Action Verbs: 30 Common Action Words in English with Examples

Action verbs!!! An action verb is a single word that describes something a person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do. This lesson focuses on common action words in English. These vocabulary words will further help you build your vocabulary, especially at advanced levels.

Action Verbs

Here is a list of common action words to help you improve and expand your English vocabulary.

Action Verbs List

• Walk
• Run
• Hit
• Dance
• Crawl
• Jump
• Leap
• Kick
• Punch
• Squat
• Tiptoe
• Stand
• Sit
• Push
• Slip
• Handstand
• Dive
• Bend
• Kneel
• Throw
• Climb
• Crouch
• Study
• Read
• Sing
• Dig
• Hold
• Skip
• Pull
• Catch

Action Verbs Examples

Walk

• Don’t try to run before you can walk.

Run

• I saw a few prisoners run away from the prison.

Hit

• She hit him with a rolled-up magazine.

Dance

• I can’t dance to music without a good rhythm.

Crawl

• A child learns to crawl before he learns to walk.

Jump

• Can you jump over the river?

Leap

• Look before you leap; see before you go.

Kick

• The kids love to kick a ball against my wall.

Punch

• If you say that again, I’ll punch you in the nose!

Squat

• Can you find somewhere to squat?

Tiptoe

• I tiptoe over to her bed and give her a nudge.

Stand

• We had to stand in the snow every morning for roll call.

Sit

• The students sit in a circle on the floor.

Push

• Can you help me move this table? You push and I’ll pull.

Slip

• Be careful you don’t slip – the grass is damp.

Handstand

• I stand on my front feet and do a handstand to warn my enemies.

Dive

• Many dolphins can dive to depths of 200 meters.

Bend

• The branch began to bend as I climbed along with it.

Kneel

• She asks her son to kneel down.

Throw

• Throw your dirty clothes in the washing machine.

Climb

• He tried to climb the tree, but he could not.

Crouch

• I gestured to the remaining woodchuck to crouch.

Study

• I like to read deeply on any subject that I choose to study.

Read

• She listened closely while he read the letter.

Sing

• When I began to sing, he laughed and made me embarrassed.

Dig

• I went home to dig around in my closets for some old tapes.

Hold

• Can you hold the bottom of the ladder for me?

Skip

• She likes to skip with her skipping rope.

Pull

• You can pull a rope, but you can’t push it!

Catch

• I had to run to catch the bus.

Action Words | Infographic

Pictures of Action Verbs

Last Updated on June 17, 2021