List of Verbs: 100 Most Important English Verbs in Writing

List of verbs in English is an essential topic for anyone learning English as a second language. Verbs are the backbone of any sentence, and without them, communication becomes impossible. Learning the different types of verbs and how to use them correctly is crucial to becoming fluent in English.

Key Takeaways

Learning the different types of verbs and how to use them correctly is crucial to becoming fluent in English.
Common verbs are used frequently in everyday communication, while uncommon verbs can add variety and depth to your language skills.
Verb lists provide a comprehensive list of verbs, their meanings, and examples of how to use them in context.

Contents

List of Verbs

There are two main categories of verbs in English. They are action verbs and linking verbs.

Verb Examples:

We are going to remove into a new house.
The project will create up to 40 new jobs.
The boy remained silent.
The research appears to show that the drug is effective in most cases.

Below is the most frequently used 100 English verbs list in writing.

Analyze
Create
Estimate
Involve
Respond
Admit
Evaluate
Participate
Seek
Compensate
Deduct
Believe
Link
Remove
Commit
Implement
Prioritize
Assess
Define
Function
Legislate
Achieve
Conclude
Focus
Perceive
Select
Consent
Demonstrate
Illustrate
Locate
Validate
Communicate
Impose
Survive
Approach
Derive
Confirm
Occur
Administer
Conduct
Invest
Purchase
Survey
Constrain
Demand
Imply
Publish
Specify
Contrast
Integrate
Deviate
Pursue
Allocate
Precede
Explain
Convert
Submit
Detect
Restore
Diminish
State
Enforce
Retain
Finish
Give
Establish
Require
Assist
Consume
Obtain
Restrict
Alternate
Coordinate
Exclude
Justify
Rely
Grant
Occupy
Modify
Substitute
Adapt
Comprehend
Eliminate
Prohibit
Happen
Explore
Anticipate
Impress
Contact
Evolve
Predict
Know
Entitle
Monitor
Clarify
Exceed
Advocate
Comprise
Publish
Lead

Common Verbs with Meanings and Examples

Verb	Meanings with Examples
Be	Exist, occur; take place I am happy. They were* at the party yesterday.*
Have	Possess, own, hold She has* a new car.* We have* got some questions.*
Do	Perform an action He does* his homework every night.* They did* their best.*
Say	Utter words to convey information She says* hello.* He said* he was busy.*
Go	Move from one place to another We go to school by bus. She went* to the market.*
Get	Acquire, receive I got* your email.* He gets* the point.*
Make	Create, construct She makes* delicious cakes.* They made* a new plan.*
Know	Be aware of through observation I know* the answer.* He knew* about the surprise.*
Think	Have a particular opinion, belief, or idea I think* it’s going to rain.* She thought* it was a good idea.*
Take	Lay hold of something with one’s hands Take the book from the shelf. He took* my advice.*
See	Perceive with the eyes I see* the moon.* She saw* him yesterday.*
Come	Move or travel toward the speaker or with the speaker He comes* to work by train.* They came* to the party together.*
Want	Have a desire to possess or do something I want* a cup of coffee.* She wanted* to leave early.*
Use	Take, hold, or deploy something Use the right tool for the job. He used* the computer to research his paper.*
Find	Discover by chance or effort I found* a lost cat in the street.* She found* the book very interesting.*
Give	Present voluntarily without expecting compensation Give her a message when she arrives. He gave* his coat to the homeless man.*
Tell	Communicate information to someone Tell me about your day. She told* the truth.*
Work	Be engaged in physical or mental activity He works* at the hospital.* They worked* hard to finish on time.*
Call	Cry out a name or other word Call me when you arrive. He called* for help.*
Try	Make an attempt or effort to do something I try* to exercise daily.* She tried* a new recipe.*
Ask	Say something in order to obtain an answer Ask him when he will return. She asked* for a glass of water.*
Need	Require something because it is essential I need* your help.* He needed* to rest after the journey.*
Feel	Experience an emotion or sensation I feel* tired today.* She felt* happy about the news.*
Become	Begin to be He became* a doctor.* It became* clear that he was not coming.*
Leave	Go away from Leave the room for a moment. She left* the company last year.*
Put	Move to or place in a particular position Put the book on the shelf. He put* his ideas into practice.*
Mean	Have as a consequence or result This means* trouble.* The test results meant* that he had to study harder.*
Keep	Continue or cause to continue in a specified condition Keep the door closed. he kept* talking during the movie.*
Let	Allow to, not prevent or forbid Let the dog out. He let* her go first.*
Begin	Start; perform or undergo the first part of an action Begin your meal with soup. She began* reading the book.*
Seem	Appear to be something or to have a particular quality He seems* tired.* It seemed* like a good idea at the time.*
Help	Give assistance to Can you help* me with this box?* She helped* her friend in need.*
Talk	Speak in order to give information or express ideas We talk* about the weather.* He talked* to me about his plans.*
Turn	Move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis Turn the knob to open the door. She turned* the car around.*
Start	Begin or set out, as on a journey or activity Start the engine of the car. He started* a new job.*
Show	Be, allow, or cause to be visible. Show me the picture. She showed* him the way.*
Hear	Perceive with the ear the sound made by someone or something Did you hear* the news?* He heard* a noise in the night.*

Uncommon Verbs with Meanings and Examples

Verb	Meanings with Examples
Abide	Accept or act in accordance with “I can’t abide* dishonesty in people.”*
Beguile	Charm or enchant, sometimes in a deceptive way “She beguiled* the audience with her smooth performance.”*
Construe	Interpret or assign meaning “His silence was construed* as agreement.”*
Decipher	Succeed in understanding, interpreting, or identifying “She deciphered* the hidden message in the text.”*
Embellish	Make something more attractive by adding decorative details “He embellished* the story with colorful anecdotes.”*
Fathom	Understand after much thought “He couldn’t fathom* why she acted that way.”*
Garner	Gather or collect something, especially information or approval “The police were unable to garner* enough evidence.”*
Hone	Refine or perfect something over a period of time “She honed her skills as a musician.”
Inundate	Overwhelm someone with things or people to be dealt with “We were inundated* with applications for the job.”*
Juxtapose	Place or deal with close together for contrasting effect. “Black-and-white photos were juxtaposed* with color images.”*
Kowtow	Act in an excessively subservient manner “He refused to kowtow* to the demands of the lobbyists.”*
Languish	Lose or lack vitality; grow weak “Plants may appear to languish* during a drought.”*
Mollify	Appease the anger or anxiety of someone “The response did little to mollify* the critics.”*
Nurture	Care for and encourage the growth or development of “She nurtured* her students’ creativity.”*
Ostracize	Exclude from a society or group “He was ostracized* from the scientific community for his radical beliefs.”*
Palliate	Make a disease or its symptoms less severe without removing the cause “The treatment works by palliating* the symptoms.”*
Quell	Put an end to a rebellion or other disorder, typically by the use of force “Troops were called in to quell* the riot.”*
Ruminate	Think deeply about something “He ruminated* on the meaning of life.”*
Satiate	Satisfy to the full “The meal was more than enough to satiate* his hunger.”*
Transmute	Change in form, nature, or substance “Alchemists tried to transmute* base metals into gold.”*
Usurp	Take a position of power or importance illegally or by force “He usurped* the throne from his brother.”*
Vilify	Speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner “The politician was vilified* by the press.”*
Wane	Decrease in vigor, power, or extent; become weaker “Confidence in the dollar waned.”
Xenodochial	Friendly to strangers “Despite her shy nature, she was surprisingly xenodochial* at the party.”*
Yearn	Have an intense feeling of longing for something “She yearned* for a glimpse of him.”*
Zeal	Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective “She brought her typical zeal* to the project.”*