with many things in writing.

March 25, 2022 at 3:04 am

Hi Henneke,

Love, love, love this post. I have been using these lists in my blog posts and I already feel that my writing has more flavor. For quick reference, I keep this open in a tab. I found this is much better than using a thesaurus since a thesaurus lacks such sensory language sometimes.

I really appreciate your work and I always feel more creative when I am reading your posts. Thank You!

March 25, 2022 at 10:37 am

That’s such lovely feedback. Thank you so much, Jessica. Happy writing!

January 20, 2022 at 11:20 am

Nice write up. Still trying to really work with that creative mindset… Even after knowing all these, when I bring a paper in front of me I still kinda feel blank. Pls I need your advise

January 20, 2022 at 5:38 pm

You can’t do it all in one go. Start with writing a rough draft and edit later. When you start editing, see it as playing with words. Just try out some different words. Don’t put any pressure on yourself—it’s not about getting it right; it’s about seeing what you like. If you’re stuck, try a thesaurus, or even better: create your own list of favorite words.

December 25, 2021 at 2:39 pm

Should I leave a comment? I’m kidding, your expression of word verbiage is fantastic. I learned so much just by reading all the examples. “YOU ROCK” I’m writing a book, so Strong Verbs is the vehicle I’m looking for. Keep up the excellent work.

December 27, 2021 at 6:45 pm

I’m glad you enjoyed my blog post about strong verbs, Vincent. Happy writing!

August 31, 2021 at 6:20 pm

I constantly teach the importance of strong verbs; this offers a great link. Thank you. Some of your ing examples, while, specific and great words, are not verbs but rather verbals.

September 1, 2021 at 10:10 am

It doesn’t matter whether a word is a verb or a verbal adjective, the principle of choosing stronger words applies in the same way.

April 19, 2021 at 9:37 am

Henneke, I won’t lie. Indeed you do practice what you are preaching. Your content is powerful and evokes emotions. Also, I can’t help but say that I’ve employed your writing techniques and they are pointing me towards the right path. Thank you for all your insanely useful lessons.👊

April 19, 2021 at 11:12 am

Thank you so much, Denniz. I’m glad you’re enjoying my writing and implementing my tips. Happy writing!

March 17, 2021 at 8:17 am

I loved reading not only the complete post, but I opened other linked pages side by side..all are depth interactive, and helpful. Thank you so much

March 17, 2021 at 8:57 am

I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog, Kavita. Happy writing!

March 6, 2021 at 7:49 pm

This is GOLDEN! Thank you so much. This is so useful because when writing I stare at the screen ‘thinking’ of the perfect word. I appreciate your post 🙂

March 7, 2021 at 6:05 pm

I’m glad you enjoyed this, Piper. Happy writing!

January 5, 2021 at 4:30 pm

It was cool just use different words to make it sound different

January 5, 2021 at 6:24 pm

I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lyneice!

October 13, 2020 at 5:56 pm

Morph, co-opt, and jettison are three of my favs.

Non-sequitur: Allot each human twenty-five !’s a year. Glaring at you too many posters on social media. To me, the writer and the copy appear desperate. Ick.

October 14, 2020 at 8:41 pm

Yes, so true. I’m not a fan of exclamation marks either. Better to choose your words more carefully.

April 6, 2020 at 5:17 am

Dear Henneke,

Most of the examples in this post are in present simple and past simple tense.

Should we only use these two tenses. What about other tenses? How much should we focus on tenses per se while writing articles and/or any other kind of writing?

April 6, 2020 at 9:18 am

Maybe this is what a grammar teacher would recommend but I try to write as much as possible in the present tense. I only use the past tense when I have to.

March 21, 2020 at 8:25 pm

Thank you very much Henneke for a comprehensive article on strong verbs. It is wonderful. Much appreciated. Regards Cally

March 22, 2020 at 6:57 pm

I’m glad you enjoyed it, Cally. Happy writing!

March 16, 2020 at 2:11 pm

I am not a writer.

I would compliment you on your blogs. They are very interesting to learn from and really do assist me to learn the difference between different nouns, verbs, pronouns etc.

As I am learning English so I may teach English to others.

Your articles are brilliant and very helpful.

Thank you kindly from South Africa.

March 16, 2020 at 2:55 pm

I’m glad you’re finding my articles helpful, Shaun. Happy teaching!

January 24, 2020 at 7:41 am

Extraordinarily brilliant resource!!

January 24, 2020 at 10:53 am

Thank you, Tasneem!

October 8, 2019 at 2:02 pm

This was the motivation I needed. Thank you!

October 8, 2019 at 2:03 pm

Great! Happy writing, Lisbeth!

September 19, 2019 at 2:49 pm

Why you are so awesome? The way you write, OMG!

September 19, 2019 at 3:06 pm

Thank you, Aamir 🙂

September 13, 2019 at 10:09 am

i love reading your great articles and working hard to improve my writing skills. i love and appreciate your lessons

September 13, 2019 at 10:22 am

Thank you, Olufemi. Happy writing!

September 12, 2019 at 2:42 am

Amaaaazingggg article!!!! Extraordinary! Thank you so much!! Helping 6th grader with English.

September 12, 2019 at 8:05 am

Happy to help 🙂 Good luck with school.

July 3, 2019 at 5:32 pm

I can’t wait to power up my verbiage. Thanks a lot.

July 3, 2019 at 6:41 pm

Go for it. Happy power writing, LC. Thank you for stopping by.

June 13, 2019 at 10:04 pm

As always a great post Henneke! Thanks for the helpful suggestions to add sparkle to my writing.

June 14, 2019 at 12:30 pm

Thank you, Marie. Good to see you again! 🙂

October 30, 2018 at 8:42 pm

This was helpful. Thank you.

What is not clear to me is the way experienced writers appear to see a sentence broken down into grammar. adjective, subject, verb, adverb, and object (if present). I find it difficult to analyse a sentence in this way before I put the idea into text since it was 50 years ago when I had my last English class.

While I understand the fundamentals of your writing tips, I can’t imagine writing a manuscript with creative passion using only strong nouns and verbs and then adding adjectives and adverbs later. Surely, this must be an acquired skill?

October 31, 2018 at 3:56 pm

You write your draft sentences first without worrying about grammar and what types of words you’re using. Only when editing, you’ll look at crossing out adverbs and adjectives, and replacing weak words with stronger words. You may find these blog posts with specific editing techniques helpful: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/write-clear-and-concise-sentences/ https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/weak-words/

September 11, 2018 at 6:18 am

Your articles are mind blowing. Thanks

September 12, 2018 at 2:10 pm

Thank you, Nisma 🙂

August 2, 2018 at 6:21 pm

It might have been a good idea to first check if the terms ‘strong verb’ and ‘weak verb’ were already in use and well defined. They are, and they do not mean anything like this. Strong verbs modify an internal vowel sound to form the preterite, while weak verbs use the suffix ‘-ed’ or ‘-d’ to form the preterite.

August 4, 2018 at 2:28 pm

Hi Nicholas – I’m aware of the grammatical interpretation of strong vs weak verbs.

In this article, I have followed the meaning of strong verbs like William Zinsser uses in his book “On Writing Well.” For example, this is a quote from his book: “Again and again in careless writing, strong verbs are weakened by redundant adverbs.” (page 68 in the 30th anniversary edition) It’s similar to the quote on weak verbs I use in the picture at the top of this page.

July 26, 2018 at 6:55 pm

Good work. I see you as a motivational football coach. You inspired me. Many thanks.

July 26, 2018 at 7:08 pm

I love inspiring people. But I’m no good at football! 😀

May 21, 2018 at 12:00 pm

Thanks Henneke for your insight in making sentences come alive. I like your procedure for stripping out flab from the draft text and then enlivening it with action. All the best from sunny Sydney.

May 21, 2018 at 9:43 pm

Thank you, Paul. It’s a good way to add both power and pizzazz! 🙂

January 9, 2018 at 2:13 pm

Oooh, I feel all zingy and raring to go. I’d noticed my copy was becoming boringly, samey and coma inducing to the point I was on autopilot with what I was writing.

I’m going to print off your list of fab verbs and play with my writing.

January 9, 2018 at 9:25 pm

Be sure to add a few of your own favorites to the list, too. It’s a fun exercise.

Happy writing, Tracey!

September 11, 2017 at 7:54 pm

This is the third of your many articles I have read in the last hour. Thank you for all this free information. I’m want to be a better writer. Thank you so very much. Maurice

March 26, 2017 at 8:17 pm

Playing with your words is key, I think. Everytime I read something, especially of yours, certain words DO leap off the screen to me.

And I find myself severely disappointed when I read something and it’s just dull and boring. I literally roll my eyes and rush through it hoping there’s at least some valuable gems I could pull from the copy.

Long story short, you hit the nail on the head. I absolutely love “to galvanize” and “to scour”.

– Andrew

March 27, 2017 at 8:05 pm

You’re very persistent if you persevere in reading boring content!

I’m very impatient as a reader. I rarely read on if I don’t like an opening paragraph.

Isn’t it interesting how we all have our favorite words?

March 5, 2017 at 6:48 am

Your post rattled my brain. My brain then shouted, “Are you paying attention? She’s doling out invaluable tools for success!”

How was that? I love your words.

March 5, 2017 at 9:21 am

Great! I like “rattling” and “doling out.”

Thank you for your lovely comment, Sam.

February 27, 2017 at 8:49 am

A crackling post which made me jump around in glee like a boy who found his favorite candy.

Rocketed out of my chair and made a dash for my word-weary thesaurus. Smacking it with new found vigor, I bellowed “Verbs! Let’s get the ship off this bleak shore ensnaring us with its crusty adverbs. Sail yonder into the beckoning seas brimming with enchanting goodies!”

Thanks Henneke for this Whip-up-some-life-in-your-writing post

February 28, 2017 at 4:44 pm

I love whipping up some life 🙂

Thank you for your comment, Santosh. Happy power writing!

February 16, 2017 at 4:30 pm

Wonderful! I’m working on a rough draft now of a blog post and know your suggestions will kick it up a notch. I love how you explained “strong verbs” and how to use them to add life to our writing. Thank you for all you do!

March 28, 2017 at 12:22 pm

Great! I’m glad you find this helpful.

(Sorry for my late reply to your comment – I somehow missed it last month!)

Happy writing, Jenn!

February 16, 2017 at 4:24 pm

Thanks for inspiring us with these fine examples of strong verbs. As you said, it’s easy to think these are more suited to fiction writing. But the example from Apple shows how you can add some oomph to business writing too. – David

February 16, 2017 at 4:34 pm

Indeed, and most business writing can use an injection of oomph 😉

Thank you for stopping by, David. Happy power writing!

February 16, 2017 at 2:32 pm

Thank you so much for this post. It’s probably my best yet! Loved the breakdown example, the reminder that thesaurus is our friend , and of course the list! I hate to write but this post gives me hope. so encouraging 🙂

February 16, 2017 at 4:31 pm

What a lovely comment, Lisa. I’m so glad this post gives you hope. I try turning writing into a game and have some fun with my words.

Is there anything specific that you hate about writing?

February 16, 2017 at 1:26 pm

This post woke me up today. LOVE it. I actually strip strong, simple words from my readings, capturing them on word and idea lists to spice up my writings. Everybody who is intent on persuading needs to gobble up strong words.

February 16, 2017 at 4:29 pm

To gobble up is one of my faves. I love the sound of gobbling up 🙂

Thank you for your lovely comment, Kathleen. I appreciate it!

February 16, 2017 at 9:42 am

Great stuff. I’ve already used it in a couple of business marketing collaterals.

Thanks Henneke

February 16, 2017 at 4:28 pm

February 15, 2017 at 11:04 pm

This is huge! Thank you so much for sharing this, Henneke! I’ve read every single word this information goldmine and it was tremendously helpful. If you don’t mind, please tell me whether in the sentence, “most of us would rather clean the bathroom than do push-ups,” we should replace the verb “to do.” If the answer is yes, then what’s the alternative?

I appreciate your efforts!

I’d keep “do push-ups.” That’s how people say it. You don’t always need stronger verbs. If every verb in every sentence is strong, then it’s overkill and that’s tiring for your reader. It’s about balance and stressing what’s important.

February 15, 2017 at 4:19 pm

Amazing help as usual ….thank you Henneke 🙂 great post.

February 15, 2017 at 10:38 pm

Thank you, Maria. Happy writing!

February 15, 2017 at 11:11 am

‘He uses few adjectives and adverbs to keep his writing fast-paced.’ That’s the main thing. Plus concreteness. And then to keep it in mind even if you are tired 😉

At the end of a writing day I am usually too tired to think of good headlines. Not smart, I know. You do such a great job there.

February 15, 2017 at 12:09 pm

My “secret” trick to writing headlines is to write down a few options (usually one or two days before I publish my post), then read my headlines before I go to sleep and pick a favorite in the morning. Somehow, during my sleep, I often come up with a better one. Don’t tell anyone! 😉

February 15, 2017 at 1:36 pm

Very wise. And very patient.

February 15, 2017 at 5:45 am

Henneke thank you for another thought-provoking piece! Your posts challenge me to dig deep. After devouring this, I want to race to my keyboard and tap away until my words sparkle and shine.

February 15, 2017 at 10:58 am

I love the choice of verbs in your comment. I can hear you tapping away on your keyboard. Have fun! 🙂

February 15, 2017 at 4:58 am

Awesome! I am bookmarking this post. I will read it again and again and again, to keep reminding myself how to give my writing energy with strong verbs.

February 15, 2017 at 10:57 am

Great! Your comment makes me happy. Enjoy your writing, Daniel! 🙂

February 15, 2017 at 1:17 am

Another eye opener for me, Henneke. Thank you for your skill in teaching the power of grammar in a shockingly simple way!

I love writing posts like this 🙂 Thank you for your lovely compliment, Fiona. I appreciate it!

February 14, 2017 at 9:57 pm

This is an excellent post! My writing has been particularly drab. Now, I know why. I am certain that choosing the right verbs as you’ve suggested would add the zest that is sorely needed.

Your site is such an invaluable tool and I so appreciate what you do!

February 14, 2017 at 9:59 pm

What a lovely comment. Thank you, Patricia. You put a smile on my face.

I’m sure your content isn’t as drab as you think. Happy writing!

February 14, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Hey this is great stuff, Henneke! The only comment I would make is that I think Apple has it right when they say “doing cartwheels.” For the general public, the expression is to “do a cartwheel” and not “to cartwheel.” Although this verb exists, it’s a different level of language. But I think that it still proves your point, because even if “doing” seems weak ,”doing cartwheels” is very concrete and evocative for the audience, so that’s the most important thing. Just to say, sometimes style is subjective, even when it comes to verbs! Great post!

February 14, 2017 at 9:46 pm

Yep, that’s totally true: style is subjective, and there are differences between what’s acceptable in American and British English, too. I’m not sure that’s the case here … I might prefer “cartwheeling” because I’m a non-native speaker, but I might be the only one who prefers it 🙂

Thank you for adding your thoughts. I appreciate your comment!

February 14, 2017 at 9:17 pm

Awesome as always Henneke. I’ll be saving this article to refer back to. What a great way to introduce the concept of strong verbs without it sounding like a boring lecture. I must have read about this concept 100 times before, but never in a way that was this fun to read!

February 14, 2017 at 9:43 pm

What a lovely compliment, Amy. Thank you. Happy writing!

February 14, 2017 at 7:23 pm

I just love reading your posts, Henneke, and this one was especially inspiring. I will definitely be referring to it as I attempt to jazz up an otherwise potentially hum-drum website about insurance. (Yawn!) Thank you for all you do–you rock! 🙂

February 15, 2017 at 10:56 am

What a lovely comment. Thank you, Kate! And I love the verb “to jazz up.” Great choice! 🙂

February 14, 2017 at 6:19 pm

Great post. Thanks Henneke. This is one of the points I’m slaving over, along with telling better stories.

I’ve declared war on adverbs. I use the Hemingway app. It helps obliterate adverbs. But now my sights are set on strong verbs. A little more tricky than adverbs, but practice makes perfect.

Timely, again.

February 14, 2017 at 6:55 pm

It may feel more tricky, but I’d say it’s also more fun. Try turning it in a game … for instance, how many different verbs can you try in the key sentence of your article?

Happy writing, Jansie. And thank you for stopping by to leave a comment.

February 14, 2017 at 7:06 pm

That’s exactly how I try to approach it. But it’s tiring. If you write long articles like I do, keeping it all together becomes a difficult task. I draw blanks.

February 14, 2017 at 7:11 pm

Do you take a break between writing a first draft and editing it? This helps me a lot. Plus, when I draw a blank, I use the thesaurus 😉

February 14, 2017 at 7:30 pm

Definitely take breaks. More than one. Write, edit, write, edit, edit, edit.

Month later, check back again.

Read on laptop; read on mobile.

I’ve long dropped the notion of writing being “art”; that futile fable that, once your article is posted, you’re not allowed to edit it.

Suppose only sticking to it relentlessly will make it come easier. So that’s where I’m at. Your post happened at the right time.

February 14, 2017 at 5:46 pm

Wowza. This one boggled, blew away and some other cool verb that starts with B. I’m writing a piece about power writing and power verbs is a section. I’ll have to refer to this great post.

February 14, 2017 at 6:54 pm

I’ll keep an eye out for your post. I’m looking forward to reading it. 🙂

I hope the third verb starting with B wasn’t to bullshit 😉

February 14, 2017 at 2:14 pm

Hi Henneke, Thanks for this list of strong verbs. I will surely use them in the next copy I use.

Can we use them on our sales page copy or will it be too loud to use them?

Thanks, -Swadhin

February 14, 2017 at 6:52 pm

Yes, sure, you can also use them in sales copy, just use them in a small dosage. Don’t overdo it.

Happy writing, Swadhin!

February 14, 2017 at 1:31 pm

How totally fun! And wonderful example of transforming a sentence. Something clicked when you said your word choice shapes your voice. Great post!

February 14, 2017 at 6:50 pm

I also had a lot of fun while writing this – especially with selecting all the examples. 🙂

Happy writing, Kathy!

February 14, 2017 at 1:30 pm

Thank you so much. This is just what I need, and it has come at the right time too for me.

February 14, 2017 at 6:49 pm

I’m happy to read that. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by, Helen. Happy writing!

February 14, 2017 at 1:18 pm

I Appreciate all the work I know this post took. Excellent job and fun to read. Love Zinsser! Sometimes I like to insert a rest between a long dose of rich words, like a drink of cool water between courses in a meal. In some cases, an uncomplicated break can dramatize sets of contrast, inserting even contrasting types of words. For instance:

He clomped toward me, grabbed my sweatshirt in his filthy fist, and dragged me to the folding chair, which clattered as I bumped it. He roared at me, “SIT!” I sat. When I met his steely gaze and did not cry, he slapped me hard, filling the air with his body odor.

An editor once shared with me that she knew I had contributed an anonymous piece for her friend’s magazine, because my style was noticeable, to her. The contrast I sampled, above, was typical…

February 14, 2017 at 6:48 pm

Yes, that’s such a good point, and a wonderful example!

I love how you contrast strong action words with the simple “I sat.” The contrast is further stressed because you have a long sentence, then a super-short one. I love it!

I’m not surprised that your writing stands out and your voice is recognized.

Thank you for sharing this, Katharine.

February 14, 2017 at 1:04 pm

Epic post. Filled with actionable points

February 14, 2017 at 6:46 pm

Thank you, Peter. Happy power writing!

February 14, 2017 at 12:58 pm

Wow, what a great resource. For a non native English speaker like me, this is very useful. I will try to use more of this verbs in my writing but also while speaking. Good vocabulary (and verbs) determine the way people see us, better be good and strong!

P.S: I featured one of your SlideShares on today’s article on my blog 😉

February 14, 2017 at 6:43 pm

Oh, wow, I’m honored to be included in your article. I’m going to check out the other presentations. You made me curious!

Thank you for your lovely comment, Virginia! 🙂

February 14, 2017 at 11:58 am

Oh man, this is such a pain point for me as a non-native speaker! 😀 The only way to think beyond “said”, “did”, “was” is to read, and read a lot.

Great reminder, Henneke! Already saved the verbs to my swipe file 🙂

February 14, 2017 at 6:42 pm

As a non-native speaker, I know the pain of searching for the right word. But, as you suggest, it’s also an opportunity to read more, learn more and play more. I see it as a challenge and a game. Perhaps as non-native speakers we can feel more free to play with different words 🙂

Happy writing, Gill. Thank you for stopping by!

February 14, 2017 at 11:36 am

You are such a wonderful writer!

February 14, 2017 at 6:40 pm

Thank you, John, for your lovely compliment 🙂

February 14, 2017 at 11:31 am

Wow, great post! And now my task begins, to translate your list of strong verbs into Dutch 🙂 Somehow I have always thought of English as the more powerful language. But I will hunt those strong Dutch verbs down, so I can make my copy sparkle like yours.

February 14, 2017 at 6:39 pm

I’d use the list as a starting point, so perhaps translate one of the verbs, and then see which other verbs this reminds you of (a bit like mind-mapping). That’s also how I created this list (and many more strong verbs exist that aren’t on this list). This might be a little faster than translating them all. 🙂

And when you read another interesting verb (in newspapers, blog posts, or fiction), you can add to your list.

Happy writing, Cindy. And thank you for stopping by.

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What are “Vivid Verbs,” And How They Lead to Stronger Writing

by Fija Callaghan

Do you ever go over a rough draft and wonder why it’s not quite landing as strongly as you’d hoped? Maybe the characterization is solid and the plot points are all artfully arranged, but it’s just not hitting the desired emotional impact. It might be that your prose is a victim of weak verbs , which are keeping it from being the very best it can be.

As you may remember from primary school, verbs are carriers of action—and action is the carrier of story. That means finding the right descriptive verb for the right moment can go a long way when it comes to elevating your work.

Let’s look at what it means to use vivid verbs in writing, how to get rid of some of the more tedious common verbs in your work, and some examples of vivid verbs that you can shamelessly pilfer to take your story to the next level.

What are vivid verbs?

“Vivid verbs” are active words that convey a clear, concise, and evocative action to the reader, and that are strong enough to stand alone without additional adverbs or description. For example, “shuffle” and “saunter” are two vivid verbs that describe the act of walking, each with different connotations and imagery, that we can use instead of saying “walked slowly” or “walked lazily.”

Another example might be variations of the word “eat.” If you have a character eating in a scene, that can mean a lot of different things depending on who the character is and what sort of preconceptions the reader is carrying with them. Instead of “eat” you could say nibble, inhale, graze, taste, or devour. Each of these vivid verbs conveys something different about both the character and the situation.

Why are vivid verbs useful for writers?

In creative writing, verbs are what keep the story moving. Characters doing, wanting, going, destroying, creating. It’s easy to fall back on broad, boring verbs that paint the characters’ actions in wide, clunky strokes; however, that generality holds your reader at a distance from your story.

By finding just the right word to encompass what’s happening on the page, you create a vivid picture that pulls the reader into the action. The more specific you can be, the more your story will start to come alive. That’s why landing on the perfect vivid verb can lift a basic sentence or paragraph into something transcendent.

The same applies to all kinds of writing, even if you’re not crafting fictional characters. If you’re writing poetry, memoir, persuasive essays, or even professional emails (the modern persuasive essay), using powerful verbs will help your words resonate in the reader’ mind.

The ultimate list of vivid verbs

Ready to incorporate some more exciting verbs into your work (and level up your writing skills)? Here are some strong action verbs to get you started.

Vivid verbs for movement

perambulate

Vivid verbs for communicating

Vivid verbs for acknowledgment

accommodate

Vivid verbs for emotions

Vivid verbs for food and drink

Vivid verbs for creation.

manufacture

Vivid verbs for sound

Tips for finding the right vivid verbs

Now you have an entire arsenal of strong verbs at your fingertips to bring your writing to life! But how do you choose exactly the right active verb for the right moment?

The first step is to simply nurture your vocabulary (hint: I wrote “expand” and “grow” your vocabulary before I settled on “nurture” as exactly what I was trying to say). Make friends with your thesaurus. Words that may seem like synonyms at first will reveal slightly different meanings, like adjacent colors on a color wheel: they may both be white , but this one says “cottage garden” while this other one says “business class.”

Sometimes, finding a more descriptive verb might come through your revision process. When you’re looking back over your first draft, keep an eye out for weak, passive verbs that aren’t doing much to support the narrative. These will be generalizations like “walk,” “go,” “make,” “talk,” “eat,” “like,” “dislike,” and so forth.

When you come across a weak verb like this, ask yourself if it’s the best possible fit the English language has to offer you. Sometimes , a simple word might be enough; for instance, there’s not much that outshines “said” in a dialogue tag . You don’t need to use creative language in every single sentence (unless you’re Angela Carter). Often, however, it’s helpful to challenge yourself to find more vivid verbs to replace these broad strokes.

Examples of effective vivid verbs

Consider the following examples:

Realizing her mistake, she ran back to the classroom.

“Ran” in this context is a bit wishy-washy. It’s not doing any harm, but it could be better. Is there a more vivid verb we can use instead?

Consider “barrelled,” “darted,” “catapulted,” “raced,” “sped,” “bolted,” or “sprinted.” Each of them feels a little bit different, like finding the right puzzle piece. What you know of your character, setting, and circumstance will help you determine the one word that’s the perfect fit.

With the vivid verb treatment:

Realizing her mistake, she bolted back to the classroom.

Here’s another gasping fish of a sentence to consider:

He liked his new co-worker.

“Liked” is a boring verb that covers a lot of ground; it doesn’t tell us very much. What about:

“Respected,” “appreciated,” “desired,” “enjoyed,” “loved,” “craved,” “adored,” “favored,” “admired,” “idolized,” or “fancied. ”

He admired his new co-worker.

Suddenly, with a strong verb and an active voice, these characters and this place feel alive.

Strong verbs create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind

Sometimes, it’s the smallest adjustments that make the biggest difference in our writing—whether it’s an academic article, a novel, short stories, or personal essays. Professional writers know to make their work as clear and concise as possible, which means snipping out those boring verbs and replacing them with interesting word choices that bring the narrative to life.

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How to Use Vivid Verbs to Bring Your Scenes to Life

by J. D. Edwin | 3 comments

Have you ever felt your writing is flat, despite how many beautiful words you use? You might be overusing adjectives and adverbs. Luckily, there is an easy fix—use vivid verbs instead.

Although you might instinctively think adjectives will improve your character description or prose, swapping exciting verbs for common verbs actually does a better job at electrifying your creative writing.

In this article, you can learn a two-step process to improve your writing skills, and start implementing these tips with a little help from a descriptive verb list filled with various strong verbs.

The 2-Step Process to Bring Your Scenes to Life With Vivid Verbs

What are some ways to use vivid verbs in the English language? Ways that tale dill verbs and turn them into sensory verbs that bring a story to life?

To improve your descriptive writing, you need to do more than rely on a thesaurus filled with catchy synonyms that may or may not work for your story.

This two-step process to using creative writing verbs will help write a vivid picture for every scene. Thus, it will bring your story to life.

Step 1: Decide on your message

The fact is, a verb has a lot to say. Just like how action speaks volumes in life, verbs speak volumes in a story. But it's important that you first decide on what you want to say to your readers. Take the following:

The flower was a beautiful shade of red, its petals full of dewdrops, reflecting the light of the sun.

There is nothing wrong with this sentence—the flower is red, and it is beautiful. But what are you trying to say to your readers? There is nothing beyond the simple appearance of the flower.

Do you want your readers to openly admire the flower itself? Or look at it as something more, like a symbol of love or hope?

Does it represent honest beauty or vanity? What purpose does this flower serve for your story?

Decide on the message you want to convey first and foremost. Then, replace any weak verbs or adjectives with vivid verbs that better enforce that message.

Step 2: Choose the right verbs

People perform their actions with intention. In literature, objects and plants do as well. Once you’ve decided on your message and how you want your object to contribute to the scene, you have to choose the correct “actions” for it to take.

Consider a scene where your character stumbles onto an abandoned lot in an apocalyptic wasteland and is surprised to find living plants growing in it, among which is a shockingly beautiful flower:

The flower brandished its bold red petals, adorned with sun-kissed dew drops.

Suddenly, the flower seems alive. It is still red, and full of dew, but now it’s also prideful, boasting its beauty to the viewer, setting itself apart from the desolation around it.

Action verbs can make great vivid verbs.

Just look at how the dew drops are no longer just water but “adorned” like jewels in the revised example. As if the flower chose to dress up and put itself on display. Even the sun feels more alive with the use of the word “kissed.”

Your character is drawn to this surprising object out of its normal environment, full of life and energy.

Now consider that your characters, a young couple in love, are sitting in a field struggling to confess their feelings. One of them spots a flower that might make a nice spontaneous gift for the other:

The flower blushed under the sun, rouge-red petals hidden under a layer of dew.

See how the flower seems shy, demure and gentle, like a lady consciously concealing her face? The point is further driven home by using the word “rouge,” which invokes the image of makeup. Your characters are in love, and the flower is now a timid third participant, offering itself as a symbol of their affection.

Whether trying to improve your writing in an English language arts class or your latest fiction book, using vivid verbs could make the difference between a mediocre paper or book and a great one.

Getting Started: Try These Vivid Verbs

Sometimes embracing the concept of using vivid verbs is a lot easier than actually coming up with  some strong action verbs for your prose.

To get you started, try using some of these verbs in your sentences to inspire actions instead of using adjectives  commonly used to describe emotions:

A Brief List of Vivid Verbs

Angry: crunch, grind, yank

Bashful:  blush, hide, blink

Cheerful:  giggle, chime, skip

Delightful:  hug, tickle, sing

Excited:  clink, jump, hoot

Fearful:  bawl, shiver, whimper

Grumpy:  sigh, moan, huff

Hungry:  gobble, rumble, crunch

Icky:  bump, stink, ooze

Joyous:  kiss, squeeze, laugh

Kind:  smile, brush, stroke

Loud:  blare, screech, blast

Mad:  stomp, yell, shake

Nervous:  quiver, chatter, scrunch

Optimistic:  open, volunteer, lead  

Pride:  beam, win, support

Quiet:  tiptoe, hush, whisper

Remorse:  grieve, reflect, fight

Slow: saunter, plod, stagger

Tough:  tackle, stand, lift  

Upset:  ramble, speed, squeak

Vicious:  punch, claw, bite

Worry:  tap, tug, fidget

Zest:  scamper, twirl, bake

The Magic of Vivid Verbs

The same object described using different vivid verbs invokes vastly different impressions. Not only that, they can contribute to the atmosphere of a story much more strongly than adjectives. Using description this way can also increase the strength of your story within its particular genre .

A hero heading into battle in an epic fantasy novel might cross a mountain path with trees “bending to acknowledge his might” and a breeze “parting grass and leaves before him to make way.”

In contrast, an old man mourning his lost youth on a morning walk might see trees “bent and tired under the weight of their leaves, strangled by ivy,” and hear the wind “sighing its exhaustion, whispering secrets of days past.”

A good way to get a grasp on the concept of describing with verbs is to think of everything in a scene as a contributing character—objects included. Decide on their purpose and pick the appropriate action, and you have a living, breathing scene.

Do you use vivid verbs to enhance description? Let us know in the comments .

For today's practice, describe something (or someone!) with verbs, not adjectives. First, pick a subject:

• A couple having a fight
• Something else (your choice!)

Next, choose an emotion from the list above.

Then, write a paragraph about your subject that captures that emotion. Remember to use vivid verbs to express the emotion with action.

Take fifteen minutes to write. Share your descriptive paragraph in the comments, and don’t forget to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

J. D. Edwin

J. D. Edwin is a daydreamer and writer of fiction both long and short, usually in soft sci-fi or urban fantasy. Sign up for her newsletter for free articles on the writer life and updates on her novel, find her on Facebook and Twitter ( @JDEdwinAuthor ), or read one of her many short stories on Short Fiction Break literary magazine .

Waiting in the refined hush of the president’s parlor, Mary Pearson struggled to tuck in a loose bead on her dead

mother’s reticule. Frayed threads and faded cotton, it was over 40 years old. The weary bead popped off and rolled

across Cottey College’s impossibly shiny wood floor. Made of cheap glass, it rattled toward a large palm fern and

petered out behind the footed pot.

The rock yanked away from the other rocks, grinding away the hours. The wind screamed its defiance, shouting insults at him. The trees fought with each other. The grass stomped and fumed.

He sauntered down the street, listing to the trees whisper secrets of days gone by. He saw the orange leaves, discarded into the ground, and saw the grass strangled by the wind. He knew in his heart he was getting old.

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Vivid Verbs: How to Use Them (With Examples)

Krystal N. Craiker

Bland verbs make for mundane stories. Some might be permissible or even necessary, but too many boring verbs pull the life out of even the liveliest writing.

So, what are some ways to use more vivid verbs? Let’s discuss.

Vivid Verbs: Definition

Vivid verbs: meaning, how to use vivid verbs in sentences, full a–z list of vivid verbs.

The New Oxford Dictionary defines vivid as “producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.”

The key word is “clear.” We want to strive for clarity with our verbs.

Take the verb “fall” as an example. There’s nothing wrong with the word; most people know what it means.

However, it could certainly be clearer. A fall just means downward motion; it suggests nothing about intention or distance.

Say we swap “fall” with a vivid verb like “tumble.” It’s more vivid because it implies a clumsy roll, or perhaps even an accidental fall.

Or we could use “plummet,” which paints of vivid picture of someone falling from a huge distance, likely to their doom.

Or what about “descend?” That feels much more gradual and intentional, like an airplane landing.

See how much more meaning we can get from verbs? That’s what we mean by “vivid.”

In creative writing , verbs are crucial. Action verbs are the best words for creating a picture in your readers’ minds.

Of course, adjectives and adverbs are great, but vivid verbs have motion attached to them.

UsingF vivid verbs means choosing a strong verb to paint a picture, adding clarity and specificity. Weak verbs don’t evoke the same images as vivid verbs.

How do you determine whether a verb is strong or weak?

Common verbs like walk or run are usually weak. Instead of describing how someone walks with an adjective (e.g. walks slowly ), a strong verb can provide more information about the character and the scene .

Both meanders and shuffles are synonyms for walks slowly , but these vivid verbs each evoke a different mood.

Meanders denotes a lazy pace, usually with peace. Shuffles implies that the character is feeling an emotion like sadness or embarrassment.

Let’s examine Strunk and White’s famous advice from The Elements of Style : “Omit needless words.”

This advice is especially useful for verbs, because we often use multiple words when we could use one. Take this sentence as an example:

• The dog jumped over the obstacle.

Jumped is our verb and over is our preposition .

Although this sentence functions correctly and gives us the right information, we’re using two words where one will do. Jump is not the strongest verb, and over is a needless word.

Instead, let’s try this:

• The dog hurdled the obstacle.

Not only have we used one word instead of two, we’ve also used a more vivid verb. Jump is generic, while hurdle implies athleticism.

You can also visualize your work when you’re editing . Simply read a scene you’re working on aloud, then close your eyes and visualize it.

Having a hard time seeing it? That might be because your verbs aren’t specific enough. For example, imagine this line:

• She threw the ball.

When you read and visualize that line, you probably see a simple throw, but nothing particularly distinct. That’s a tell-tale sign that you’re lacking vivid verbs. So, how about this?

• She hurled the ball.

Now imagine the character getting her full weight behind the ball and having it rocket into the distance. With such a clear image, that must be a better verb!

For many of us, we don’t categorize words into types (like verbs and adjectives) as we read them. If your writing feels a little flat, you may not realize that verbs are the culprit.

Another way to visualize your verbs is by highlighting them with ProWritingAid’s Thesaurus Report . This report highlights all of the verbs in your writing so you can see which ones might need improving.

If you decide you need to swap out some of your words for more vivid verbs, you can find contextually relevant synonyms in the report.

Using ProWritingAid’s Thesaurus Report lets you see where all of the verbs are so you can edit and improve your verbs with ease.

Here are a few more examples of vivid verbs:

Weak : She looked at the book from the mysterious librarian, but saw nothing important. Vivid : She scrutinized the book from the mysterious librarian, but saw nothing important.

Weak : He said he would never forgive me. Vivid : He whispered he would never forgive me.

Weak : The soprano sang the solo with all her heart. Vivid : The soprano belted the solo with all her heart.

If you need some ideas for vivid verbs, check out our list of 50 powerful verbs to use in your writing.

Vivid verbs make for great writing. Use your words to paint a picture by swapping out your weaker verbs for stronger ones.

Take your writing to the next level:

20 Editing Tips from Professional Writers

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article, or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas., this guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Dec 03, 2018

265+ Forceful Verbs to Turn You Into a Literary Tyrannosaurus

Writing is a storytelling medium. Every sentence is an opportunity to tell a part of that story, elaborating on the plot , characters, atmosphere — whatever. This also means that every time the author writes a sentence like, “Harry opened the door,” they are missing out on a key opportunity to tell us more . What if Harry “jimmied the door,” or “threw the door open”?  By using forceful verbs, we get a better sense of what’s happening without many extra words.

Why should you use forceful verbs?

A lot of the time, it simply comes down to using evocative verbs: doing words that not only tell us what is happening but how it is being done as well. But wait! you say, isn’t that what adverbs are for?

Adverbs: who needs them?

Adverbs, by definition, are modifiers that writers can use to describe an action:

• He walked slowly
• She ate voraciously
• They sleep lightly

The thing is, more often than not, you can pick a forceful verb that makes the adverb redundant:

• He sauntered
• She gobbled

Apart from simply being economical with words and avoiding purple prose , however, there are plenty of sound reasons to choose stronger verbs.

Show, Don’t Tell

The granddaddy of writing aphorisms: show, don’t tell. The principle behind this is that it’s far more satisfying for readers to infer what’s happening than for every piece of information to be spoon-fed to them. But perhaps more importantly, “showing” keeps a reader under the spell of the story, while “telling” reminds them that there’s a narrator at work, spinning a tale.

By choosing a solid, evocative verb, you deliver so much more information to the reader while remaining under the radar.

FREE COURSE

Show, Don't Tell

Master the golden rule of writing in 10 five-minute lessons.

Maintain immediacy and build pace

Another reason for maintaining an arsenal of forceful verbs is to preserve and build momentum . By economizing on words and packing each action with more meaning, you can up the pace of a passage. Strip out ALL the adverbs and adjectives and deploy some well-chosen verbs, and watch how your writing hums along like a cigarette boat off the coast of Miami.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. But by browsing through these hand-picked verbs, you should start to get an idea of how many words are already in your vocabulary — and how you can employ them in your writing.

Moving verbs

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

How can a phrase with so many letters of the alphabet also be so dull? It’s a surprise that the fox didn’t fall asleep half-way through that sentence and come crashing down on the lethargic mongrel. Instead of rolling out boring words like ‘walk’ and ‘run,’ give your characters an early birthday present and spice up their motions with these verbs.

Handling verbs

Don’t have your protagonist ‘hold’ something or ‘put’ it down — that tells us nothing about the character, object, or the action. Here are some sweet alternate verbs that will pull readers into your scene about a guy with a thing in his hand:

Speaking verbs

Buckle up: you’re about to get some advice that sounds contradictory, but really isn’t. The widely held rule about writing dialogue is that you shouldn’t use dialogue tags more exotic than “he said,” and “she said.” And that is true. If you tell your readers that Doctor Watson ejaculated in surprise, you’re more likely to distract your readers than if you wrote: “My word, Holmes. What a shock!” Watson said.

But, while keeping your dialogue tags unobtrusive, you don’t have to describe all acts of speech as “saying.” Here are some strong alternate verbs for characters who are flapping their lips:

However, if you are looking to beef up your arsenal of dialogue tags even more, why not download our free list of 150 other words for ‘said’?

How to Write Believable Dialogue

Master the art of dialogue in 10 five-minute lessons.

Attacking verbs

Verbs maketh the action, and nowhere is this truer than in action scenes. There’s no easier way to ruin a fight than by using the first, boring words that come to mind.

Arnold hit the other robot powerfully, who then used his .44 Magnum to shoot him back.

Boo. Hiss. Snooze. In action scenes, your job as a writer is to excite the reader — and for that, you need to quicken the pace of your writing. No time for adjectives or adverbs that lengthen sentences. Pick verbs that evoke the movements, speed, and emotions that you’re looking for. Start here:

Sensing verbs

In films, a lot of storytelling is done through the close up: a wide shot of a rotting corpse cutting to a close-up of a grizzled detective squinting his eyes tells us that he’s closely scrutinizing the body and wondering what happened. However, that’s Cinema — and books are not a visual medium. Luckily, a well-deployed verb in context can imply how a character is reacting to something they’re witnessing. So take a peek at these:

Standing verbs

Sure, someone might be standing on the street — but what else are they doing? You don’t have to tell us that they’re playing on the phone or thinking about their vacation, but you can give us a better picture of how they’re behaving with one of these actions:

Eating verbs

The Duchess of Devonshire doesn’t dine in the same way that a soldier in the trenches scoops from his mess tin. Pick the right verbs and you'll have your readers (and characters) eating out of your hand.

Transforming verbs

Describing what humans are doing is a lot easier than trying to communicate something that people have never seen before. How do you paint a word-picture of a cute alien who is transmogrifying into a deadly monster? And how can you explain to people what it’s like being on the deck of an aircraft carrier, with its various moving parts? If you’re not already shouting, “Verbs! Verbs!” then you haven’t been paying attention.

• Revolutionize
• Transfigure

Emoting verbs

“Show, don’t tell” was made for writing about emotion. If ever you feel the urge to write, “He was very sad,” then please power down your computer and take a nap. Nobody needs to read that. Instead of telling us how a character feels, show them doing something that reveals this emotion. Why not start by checking out these evocative verbs:

Shining verbs

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining,” Chekhov once wrote. “Show me the glint of the light on broken glass.” As a tip of the great Russian dramatist and short story maestro, we’ll finish up with some more alternatives for shining .

Well-chosen, powerful verbs are the secret weapons in a wordsmith’s holster. Always remember that using a bog-standard, overused verb is a missed opportunity. Make every word count, and give your readers something they can get lost in.

Have we missed out on your favorite forceful verb? Let us know in the comments below!

2 responses

Camilla Rose says:

19/09/2019 – 00:54

I think you should add like "Looking verbs" so to speak. Like watched, stared, glanced, etc.

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

07/10/2019 – 15:53

Oh, great suggestion! We'll do just that with next update :)

Comments are currently closed.

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100+ Vivid Verbs That’ll Spark Life Into Your Writing

by Ali Luke

on Jan 19, 2024

Are you trying to use more vivid verbs in your writing?

Maybe your writing seems dull and uninteresting. Or you may turn to the same commonly used verbs over and over again, desperately trying to spice them up with adverb after adverb. 

But adverbs rarely make your prose sound better. Instead, your word choice could bog it down.

Whether you’re working on a novel, a school assignment, a piece of creative nonfiction, or even a sales copy, you want your verbs to pull their weight.

That means choosing verbs that say exactly what you want them to say.

We’re going to run through everything you need to know about transforming a weak verb into powerful verbs… and we’ll finish up with a list of 100+ examples of great verbs to use.

Let’s dive right in.

What is a Vivid Verb?

A vivid verb is a verb that creates a clear, specific picture in the reader’s mind.

Vivid verbs are a type of literary device . They bring your writing to life. They don’t need to be modified with adjectives because we know exactly what they mean.

Think gobble instead of eat , or trudge instead of walk .

What Exactly Do We Mean by a “Vivid” Verb?

You might have been taught as students that a verb is “a doing word” — an action verb. You may also have learned that all sentences need an active verb to be grammatically correct.

And grammatically speaking, vivid verbs work in just the same way as any common verb. In particular, all verbs — vivid or not — have a tense.

They tell us whether something is happening in the past ( walked ), present ( walk ), or future ( will walk ). You can get even fancier than this with tenses like the present continuous ( am walking ) and pluperfect ( had walked ).

Vivid verbs fit into a sentence just like a commonly used verb.

The difference comes in their ability to conjure a powerful mental image for the reader. You might think of them as being a more descriptive verb or simply more interesting verbs.

Vivid verbs also often sound great when read aloud. Think of how words like slither or nibble, or dashed sound.

Are Vivid Verbs Also Called Strong Verbs?

Sometimes, vivid verbs are called strong verbs, which can be confusing. The term “strong verb” has a specific grammatical meaning : a verb that changes its stem vowel when changing to past tense, e.g. write to wrote . 

For clarity’s sake, we’re simply going to use the term vivid verb .

Replacing Boring Verbs With Vivid Verbs

Choosing the right word will conjure an image in the reader’s mind. Using a boring verb won’t give such a vivid impression of the action you’re trying to convey.

Ordinary verbs, aka boring verbs, are often the first ones we reach for. They’re easy words — ones that young children know. Verbs like walk, eat, get, make, and tell .

Now, there’s no rule saying you can’t use those verbs. Sometimes, they might make sense.

But with any boring verb, it’s important to ask yourself — is this the best tool for the job? Is there a more vivid verb I could use instead?

Let’s take a look at some alternatives you might want to try: 

• Walk — stride, skip, amble, meander, wander, sidle, hike, saunter, stroll
• Eat — gobble, munch, chew, nibble, devour, bite, taste, ingest, swallow
• Get — earn, win, obtain, acquire, score, grab, secure, attain, fetch, capture
• Make — craft, construct, manufacture, prepare, produce, assemble, fashion, create
• Tell — advise, explain, disclose, declare, instruct, inform, notify

If you’re writing something fairly informal, you can choose even more colorful vivid verbs. How about:

• Walk — schlepp, hit the road, wend their way
• Eat — chow down, pig out, polish off
• Get — snap up, come by, wangle
• Make — dream up, dash off, throw together
• Tell — let slip, keep posted, clue in

Here’s a quick example of a passive verb: 

Passive voice: The students were admonished.  

Active voice: Mr. Smith admonished the students.

How to Use Vivid Verbs in a Sentence

Reading about vivid verbs is one thing. But when you sit down to write, you might find yourself turning to old, tired, boring verbs instead.

That’s okay. Really!

If your first draft uses a lot of boring verbs, don’t worry about it. Drafting is just one part of the writing process .

You can work all those vivid verbs in when you edit. Here’s how:

Visualize Your Writing

You probably had some kind of picture in mind when you wrote your first draft, especially if you’re writing fiction and creative writing . Now that you’re editing, take a moment to close your eyes and visualize your scene as clearly as possible.

Is the elderly man in your novel strolling down the street — or is his walk more like an amble ?

Is the teenage girl scoffing a cookie or nibbling it?

The verbs you choose will give us a very different picture, not just of the action those characters are taking … but of who they are as people.

Eliminate Unnecessary Words

A big part of a good writing strategy is eliminating unnecessary words that don’t add anything and just take up space.

Those unnecessary words end up distracting from all the necessary, important, and impactful words in your piece.

Any time you spot an adverb, look for an opportunity to remove it — and choose a stronger verb to convey your meaning instead. For example:

Quickly walk could become stride .

Greedily eating could become gobble .

You should also look out for phrases that describe how someone does something. For example:

Ask in an officious tone could become inquire .

Call out in a loud voice could become shout .

Use a Thesaurus

Spotted a boring verb … but just can’t think of an alternative?

A good thesaurus is your friend here, and will improve your writing skills . The verbose cousin to a dictionary, a thesaurus lists words and their synonyms.

Usually, the thesaurus will give the closest-matching synonyms first, then move on to words that aren’t such a close match.

There are plenty of thesauruses available online: personally, I like Merriam-Webster’s thesaurus — and Thesaurus.com is great if you want a wide range of options.

Using an online thesaurus is as easy as using Google. Type your boring verb into the thesaurus’s search box and then pick from one of the — many! — alternatives. 

Focus on the Senses

Vivid verbs often engage our senses , invoking how something feels, tastes, smells, looks, or sounds.

Take the verb stomp , for instance, which evokes the sound of thudding, possibly angry, footsteps.

Or how about the verb wobble , with its sense of movement that you can almost feel.

The verb savor ties into our sense of taste, suggesting a food that we want to linger on the palate.

Engaging your reader’s senses can be a great way to make the world of a story feel more vivid and real. It’s also a very effective technique in digital marketing and sales copy .

Examples of Vivid Verbs in a Sentence

Let’s take a look at a very ordinary sentence with a very regular verb:

Today, I ran to the store.

It’s not a terrible sentence. We probably have some picture of the narrator running — but maybe not a clear one.

The narrator might be a marathon enthusiast who can easily get to the store without breaking a sweat. Or they might be an out-of-shape office worker who’s red-faced and panting by the time they get there.

We also don’t have any sense of why they’re running. Because the store’s about to close, and they desperately need milk? Or just for exercise?

How about instead:

Today, I jogged to the store.

Today, I dashed to the store.

Today, I fled to the store.

All of those vivid verbs conjure a different impression of how the narrator moves and why they might be doing so. Jogged might be part of an exercise regime.

Dashed indicates the trip needs to be made in a hurry — perhaps a key dinner ingredient is missing. 

Fled means the character is escaping from something or someone.

Here’s a longer example with three different boring verbs:

James quickly walked across the street, nimbly avoiding a cyclist as he thought deeply about his conversation with William.

If those verbs work a little harder, we can make the prose much more incisive:

James strode across the street, dodging a cyclist as he pondered his conversation with William.

Now, we have a better picture of James. Strode indicates a sense of purpose — is he on his way to talk to someone, perhaps?

Dodging implies a degree of skill, but perhaps also a close call — maybe his thoughts are distracting him. And pondered suggests careful consideration but also some degree of puzzlement.

Here’s an example that might come from sales copy:

After you get this course, you will have everything you need to succeed.

With strong action verbs, that becomes:

After you download this course, you will own everything you need to succeed.

100+ Vivid Verb Examples (Your Quick Reference Verbs List)

Vivid verbs, used well, are like a magic trick: they bring your writing to life. 

We’ve examined plenty of examples above, but here’s a full list of vivid verbs you can sprinkle into your prose.

• Orchestrate

Ready to Strengthen Your Writing With Vivid Verbs?

Switching out boring verbs for vivid verbs makes your writing more robust and richer.

It paints a picture in your reader’s head. 

And, most importantly, it lets you say exactly what you want to say. No lazy writing, no heavy dose of adverbs — just clear, engaging prose.

Next time you’re reading a book , blog post , advertising copy , or even a social media post , look out for the verbs.

Are they pulling their weight? Do they grab your interest?

And how could you use similarly vivid verbs in your writing strategy?

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Written by Ali Luke

1 thought on “100+ vivid verbs that’ll spark life into your writing”.

Ali what a fabulous guide here.

Thinking through the senses goads bloggers to use vivid verbs. Take a deep breath. Relax. Think and feel through your eyes, nose and ears. Guaranteed, these verbs pop up in your mind simply by writing through your senses.

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These creative writing tips show how to harness the tremendous power in action verbs: Verbs energize. An action verb generates more drama and emotion than a noun, adjective or adverb of similar meaning. Compare: (Strong verbs: ) (Nouns: ) (Weak verb + adjectives: ) Use vivid verbs, powerful verbs, to fizz up the action, paint word-pictures, and evoke feelings in your readers. Use active verbs rather than passive. Active verbs rivet readers' attention; passive verbs weaken your writing. Compare: (Active verb) (Passive verb) The first example is strong, precise and concise; the second sounds insipid. The active verb in the first example charges the sentence with a vitality and directness that compels attention. In the second example, however, the passive verb has slowed down the action and made the sentence unnecessarily wordy. Active verbs get things done fast; passive verbs impede action. Compare: (Active verb) (Passive verb) Use active verbs to quicken the pace. Like this: (From , by Charles Dickens) Some forms of verbs are more concise, direct and dramatic than others. Compare: Verbs ending in (for example, ) are weaker than their shorter forms ( ). Be as concise as possible; prefer the single verb to the roundabout phrase. Do not say: Say instead: A strong verb creates a mood or an image simply by its sound or connotations: for example, instead of the word , use more evocative words like Water can ; villains may ; and as for the loot, let it or . Vivid verbs appeal to the reader's senses of sight, sound, touch or smell. Like these: (From , Part 1, Act 2, Scene 2, by William Shakespeare) The forest crack’d, the waters curl’d, The cattle huddled on the lea; And wildly dash’d on tower and tree The sunbeam strikes along the world. (From , by Alfred Lord Tennyson) Strong verbs also evoke the music of words. When choosing verbs, discern with your inner ear: do the sounds of the words carry the meaning and mood you want to convey? Is it melody or discord that you hear? Do the verbs stimulate this word music for readers? Look again at the description of the brewing storm in the previous section (Creative Writing Tips #6: excerpt from by Alfred Lord Tennyson). Feel the intense vigor of the verbs, hear the roar of the music. Compare it to the following example, where the verbs march to a different beat, a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of exuberant activity: (From , by Rudyard Kipling) Want to learn more about the music of words? Go to When is it better to use passive verbs? When the story calls for a change of pace: for example, to slow down the action, reduce tension, or stretch the narrative. Choose passive verbs also when you want to emphasize the receiver of the action; like this: (From The Bible, )             (65) 9646 0930 [email protected] Creative Writing: Vivid Verbs To Boost Your Language Posted By Randall Chew Happy June Holidays and hello, again! I hope that you children will be able to catch a breather during this break even though some of my pupils have already told me about the homework that they have for this month! In my third post, I will be looking at the use of verbs and how using appropriate and precise verbs will help you to express yourself better in your writing. If you have a piece of writing to do, it will be a good opportunity to try out how to use vivid verbs for creative writing! First of all, what are verbs? Simply put, although there are a few types of verbs, most people remember verbs as words that describe actions, such as run, jump, skip and stumble. Stories are full of verbs because they involve actions done by the characters. Writers c hoose their verbs carefully so that they can paint a clear picture of the actions carried out by the characters they create . Using precise verbs will also help to convey other important things about the characters, such as how they feel and what kind of people they are.  To illustrate my point, let’s start by comparing these two simple sentences: A: Jake walked to school. B: Jake limped to school. Both sentences are similar because they tell the action done by Jake but what makes the second one better? By using ‘limped’, the writer is suggesting an extra detail about Jake and makes us ask, “Why is Jake limping? Is he injured?” The word ‘walked’ , although a legitimate verb, is limiting because it is too simple and does not tell us more about Jake. Let’s take a look at another example: A: “Get out of my room!” Anna said. B: “Get out of my room!” Anna fumed. By using the word ‘fumed’, the writer has revealed to us Anna’s anger while ‘said’ is too generic a word because it does not reveal to us how Anna is actually feeling. These two examples help to illustrate the importance of using vivid verbs – verbs that are appropriate to the situation as well as precise in their description of the action. So how do you ensure that you always use vivid verbs in your writing? How do I start using vivid verbs for creative writing? 1. Make sure to stay away from simple words like ‘walk’, ‘go’, ‘say’ and ‘ask’ . If there is a better, more apt word, use that. Sometimes, looking the alternative up in a thesaurus might help. But be careful to check the meaning of the new word in a dictionary to see that it is appropriate for the situation. 2. The only way to learn more and better verbs is to READ as widely as you can . Take note of how writers like Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling use vivid verbs to make their stories come alive. Here’s a short extract from a popular Roald Dahl’s book, “Matilda”. Read the writer’s description of the Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Try spotting the vivid verbs that Mr. Dahl has used in his writing to create Miss Trunchbull’s personality: “When she marched – Miss Trunchbull never walked, she always marched like a storm trooper with long strides and arms swinging – when she marched along a corridor you could actually hear her snorting as she went and if a group of children happened to be in her path, she ploughed on through them like a tank, with small people bouncing off her to the left and right.” What are some words that popped up in your mind about Miss Trunchbull as you read this? Let’s take a look at how Miss Trunchbull looks like and how Mr. Dahl’s description had helped to create her personality. From his description, we could tell that Miss Trunchbull is an unpleasant person from her actions – she ‘marched’ like a storm trooper, she would ‘snort’ as she went along the corridor and ‘ploughed on’ through the children like a tank. The writer has used interesting verbs to give us a clear picture of Miss Trunchbull’s personality Try replacing ‘marched’ and ‘ploughed on’ with ‘walked’, you will realise that the effect is quite different. To help you get started, I am providing a table of verbs you can use in your writing : I hope you find this list useful and remember to keep adding on to it as you read this holiday! Let me know about the additions that you made for each column in the comments section! Ms Nora is an English Teacher at Lil’ but Mighty. She is committed to providing students with a dynamic and nurturing environment in which they can grow and develop. One of her greatest strengths as an educator is instilling a love for the English Language in her students. Have something to share? Drop us a comment below! Leave a reply. You must be logged in to post a comment. Other related posts Creative Writing | 3 Easy Steps to Write Your Own Haiku! 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Lower Primary Ketchup on English! – Verbs Are Not Just Action Words! Expressing Character Feelings | Using Show-Not-Tell Which picture should i use | choosing the best picture to use for composition. Oral: Reading Passage | Long Vowels – Have You Been Reading Your Vowels Correctly? Like what you are reading. Subscribe now to receive news and tips hot off the press! The greatest joy in giving small group tuition is a teacher’s ability to create greater impact in the children that have been entrusted to her care. Our Programmes Primary English Secondary English Self-Paced Online Courses School Clients Copyright Terms & Conditions Personal Data Protection Policy Registration Terms & Conditions Contest Terms & Conditions Lil’ but Mighty Clementi Block 432 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-282, Singapore 120432 Lil’ but Mighty Bukit Timah 170 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #B2-02 Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, Singapore 588179 Lil’ but Mighty Hougang Block 211 Hougang Street 21, #01-305 (Back entrance), Singapore 530211 Lil’ but Mighty Novena 1 Goldhill Plaza, #02-25, Singapore 308899 Lil’ but Mighty Marine Parade 1 Marine Parade, #04-05 Parkway Centre, Singapore 449408 Lil’ but Mighty Tampines 3 Tampines Central 1, #06-03 Tampines Plaza 1, Singapore 529540 Descriptive verb list: 30 words to replace dull actions Sayings such as ‘the road to hell is paved with adverbs’ scare many aspiring authors off using adverbs to describe characters’ actions. Yet writers say this because there are often more descriptive, common verbs you could use instead of a duller verb-plus-adverb. Use this list of descriptive strong verbs to create stronger mood, atmosphere, and characterization. Post author By Jordan 8 Comments on Descriptive verb list: 30 words to replace dull actions Sayings such as ‘the road to hell is paved with adverbs’ scare many aspiring authors off using adverbs to describe characters’ actions. Yet writers say this because there are often more descriptive, common verbs you could use instead of a duller verb-plus-adverb. Use this list of descriptive strong verbs to create stronger mood, atmosphere , and characterization. 1. Verbs that describe movement Common verbs that describe the ways your characters move (such as ‘run’, ‘sit’ and ‘walk’) have many vibrant alternatives. Explore these alternatives: Powerful verbs for walking ‘She walked over’ is perfectly adequate to describe a character approaching. However, here are some alternatives for creating a vivid picture:: To saunter: Use to describe a character who is laid back or relaxed. It means ‘to walk in a slow or relaxed manner.’ Example: She sauntered over to our cafeteria table, casually tossing her books onto one of the grimy seats. To stumble: A great alternative to walking, for uneven terrain, injury, or a clumsy character. Example: I stumbled on in the dark undergrowth, hoping to see the town’s lights winking ahead soon. To stride: Use for purposeful or confident walking. For example: She strode over the plain, sword aloft, deflecting incoming arrows as easily as summer gnats. To creep: Use for fearful or cautious movement. For example: He crept towards the display case, his eyes widening at the dazzling gold and rubies that sparkled and blinded. To hurry: You can also use words that describe general  manner of movement,  like this. For example: Late for class, she hurries, forgetting behind the paper she needs to hand in today. Descriptive verbs for running ‘He ran for the departing train’ is another use of an adequate but not particularly descriptive verb. Here are exciting verb alternatives for ‘to run’: To bolt: This synonym for ‘run’ has connotations of fear (we typically speak of a frightened horse or other animal as ‘bolting’). For example: At the first firecracker’s bang, the dogs bolted, Tess careening into the sliding door with a loud whimper. To tear down/along: This carries a sense of violence or destructive movement (because we also use it to mean ‘to demolish’). For example: The thief tore down the side street, knocking a crate of fresh fruit from a startled merchant’s arms as he passed. To dash: This alternative word for run suggests nimble, smooth and precise movement. For example: When she realized she’d forgotten her handbag, she dashed back to the checkout counter. To hurtle: A great synonym suggesting impending impact (usually ‘hurtled towards’). For example: The athletes hurtled towards the tape across the finish line, each striving their hardest to break it first. To fly: Metaphorical uses of synonyms (a character might not literally be airborne) are also useful synonyms. For example: She flew along the track, certain she’d beat her record by whole seconds. Level Up Your Description Get our guide to writing character description, including a workbook with exercises and video lessons. 2. Verbs that describe stillness Even when a character isn’t moving a lot can be going on. Instead of ‘they sat’, you could use a verb that describes characters’ mental or emotional states and other qualities. Read these livelier words for motionless states: Descriptive verbs for sitting To slouch: A useful word to convey a character’s laziness, bad posture or a defeated, ‘weighed down’ quality. For example: She slouched in the back row, staring out the window not giving a single crap what the teacher was on about. To slump over: A great expression to suggest an awkward resting pose the character has no control over (for example because asleep, or even deceased). For example: In the middle of the meeting she slumped over without warning as loud, embarrassing snoring reverberated across the shocked boardroom. To plonk [down]: Words that sound like the actions they describe (called ‘onomatopoeia’) are also useful for adding variety and life to your writing. For example: He plonked himself down on the couch, swigging back beer with his eyes closed as if wishing the world away. To perch: This is another great word that can be used for humorous effect. It suggests a bird on a bough – there’s a sense of being ready to spring off again at any moment. For example: “ I need to go perch,” she said, and Emma groaned, wishing her mother wouldn’t describe going to the toilet in such foul and vivid way in front of her friends. To settle: This is a good word to use to show a character intends to stay put where they are. For example: He settled into the comfiest chair in the room, despite her having reserved it with a scarf. Seeing her irritated expression he gave a taunting wink. Describing verbs for standing Even when a person (or object) stands, you can invest this not-very-active action with tone and mood. To tower:  A great word for imposing, awe-inspiring or terrifying height. For example: The palace towered over the peasants’ hovels. They muttered among themselves of cakes, coats of gold brocade and other luxuries they imagined gliding down gilded corridors. To pose:  A good substitute for ‘standing’ when you want to suggest self-awareness or performance. For example: The actress posed at the meet and greet, plastering the same rehearsed smile across her face each time a flash went off. To rise: You can invest tall, immovable objects with a sense of movement – the movement a character’s eyes would make taking it all in. For example: The great mountain rose over the plains, casting deep shadows across the travellers’ long and dusty way. To protrude: A good synonym for ‘to stand’, suggesting ‘sticking out’. For example: Her head protruded above all the other guests and she felt ostrich-like, regretting the 6-inch heels. To jut: A word to suggest something that stands out in a way that breaks an otherwise even surface. For example: His hand jutted above the heads of the audience. He was burning to ask the speaker a sly – some would say trolling – question. 3. More vivid verbs for voice Actions involving the voice – speech and laughter – also have many descriptive alternatives (for alternative dialogue tags specifically, see this blog post ). Synonyms for ‘to speak’ To prattle:  A great word when you want to convey that a character talks a lot but says very little of value or interest. For example: She prattled on, not even noticing as the other guests moved closer to the fireplace or inched out the door in search of two-way conversations. To preach: Words from professions (such as priesthood) used metaphorically are also great alternatives. Such as when a character is being holier-than-thou in dialogue. For example: The longer she preached, the heavier Emma’s eyelids became. Mid-way through a sermon on the dangers of boys who drive red convertibles, she woke with a start as her mother, still talking, shook her violently by the shoulders. [As you can see here, the occasional ‘-ly’ adverb is not the end of the world.] To whisper: Synonyms for ‘to talk’ like these are excellent for creating volume and mood. For example: The closer they got to the abandoned house, the softer her brother whispered his protests, until she spun around, eyes flashing. “Either shut up or speak up.” To drawl: Words such as ‘drawl’ are great for characterization. It means ‘to speak in a slow, lazy way with prolonged vowel sounds.’ For example: The sleaze-bag looked her up and down as he drawled. “Pretty thing like you shouldn’t ever break down on a quiet road like this.” To stammer/stutter: Even though their causes aren’t necessarily nervous, speech impediments are useful for conveying faltering speech in a tense or anxious situation. For example: “I d-didn’t even t-touch-:” (he swallowed) “anything here.” The shop assistant glared down at the smashed glass. Verbs for laughter and joking Here are words to use instead of ‘to laugh’: To guffaw: This synonym for ‘laugh’ conveys a sense of raucous, uninhibited laughter. For example: He slapped his knee and guffawed when the groom tripped over the stairs to the altar, but quickly disguised his outburst as a cough when he caught his wife’s warning glare. To giggle: A great word for suppressed or youthful laughter. For example: Their friends were camping two meters away so she giggled and covered his face with her hand as he started unbuckling, saying risque things in that dumb pirate voice he loved to put on. To chuckle: This synonym for ‘to laugh’ conveys affection or an easy-going nature, and is also a good option for characterizing. For example: He didn’t find her joke funny but he chuckled as naturally as he could, hoping she couldn’t tell. To be hysterical: This synonym is great for conveying intense mirth. For example: T he more they tried to keep it together, the more hysterical they became, until their faces were crimson and they burst out shrieking, causing Mr Howard to spin around from the blackboard and exile them to the Headmaster’s office. To snicker: Another useful laughter substitute, this time with an undertone of mockery. For example: ”Oh, Mister ‘I don’t care if I get a D for woodwork’ is making a tree-house this summer? Good luck!” She snickered as she got off the school bus. What are some of your favourite descriptive verbs? Feel free to share them in the comments section. And if you’re starting out as a writer, invest in a good thesaurus that will help you find the best verbs for any context . Join Now Novel to get constructive feedback on your writing or work one-on-one with a coach to stay on track and finish your current project. Related Posts: Dialogue words: Other words for 'said' (and what to avoid) Writing descriptive sentences: 6 simple rules Descriptive verbs: 7 tips for avoiding weak adverbs Tags description , descriptive verbs , style Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town. 8 replies on “Descriptive verb list: 30 words to replace dull actions” Lol, in today’s easily offended world, where any little thing that can be taken wrong is, I think ‘snicker’ might draw fewer raised eyebrows. Just my opinion. Good point! The offensive potential of the word wasn’t immediately apparent as the offensive version isn’t one used much outside the US. A good reminder of regionalism, that’s been changed. Thanks for reading. Of course, the intent and attitude toward “today’s easily offended,” is evident no matter which word is used. How in the world would “snicker” be offensive? Hi Desdemona’s bane, the word being referred to was ‘snigger’ which is not offensive in non-US contexts where a certain horrible racist epithet contained in the word isn’t as common. Of course ‘snigger’ is actually a variant of ‘snicker’ in origin, but OP was saying that people could take offence at the closeness of the two words in sound and letters. I hope this clarifies 🙂 Good tips. It’s like finding out there are more than the five-pack of Crayolas. Jordan, while I understand we live in a supercharged politically correct society, the two words are spelled and pronounced differently. If one has cause to doubt the meaning of the word, look at the preceding words or afterwords. They should reveal the writer’s intention. Don’t you think? Hi BKjerry, you wouldn’t be at fault to use the word, I would say, no. It is quite clearly not the same word. However it is perhaps better to be safe on account of the sensitivity of some than offend more people than necessary (if a close alternative is an identical substitution in terms of semantics). One can read for context, but in the era of the internet and the soundbyte (and the social media battalion), people do also love to take things out of context. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Pin It on Pinterest What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples) Creative writing begins with a blank page and the courage to fill it with the stories only you can tell. I face this intimidating blank page daily–and I have for the better part of 20+ years. In this guide, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of creative writing with tons of examples. What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)? Creative Writing is the art of using words to express ideas and emotions in imaginative ways. It encompasses various forms including novels, poetry, and plays, focusing on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes. Table of Contents Let’s expand on that definition a bit. Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries. It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions. In essence, creative writing lets you express ideas and emotions uniquely and imaginatively. It’s about the freedom to invent worlds, characters, and stories. These creations evoke a spectrum of emotions in readers. Creative writing covers fiction, poetry, and everything in between. It allows writers to express inner thoughts and feelings. Often, it reflects human experiences through a fabricated lens. Types of Creative Writing There are many types of creative writing that we need to explain. Some of the most common types: Short stories Screenplays Flash fiction Creative Nonfiction Short Stories (The Brief Escape) Short stories are like narrative treasures. They are compact but impactful, telling a full story within a limited word count. These tales often focus on a single character or a crucial moment. Short stories are known for their brevity. They deliver emotion and insight in a concise yet powerful package. This format is ideal for exploring diverse genres, themes, and characters. It leaves a lasting impression on readers. Example: Emma discovers an old photo of her smiling grandmother. It’s a rarity. Through flashbacks, Emma learns about her grandmother’s wartime love story. She comes to understand her grandmother’s resilience and the value of joy. Novels (The Long Journey) Novels are extensive explorations of character, plot, and setting. They span thousands of words, giving writers the space to create entire worlds. Novels can weave complex stories across various themes and timelines. The length of a novel allows for deep narrative and character development. Readers get an immersive experience. Example: Across the Divide tells of two siblings separated in childhood. They grow up in different cultures. Their reunion highlights the strength of family bonds, despite distance and differences. Poetry (The Soul’s Language) Poetry expresses ideas and emotions through rhythm, sound, and word beauty. It distills emotions and thoughts into verses. Poetry often uses metaphors, similes, and figurative language to reach the reader’s heart and mind. Poetry ranges from structured forms, like sonnets, to free verse. The latter breaks away from traditional formats for more expressive thought. Example: Whispers of Dawn is a poem collection capturing morning’s quiet moments. “First Light” personifies dawn as a painter. It brings colors of hope and renewal to the world. Plays (The Dramatic Dialogue) Plays are meant for performance. They bring characters and conflicts to life through dialogue and action. This format uniquely explores human relationships and societal issues. Playwrights face the challenge of conveying setting, emotion, and plot through dialogue and directions. Example: Echoes of Tomorrow is set in a dystopian future. Memories can be bought and sold. It follows siblings on a quest to retrieve their stolen memories. They learn the cost of living in a world where the past has a price. Screenplays (Cinema’s Blueprint) Screenplays outline narratives for films and TV shows. They require an understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and dialogue. Screenplays must fit film production constraints. Example: The Last Light is a screenplay for a sci-fi film. Humanity’s survivors on a dying Earth seek a new planet. The story focuses on spacecraft Argo’s crew as they face mission challenges and internal dynamics. Memoirs (The Personal Journey) Memoirs provide insight into an author’s life, focusing on personal experiences and emotional journeys. They differ from autobiographies by concentrating on specific themes or events. Memoirs invite readers into the author’s world. They share lessons learned and hardships overcome. Example: Under the Mango Tree is a memoir by Maria Gomez. It shares her childhood memories in rural Colombia. The mango tree in their yard symbolizes home, growth, and nostalgia. Maria reflects on her journey to a new life in America. Flash Fiction (The Quick Twist) Flash fiction tells stories in under 1,000 words. It’s about crafting compelling narratives concisely. Each word in flash fiction must count, often leading to a twist. This format captures life’s vivid moments, delivering quick, impactful insights. Example: The Last Message features an astronaut’s final Earth message as her spacecraft drifts away. In 500 words, it explores isolation, hope, and the desire to connect against all odds. Creative Nonfiction (The Factual Tale) Creative nonfiction combines factual accuracy with creative storytelling. This genre covers real events, people, and places with a twist. It uses descriptive language and narrative arcs to make true stories engaging. Creative nonfiction includes biographies, essays, and travelogues. Example: Echoes of Everest follows the author’s Mount Everest climb. It mixes factual details with personal reflections and the history of past climbers. The narrative captures the climb’s beauty and challenges, offering an immersive experience. Fantasy (The World Beyond) Fantasy transports readers to magical and mythical worlds. It explores themes like good vs. evil and heroism in unreal settings. Fantasy requires careful world-building to create believable yet fantastic realms. Example: The Crystal of Azmar tells of a young girl destined to save her world from darkness. She learns she’s the last sorceress in a forgotten lineage. Her journey involves mastering powers, forming alliances, and uncovering ancient kingdom myths. Science Fiction (The Future Imagined) Science fiction delves into futuristic and scientific themes. It questions the impact of advancements on society and individuals. Science fiction ranges from speculative to hard sci-fi, focusing on plausible futures. Example: When the Stars Whisper is set in a future where humanity communicates with distant galaxies. It centers on a scientist who finds an alien message. This discovery prompts a deep look at humanity’s universe role and interstellar communication. Watch this great video that explores the question, “What is creative writing?” and “How to get started?”: What Are the 5 Cs of Creative Writing? The 5 Cs of creative writing are fundamental pillars. They guide writers to produce compelling and impactful work. These principles—Clarity, Coherence, Conciseness, Creativity, and Consistency—help craft stories that engage and entertain. They also resonate deeply with readers. Let’s explore each of these critical components. Clarity makes your writing understandable and accessible. It involves choosing the right words and constructing clear sentences. Your narrative should be easy to follow. In creative writing, clarity means conveying complex ideas in a digestible and enjoyable way. Coherence ensures your writing flows logically. It’s crucial for maintaining the reader’s interest. Characters should develop believably, and plots should progress logically. This makes the narrative feel cohesive. Conciseness Conciseness is about expressing ideas succinctly. It’s being economical with words and avoiding redundancy. This principle helps maintain pace and tension, engaging readers throughout the story. Creativity is the heart of creative writing. It allows writers to invent new worlds and create memorable characters. Creativity involves originality and imagination. It’s seeing the world in unique ways and sharing that vision. Consistency Consistency maintains a uniform tone, style, and voice. It means being faithful to the world you’ve created. Characters should act true to their development. This builds trust with readers, making your story immersive and believable. Is Creative Writing Easy? Creative writing is both rewarding and challenging. Crafting stories from your imagination involves more than just words on a page. It requires discipline and a deep understanding of language and narrative structure. Exploring complex characters and themes is also key. Refining and revising your work is crucial for developing your voice. The ease of creative writing varies. Some find the freedom of expression liberating. Others struggle with writer’s block or plot development challenges. However, practice and feedback make creative writing more fulfilling. What Does a Creative Writer Do? A creative writer weaves narratives that entertain, enlighten, and inspire. Writers explore both the world they create and the emotions they wish to evoke. Their tasks are diverse, involving more than just writing. Creative writers develop ideas, research, and plan their stories. They create characters and outline plots with attention to detail. Drafting and revising their work is a significant part of their process. They strive for the 5 Cs of compelling writing. Writers engage with the literary community, seeking feedback and participating in workshops. They may navigate the publishing world with agents and editors. Creative writers are storytellers, craftsmen, and artists. They bring narratives to life, enriching our lives and expanding our imaginations. How to Get Started With Creative Writing? Embarking on a creative writing journey can feel like standing at the edge of a vast and mysterious forest. The path is not always clear, but the adventure is calling. Here’s how to take your first steps into the world of creative writing: Find a time of day when your mind is most alert and creative. Create a comfortable writing space free from distractions. Use prompts to spark your imagination. They can be as simple as a word, a phrase, or an image. Try writing for 15-20 minutes on a prompt without editing yourself. Let the ideas flow freely. Reading is fuel for your writing. Explore various genres and styles. Pay attention to how your favorite authors construct their sentences, develop characters, and build their worlds. Don’t pressure yourself to write a novel right away. Begin with short stories or poems. Small projects can help you hone your skills and boost your confidence. Look for writing groups in your area or online. These communities offer support, feedback, and motivation. Participating in workshops or classes can also provide valuable insights into your writing. Understand that your first draft is just the beginning. Revising your work is where the real magic happens. Be open to feedback and willing to rework your pieces. Carry a notebook or digital recorder to jot down ideas, observations, and snippets of conversations. These notes can be gold mines for future writing projects. Final Thoughts: What Is Creative Writing? Creative writing is an invitation to explore the unknown, to give voice to the silenced, and to celebrate the human spirit in all its forms. Check out these creative writing tools (that I highly recommend): Recommended Tools Learn More Jasper AI Show Not Tell GPT Dragon Professional Speech Dictation and Voice Recognition Surface Laptop Bluehost Sqribble (eBook maker) Read This Next: What Is a Prompt in Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 200 Examples) What Is A Personal Account In Writing? (47 Examples) How To Write A Fantasy Short Story (Ultimate Guide + Examples) How To Write A Fantasy Romance Novel [21 Tips + Examples) Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab Welcome to the Purdue OWL This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. 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As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time. Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page  if you have any questions or comments. All the best, Social Media Facebook twitter. 11 Common Types Of Verbs Used In The English Language What Is A Verb? Types Of Verbs Power Up With Grammar Coach On an average day, a lot of things can happen: people go to work. Kids study in school. Animals hunt for food. Friends talk to each other. All of these sentences express basic ideas about everyday events. However, we can also use sentences to express more complicated ideas: citizens can own property. People will chase their dreams to get what they want. Both our simple sentences and complex sentences have something in common: they all use verbs. Verbs are very important in grammar, and we actually use many different types of verbs when we talk about what things do or how things are. Because they do so much for us, it is only fair that we take the time to learn a little more about verbs and some of the common types of verbs used in English. What is a verb ? When we write sentences or clauses, we need to include a verb. What is a verb ? A verb is a word that we use to refer to actions (what things do) and states of being (how things are). For example, the words describe, eat , and rotate are verbs. As you are about to see, verbs come in a lot of different types that don’t all behave the same way. When using proper grammar, it is important that you use verbs correctly. So, we are going to explore the many different types of verbs that we use and how to successfully use them to create great, clear sentences. Types of verbs We are going to explore 11 different types of verbs. Because every type deserves some attention, we won’t be going into too much detail on each type. If you want to learn more than what is covered here, you’re in luck. Listed below are each of the 11 types of verbs we are going to look at and a link to an article entirely focused on that specific type of verb. Action verbs Stative verbs Transitive verbs Intransitive verbs Linking verbs Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) Modal verbs Regular verbs Irregular verbs Phrasal verbs Infinitives 1. Action verbs Action verbs, as their name says, are used to refer to actions. These can refer to physical actions that are performed with bodies or objects, such as jump , hit , or sing , or mental actions that we use our brains to perform, such as think , consider , or memorize . Most verbs you will find are action verbs. List of action verbs Examples of action verbs in a sentence. Each of these sentences uses action verbs. You’ll see that each verb is referring to a physical or mental action. I work at a factory. Cats chase mice. We listened to the woman’s amazing story.  2. Stative verbs Unlike action verbs, stative verbs refer to conditions or states of being . Generally speaking, we use stative verbs to describe things like qualities, states of existence, opinions, beliefs, and emotions. When used in a sentence, stative verbs do not refer to actions. It is important to know that some verbs can be used as either action or stative verbs depending on their meaning in the sentence. We are less likely to use stative verbs in the continuous verb tenses . List of stative verbs Get to know the stative verb have even better with this examination of has vs. have . Examples of stative verbs in a sentence These sentences all use stative verbs. You’ll notice that none of these verbs refer to actions. The mansion has five bathrooms. Allie loves her younger sisters. My car needs an oil change. 3. Transitive verbs A transitive verb is a verb that is accompanied by a direct object in a sentence. The direct object is the noun , pronoun , or noun phrase that is having something done to it by the subject of the sentence. Both action and stative verbs can have direct objects, which means they can both be used as transitive verbs. Examples of transitive verbs in a sentence The following sentences all contain examples of transitive verbs. As you read each one, consider what the direct object of the sentence is. Leonardo ate a delicious pepperoni pizza. The wealthy man bought three paintings. She really hates broccoli. 4. Intransitive verbs The opposite of a transitive verb is an intransitive verb . A verb is an intransitive verb if it is not used with a direct object. Remember, only nouns, pronouns, and  noun phrases can be direct objects. Prepositional phrases , adjectives , and adverbs cannot be used as direct objects. Once again, both action and stative verbs can be used as intransitive verbs. Examples intransitive verbs in a sentence Each of these sentences uses intransitive verbs. Look carefully and you will see that none of these sentences have direct objects. Airplanes fly . The children slept while the adults worked. The terrified monkeys hid in the trees after they saw the gigantic hungry snake. 5. Linking verbs Linking verbs are a special type of stative verb whose name gives a big clue as to what they do. Linking verbs are used to link a subject with a subject complement . A subject complement describes or identifies the subject of the sentence or clause. Linking verbs can function as intransitive verbs, which do not take direct objects. List of words used as linking verbs Examples of linking verbs in a sentence. In each of the following sentences, linking verbs are used to link a subject with a subject complement. Mike is a great dancer. That gold watch looks expensive. Suddenly, the mall got really crowded. 6. Helping verbs (auxiliary verbs) Helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs, are helpful verbs that work with other verbs to change the meaning of a sentence. A helping verb combines with a main verb in order to accomplish different goals. These include changing the tense of the verb or altering the mood of a sentence. List of words used as helping verbs Examples of helping verbs in a sentence. Each of the following sentences uses a helping verb. Take a moment to consider what each sentence is saying and how a helping verb contributes to the meaning of the sentence. The musician has performed in concerts all over the world. My cat is getting slow in her old age. Cheetahs can run incredibly fast. 7. Modal verbs Modal verbs are a subgroup of helping verbs that are used to give a sentence a specific mood. Each modal verb is used differently, and they can express concepts such as ability, necessity, possibility, or permission. List of verbs used as modal verbs Examples of modal verbs in a sentence. The following sentences all use modal verbs to express a certain tone. You’ll see that each sentence would have a different meaning (or wouldn’t make sense) without the modal verb. Once you finish your homework, you may play outside. We must carefully add two eggs to the mixing bowl. I would go to the movies if I wasn’t busy working. Learn about one certain mood that confuses many: the subjunctive mood. 8. Regular verbs A verb is considered a regular verb if its past tense form and past participle ends in -ed , -d , or the verb is a -t variant verb. For example, the verb look is a regular verb because both its past tense form and past participle is looked . Sometimes, regular verbs may slightly change spelling. For example, the past tense and past participle of cry is cried . List of regular verbs jump becomes jumped slip becomes slipped try becomes tried sleep becomes slept lend becomes lent Examples of regular verbs in a sentence Each of the following sentences use regular verbs in either their past tense form or as a past participle. He walked two miles to the post office. We purchased all of the supplies that we needed for the camping trip. Tiffany had noticed something strange about Marcus’s story. 9. Irregular verbs An irregular verb is a verb whose past tense and past participle form doesn’t end in -ed , -d , and doesn’t use the – t variant. Often, the spelling of these verbs changes dramatically or may not even change at all. List of irregular verbs be becomes am , is , are , was , were , be , being , and been eat becomes ate , eaten fly becomes flew , flown catch becomes caught , caught set becomes set , set Examples of irregular verbs in a sentence The following sentences use irregular verbs. Despite being used in the past tense or as a past participle, none of these verbs end in -ed , -d , or are a -t variant verb. Cindy knew all of the right answers. This junky computer has given me nothing but headaches since I bought it. The workers took the furniture out of the moving truck. 10. Phrasal verbs Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb with prepositions and/or adverbs that have a different meaning from the individual words used to form them. For example, the verb shut means “to close,” and the adverb down means “not up” or “in a descending direction.” However, the phrasal verb shut down means to stop the operation of something. List of phrasal verbs put up with talk down to Examples of phrasal verbs in a sentence The following sentences show how we can use phrasal verbs. Sometimes, we can separate out the words of a phrasal verb and the sentence is still grammatically correct. The frustrated business owner closed down his store. Dave loves to show off his baseball trophies. My mother always told me it is a good idea to put some money away in case of emergencies. 11. Infinitives Our last type of verb isn’t actually a verb at all —sorry about that! However, infinitives look a lot like verbs because they are derived from them. An infinitive of a verb is identical to the base form of the verb. For example, the infinitive form of the verb open is open . Typically, we use infinitives with the word to in order to form infinitive phrases. Infinitive phrases can be used for a variety of reasons, such as to act like nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Examples of infinitive phrases in a sentence All of the following sentences use infinitive phrases. In order, the infinitive phrases are acting as a noun ( nominal infinitive), an adjective ( adjectival infinitive), and an adverb ( adverbial infinitive). To play guitar in a rock band is my goal. If you are looking for the best restaurants in town, Luis is the person to ask . The writing in the letter was too small to see . Find out how well you know the types of verbs by taking this quiz! We think you’ll agree: you need Grammar Coach! Improve your writing with Thesaurus.com’s Grammar Coach ™, which catches grammar and spelling errors and provides Thesaurus-powered synonym suggestions. Using machine learning, this tool can spot the difference between the different verb types, their correct and incorrect uses—and much more! Start writing smarter today! Make Your Writing Shine! By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy policies. Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Now that you've mastered verbs, let's look at the 10 types of nouns. Ways To Say Synonym of the day 387 IMAGES Creative Writing With Verbs Poster: 10 Verbs for Creative Writing Powerful Verbs List Modal verbs. creative writing prompt: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc Creative writing exercise: practise using verbs Verb Mood Task Cards VIDEO CONTRACTED WORDS of auxiliary verbs| spoken English #shorts #english #writingskill #englishgrammar 英文文法 1000 Action Verbs Learn 50+ Action Verbs Daily Life English Vocabulary Writing Vocabulary Lesson #write #writing #verbs #english #vocabulary 500 Most Used Verbs in English COMMENTS The Ultimate Strong Verbs List That'll Supercharge Your Writing Powerful: The man strode along the platform. Impotent: Jim is a lover of country living. Powerful: Jim treasures country living. Impotent: There are three things that make me feel the way I do…. Powerful: Three things convince me…. 2. Verbs that rely on adverbs. Powerful verbs are strong enough to stand alone. Examples. How to Use Powerful and Creative Verbs You can get very creative with unusual verbs: bubble-wrapped the insult (to suggest that the insult was surrounded by "softer" words) tabled your idea. But you do have to use colorful verbs tactfully. Use good judgment and don't overdo the creativity. Language is like clothing--too much color can be just plain odd. 400 Action Verbs To Energize Your Writing Action verbs are precise and concrete. In contrast, weak verbs are abstract and generic - they don't help your reader visualize the scene. Strong verbs breathe life into abstract concepts. Therefore, we created this list of common verbs and found more exciting synonyms. It makes it easy to find just the right verbs for our sentences. 444+ Strong Verbs to Enhance Your Writing and Storytelling In addition to their impact on storytelling, strong verbs offer a range of benefits that can enhance your writing overall: Clarity: Strong verbs provide clear, concise descriptions of actions, making it easier for readers to understand your message. Engagement: Powerful verbs draw readers in, keeping them interested and invested in your content. 190+ Action Verbs: Powerful Words And Examples Communicate is one action verb that you can use to spruce up your creative writing. Action verbs, a.k.a. dynamic verbs, express an action a person takes. They are one of two major categories of verbs in English (the other one being stative verbs). In other words, active verbs describe what a person is doing or has done and are, consequently ... Strong Verbs—Definition, List of 300+, & Examples Here's an example of what this looks like when editing writing: Weak verb / adverb: Susan walked slowly to her next class. Strong verb to replace: Susan moped to her next class. Weak verb / adverb: The bird flew quickly from treetop to treetop. Strong verb to replace: The bird darted from treetop to treetop. Vivid Verbs Learn how using vivid verbs will spice up your creative writing - includes a list of over 333 strong verbs you can use right now. Weak Verb + Adverb Versus Strong Verb. State of Being Verbs. There Is / There Are. Passive Verbs vs Active Verbs. Sometimes Weak Verbs Are OK. The Ultimate List Of 333+ Strong Verbs. 280+ Strong Verbs: 3 Tips to Strengthen Your Verbs in Writing 3. Stop Hedging and "Eliminate Weasel Words". Amazon's third tip for writing for employees is "Eliminate Weasel Words," and that advice applies to verbs too. Instead of "nearly all customers," say, "89 percent of customers.". Instead of "significantly better," say, "a 43 percent improvement.". Transform Your Writing with Powerful Verbs Powerful Verbs and Creative Writing. In the world of creative writing, powerful verbs are like the stars in the night sky, each one a beacon of light illuminating the vast expanse of the narrative universe. They bring color, texture, and depth to the canvas of the written word, allowing the writer to paint vivid pictures and evoke intense emotions. 351 Strong Verbs to Make Your Writing Pop, Fizz and Sparkle Blevins passed them both, his pale knees clutching the horse and his shirttail flying. Thanks to the strong verbs, you can see the boys escaping, almost feel the motion, and hear the noise of the hooves pounding up the road. The strong verbs include: skitter, cling, swarm, twist, shake, pound, clutch, and fly. What are "Vivid Verbs," And How They Lead to Stronger Writing In creative writing, verbs are what keep the story moving. Characters doing, wanting, going, destroying, creating. It's easy to fall back on broad, boring verbs that paint the characters' actions in wide, clunky strokes; however, that generality holds your reader at a distance from your story. How to Use Vivid Verbs to Bring Your Scenes to Life This two-step process to using creative writing verbs will help write a vivid picture for every scene. Thus, it will bring your story to life. Step 1: Decide on your message. The fact is, a verb has a lot to say. Just like how action speaks volumes in life, verbs speak volumes in a story. How Active Verbs Can Power Your Writing Writing Prompt #1. This exercise ensures you choose the most nuanced word possible to build the exact picture you want your reader to see. Use bullet points to build a list of verbs. Say the words aloud, visualize each action, and shift between similar words to internalize the difference. Here are some of my examples: Electrify Your Writing With Powerful Verbs 1. Minimize adverbs. Adverbs are words that tell you more about how, when, where, why, how much, or how often an action occurs. They modify verbs, sometimes nouns, and even other adverbs. Some writers rely on adverbs to supplement weak verbs, often to their detriment. Unnecessary use of adverbs makes sentences clunky. Vivid Verbs: How to Use Them (With Examples) In creative writing, verbs are crucial. Action verbs are the best words for creating a picture in your readers' minds. Of course, adjectives and adverbs are great, but vivid verbs have motion attached to them. UsingF vivid verbs means choosing a strong verb to paint a picture, adding clarity and specificity. Weak verbs don't evoke the same ... 265+ Forceful Verbs to Turn You Into a Literary Tyrannosaurus 265+ Forceful Verbs to Turn You Into a Literary Tyrannosaurus. Writing is a storytelling medium. Every sentence is an opportunity to tell a part of that story, elaborating on the plot, characters, atmosphere — whatever. This also means that every time the author writes a sentence like, "Harry opened the door," they are missing out on a ... 100+ Vivid Verbs That'll Spark Life Into Your Writing Walk — schlepp, hit the road, wend their way. Eat — chow down, pig out, polish off. Get — snap up, come by, wangle. Make — dream up, dash off, throw together. Tell — let slip, keep posted, clue in. Tip: When you're looking out for boring verbs, watch out for passive verbs too: they weaken your writing. Action Verbs: Creative Writing Tips on Choosing Powerful Verbs to Grab Creative Writing Tips on Action Verbs #1: Vivid Verbs Are Powerful Verbs. Verbs energize. An action verb generates more drama and emotion than a noun, adjective or adverb of similar meaning. Compare: The children wept when their dog died. (Strong verbs: wept, died) The children shed tears over the death of their dog. Vivid Verbs for Creative Writing How do I start using vivid verbs for creative writing? 1. Make sure to stay away from simple words like 'walk', 'go', 'say' and 'ask'. If there is a better, more apt word, use that. Sometimes, looking the alternative up in a thesaurus might help. But be careful to check the meaning of the new word in a dictionary to see that it ... Descriptive verb list: 30 words to replace dull actions Use this list of descriptive strong verbs to create stronger mood, atmosphere, and characterization. 1. Verbs that describe movement. Common verbs that describe the ways your characters move (such as 'run', 'sit' and 'walk') have many vibrant alternatives. Explore these alternatives: How to Use Descriptive Verbs to Better Your Writing The English language is vast, with a lot of words used to describe specific things or particular movements. In the world of creative writing, the difference between good writing and great writing comes down to word choice. There are plenty of ways to punch up your copy with a few nimble substitutions for the more common verbs; descriptive verbs are an excellent place to start. What Is Creative Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 20 Examples) Creative writing is an art form that transcends traditional literature boundaries. It includes professional, journalistic, academic, and technical writing. This type of writing emphasizes narrative craft, character development, and literary tropes. It also explores poetry and poetics traditions. Power Verbs for Creativity/Innovation Power verbs bring your resume to life. They paint a picture for the reviewer by highlighting your skills and accomplishments, affirm your communication skills, and help you stand out in a crowd. Begin each statement or phrase with a power verb, then take you resume to the next level, by inserting action-packed power verbs into your work history ... Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab Mission. The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. 11 Most Common Types of Verbs Verbs are used to convey an action performed or a state of being. Here are 11 different types of verbs with examples of how they are used in a sentences. The 3 Types of Verbals and How They Function in Your Writing In order, the verbs in the above examples are "is," "enjoyed," "blame," and "was." Infinitives. Infinitives, another type of verbal when paired with the word "to," can also function as nouns, but they can function as adverbs or adjectives as well. Again, though, despite their resemblance to verbs, they don't function as verbs. How to Write a Resume for a Job in 2024 3. List your name and contact information. To start writing your resume, create an eye-catching resume header that quickly highlights your contact information and job title. Your name should always be the largest element on your resume to make it stand out, so use a font size larger than 20 points. Adobe Creative Cloud for students and teachers Try Creative Cloud today. After your free trial, your Adobe Creative Cloud membership is only. US$19.99/mo US$59.99/mo . See terms. Buy now. Free trial. Purchase by phone: 800-585-0774. Students and teachers are eligible for over 60% discount on Adobe Creative Cloud. Get access to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro and more. assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis