best verbs for essays

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

Are You Making This #1 Amateur Writing Mistake?

Faith-Based Words and Phrases

What You and I Can Learn From Patricia Raybon

Before you go, be sure to grab my FREE guide:

How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps

Just tell me where to send it:

Great! 

Where should i send your free pdf.

50 Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays

In English, we often have to analyze data, research, or facts. Do you know how to do this effectively, while using the appropriate verbs of analysis? This list of 50 verbs of analysis in English will help you.

Note: this list is for advanced English learners (CEFR level B2 or above). All definitions are from the Cambridge Dictionary online . 

Definition: to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause a change in someone or something.

Example: Experts agree that coffee affects the body in ways we have not yet studied.

Definition: to increase the size or effect of something.

Example: It has been shown that this drug amplifies the side effects that were experienced by patients in previous trials.

Definition: to say that something is certainly true .

Example: Smith asserts that his findings are valid, despite criticism by colleagues.

Characterizes

Definition: Something that characterizes another thing is typical of it.

Example: His early paintings are characterized by a distinctive pattern of blue and yellow.

Definition: to say that something is true or is a fact , although you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it.

Example: Smith claims that the study is the first of its kind, and very different from the 2015 study he conducted.

Definition: to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation .

Example: The professor clarified her statement with a later, more detailed, statement.

Definition: t o collect information from different places and arrange it in a book , report , or list .

Example: After compiling the data, the scientists authored a ten-page paper on their study and its findings.

Definition: to judge or decide something after thinking carefully about it.

Example: Doctor Jensen concluded that the drug wasn’t working, so he switched his patient to a new medicine.

Definition: to prove that a belief or an opinion that was previously not completely certain is true .

Example: This new data confirms the hypothesis many researchers had.

Definition: to join or be joined with something else .

Example: By including the criticisms of two researchers, Smith connects two seemingly different theories and illustrates a trend with writers of the Romanticism period.

Differentiates

Definition: to show or find the difference between things that are compared .

Example: Smith differentiates between the two theories in paragraph 4 of the second part of the study.

Definition: to reduce or be reduced in s i ze or importance .

Example: The new findings do not diminish the findings of previous research; rather, it builds on it to present a more complicated theory about the effects of global warming.

Definition: to cause people to stop respecting someone or believing in an idea or person .

Example: The details about the improper research done by the institution discredits the institution’s newest research.

Definition: to show.

Example: Smith’s findings display the effects of global warming that have not yet been considered by other scientists.

Definition: to prove that something is not true .

Example: Scientists hope that this new research will disprove the myth that vaccines are harmful to children.

Distinguishes

Definition: to notice or understand the difference between two things, or to make one person or thing seem different from another.

Example: Our study seems similar to another one by Duke University: how can we distinguish ourselves and our research from this study?

Definition: to add more information to or explain something that you have said.

Example: In this new paper, Smith elaborates on theories she discussed in her 2012 book.

Definition:  to represent a quality or an idea exactly .

Example: Shakespeare embodies English theater, but few can understand the antiquated (old) form of English that is used in the plays.

Definition: to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have.

Example: Although the study emulates some of the scientific methods used in previous research, it also offers some inventive new research methods.

Definition: to improve the quality , amount , or strength of something.

Example: The pharmaceutical company is looking for ways to enhance the effectiveness of its current drug for depression.

Definition: to make something necessary , or to involve something.

Example: The scientist’s study entails several different stages, which are detailed in the report.

Definition: to consider one thing to be the same as or equal to another thing.

Example: Findings from both studies equate; therefore, we can conclude that they are both accurate.

Establishes

Definition: to discover or get proof of something.

Example: The award establishes the main causes of global warming.

Definition: to make someone remember something or feel an emotion .

Example: The artist’s painting evokes the work of some of the painters from the early 1800s.

Definition: to show something.

Example: Some of the research study participants exhibit similar symptoms while taking the medicine.

Facilitates

Definition: to make something possible or easier .

Example: The equipment that facilitates the study is expensive and of high-quality.

Definition: the main or central point of something, especially of attention or interest .

Example: The author focuses on World War II, which is an era she hasn’t written about before.

Foreshadows

Definition: to act as a warning or sign of a future event .

Example: The sick bird at the beginning of the novel foreshadows the illness the main character develops later in the book.

Definition: to develop all the details of a plan for doing something.

Example: Two teams of scientists formulated the research methods for the study.

Definition: to cause something to exist .

Example: The study’s findings have generated many questions about this new species of frog in South America.

Definition:   to attract attention to or emphasize something important .

Example: The author, Dr. Smith, highlights the need for further studies on the possible causes of cancer among farm workers.

Definition: to recognize a problem , need, fact , etc. and to show that it exists .

Example: Through this study, scientists were able to identify three of the main factors causing global warming.

Illustrates

Definition:   to show the meaning or truth of something more clearly , especially by giving examples .

Example: Dr. Robin’s study illustrates the need for more research on the effects of this experimental drug.

Definition: to communicate an idea or feeling without saying it directly .

Example: The study implies that there are many outside factors (other than diet and exercise) which determine a person’s tendency to gain weight.

Incorporates

Definition: to include something as part of something larger .

Example: Dr. Smith incorporates research findings from 15 other studies in her well-researched paper.

Definition: to show, point , or make clear in another way.

Example: Overall, the study indicates that there is no real danger (other than a lack of sleep) to drinking three cups of coffee per day.

Definition: to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have.

Example: From this study about a new medicine, we can infer that it will work similarly to other drugs that are currently being sold.

Definition: to tell someone about parti c ular facts .

Example: Dr. Smith informs the reader that there are some issues with this study: the oddly rainy weather in 2017 made it difficult for them to record the movements of the birds they were studying.

Definition: to suggest , without being direct , that something unpleasant is true .

Example: In addition to the reported conclusions, the study insinuates that there are many hidden dangers to driving while texting.

Definition: to combine two or more things in order to become more effective .

Example: The study about the popularity of social media integrates Facebook and Instagram hashtag use.

Definition: to not have or not have enough of something that is needed or wanted .

Example: What the study lacks, I believe, is a clear outline of the future research that is needed.

Legitimizes

Definition: to make something legal or acceptable .

Example: Although the study legitimizes the existence of global warming, some will continue to think it is a hoax.

Definition: to make a problem bigger or more important .

Example: In conclusion, the scientists determined that the new pharmaceutical actually magnifies some of the symptoms of anxiety.

Definition: something that a copy can be based on because it is an extremely good example of its type .

Example: The study models a similar one from 1973, which needed to be redone with modern equipment.

Definition: to cause something to have no effect .

Example: This negates previous findings that say that sulphur in wine gives people headaches.

Definition: to not give enough c a re or attention to people or things that are your responsibility .

Example: The study neglects to mention another study in 2015 that had very different findings.

Definition: to make something difficult to discover and understand .

Example: The problems with the equipment obscures the study.

Definition: a description of the main facts about something.

Example: Before describing the research methods, the researchers outline the need for a study on the effects of anti-anxiety medication on children.

Definition:   to fail to notice or consider something or someone.

Example: I personally feel that the study overlooks something very important: the participants might have answered some of the questions incorrectly.

Definition: to happen at the same time as something else , or be similar or equal to something else .

Example: Although the study parallels the procedures of a 2010 study, it has very different findings.

Converse International School of Languages offers an English for Academic Purposes course for students interested in improving their academic English skills. Students may take this course, which is offered in the afternoon for 12 weeks, at both CISL San Diego and CISL San Francisco . EAP course graduates can go on to CISL’s Aca demic Year Abroad program, where students attend one semester at a California Community College. Through CISL’s University Pathway program, EAP graduates may also attend college or university at one of CISL’s Pathway Partners. See the list of 25+ partners on the CISL website . Contact CISL for more information. 

280+ Strong Verbs: 3 Tips to Strengthen Your Verbs in Writing 

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

Strong verbs transform your writing from drab, monotonous, unclear, and amateurish to engaging, professional, and emotionally powerful.

Which is all to say, if you're not using strong verbs in your writing, you're missing one of the most important stylistic techniques.

Why listen to Joe? I've been a professional writer for more than a decade, writing in various different formats and styles. I've written formal nonfiction books, descriptive novels, humorous memoir chapters, and conversational but informative online articles (like this one!).

In short, I earn a living in part by writing (and revising) using strong verbs selected for each type of writing I work on. I hope you find the tips on verbs below useful! And if you want to skip straight to the verb list below, click here to see over 200 strong verbs.

Hemingway clung to a writing rule that said, “Use vigorous English.” In fact, Hemingway was more likely to use verbs than any other part of speech, far more than typical writing, according to LitCharts :

But what are strong verbs? And how do you avoid weak ones?

In this post, you'll learn the three best techniques to find weak verbs in your writing and replace them with strong ones. We'll also look at a list of the strongest verbs for each type of writing, including the strongest verbs to use.

What are Strong Verbs?

Strong verbs, in a stylistic sense, are powerful verbs that are specific and vivid verbs. They are most often in active voice and communicate action precisely.

The Top 7 Strong Verbs

Here are the top 7 I found when I reviewed a couple of my favorite books. See if you agree and tell me in the comments.  

Think about the vivid and specific image each of these strong verbs conjures. Each one asserts precision.

It's true that writers will use descriptive verbs that best fit their character, story, and style, but it's interesting to note trends.

For example, Hemingway most often used verbs like: galloped, punched, lashed, and baited. Each of these verbs evokes a specific motion, as well as a tone. Consider how Hemingway's verbs stack up against weaker counterparts:

None of the weaker verbs are incorrect, but they don't pack the power of Hemingway's strong action verbs, especially for his story lines, characters, and style. These are verbs that are forward-moving and aggressive in tone. (Like his characters!)

Consider how those choices differ significantly than a few from Virginia Woolf's opening page of Mrs. Dalloway :

Notice how Woolf's choices create the vibrant, descriptive style that marks her experimental novel and its main character. Consider the difference between “perched” and “sat.” “Perched” suggests an image of a bird, balancing on a wire. Applied to people, it connotes an anxiousness or readiness to stand again. “Sat” is much less specific. 

The strongest verbs for your own writing will depend on a few things: your story, the main character,  the genre, and the style that is uniquely yours. How do you choose then? Let's look at three tips to edit out weak, boring verbs. 

How to Edit for Strong Verbs FAST

So how do you root out those weak verbs and revise them quickly? Here are a few tips. 

1. Search for Weak Verbs

All verbs can be strong if they're used in specific, detailed, and descriptive sentences.

The issue comes when verbs are overused, doing more work than they're intended for, watering down the writing. 

Here are some verbs that tend to weaken your writing:

Did you notice that most of these are “to be” verbs? That's because “to be” verbs are linking verbs or state of being verbs. Their purpose is to describe conditions.

For example, in the sentence “They are happy,” the verb “are” is used to describe the state of the subject. 

There's nothing particularly wrong with linking verbs. Writers who have a reputation for strong writing, like Ernest Hemingway or Cormac McCarthy, use linking verbs constantly.

The problem comes when you overuse them. Linking verbs tend to involve more telling  vs. showing .

Strong verbs, on the other hand, are usually action verbs, like whack, said, ran, lassoed, and spit (see more in the list below). 

The most important thing is to use the best verb for the context, while emphasizing specific, important details.

Take a look at the following example early into Hemingway's  For Whom the Bell Tolls :

The young man, who was studying the country, took his glasses from the pocket of his faded, khaki flannel shirt, wiped the lenses with a handkerchief, screwed the eyepieces around until the boards of the mill showed suddenly clearly and he saw the wooden bench beside the door; the huge pile of sawdust that rose behind the open shed where the circular saw was , and a stretch of the flume that brought the logs down from the mountainside on the other bank of the stream.

I've highlighted all the verbs. You can see here that Hemingway does use the word “was,” but most of the verbs are action verbs, wiped, took, screwed, saw, etc. The result of this single sentence is that the audience pictures the scene with perfect clarity.

Here's another example from Naomi Novick's Deadly Education:

He was only a few steps from my desk chair, still hunched panting over the bubbling purplish smear of the soul-eater that was now steadily oozing into the narrow cracks between the floor tiles, the better to spread all over my room. The fading incandescence on his hands was illuminating his face, not an extraordinary face or anything: he had a big beaky nose that would maybe be dramatic one day when the rest of his face caught up, but for now was just too large, and his forehead was dripping sweat and plastered with his silver-grey hair that he hadn’t cut for three weeks too long.

Vivid right? You can see that again, she incorporates weaker verbs (was, had) into her writing, but the majority are highly descriptive action verbs like hunched, illuminating, spread, plastered, and dripping.

Don't be afraid of linking verbs, state verbs, or helping verbs, but emphasize action words to make your writing more powerful.

2. Remove Adverbs and Replace the Verbs to Make Them Stronger

Adverbs add more detail and qualifications to verbs or adjectives. You can spot them because they usually end in “-ly,” like the word “usually” in this sentence, or frequently, readily, happily, etc.

Adverbs get a bad rap from writers.

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs,” Stephen King said.

“Adverbs are dead to me. They cannot excite me,” said Mark Twain . 

“I was taught to distrust adjectives,” said Hemingway, “as I would later learn to distrust certain people in certain situations.”

Even Voltaire jumped in on the adverb dogpile, saying, “Adjectives are frequently the greatest enemy of the substantive.”

All of these writers, though, used adverbs when necessary. Still, the average writer uses them far more than they did.

Adverbs signal weak verbs. After all, why use two words, an adverb and a verb, when one strong verb can do.

Look at the following examples of adverbs with weak verbs replaced by stronger verbs:

• He ran quickly –> He sprinted
• She said loudly –> She shouted
• He ate hungrily –> He devoured his meal
• They talked quietly –> They whispered

Strive for simple, strong, clear language over padding your writing with  more  words. 

You don't need to completely remove adverbs from your writing. Hemingway himself used them frequently. But cultivating a healthy distrust of adverbs seems to be a sign of wisdom among writers.

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.”

Weasel words are a form of hedging.

Hedging allows you to avoid commitment by using qualifiers such as “probably,” “maybe,” “sometimes,” “often,” “nearly always,” “I think,” “It seems,” and so on.

Hedge words or phrases soften the impact of a statement or to reduce the level of commitment to the statement's accuracy.

By eliminating hedging, you're forced to strengthen all your language, including verbs.

What do you really think about something? Don't say, “I think.” Stand by it. A thing is or isn't. You don't  think  it is or believe it is. You stand by it.

If you write courageously with strength of opinion, your verbs grow stronger as well.

Beware the Thesaurus: Strong Verbs are Simple Verbs

I caveat this advice with the advice to beware thesauruses.

Strong writing is almost always simple writing. 

Writers who replace verbs like “was” and “get” with long, five-syllable verbs that mean the same thing as a simple, one-syllable verb don't actually communicate more clearly.

To prepare for this article, I studied the verb use in the first chapters of several books by my favorite authors, including Ernest Hemingway's  For Whom the Bell Tolls  and Naomi Novik's Deadly Education.

Hemingway has a bigger reputation as a stylist and a “great” writer, but I found that Novik's verb choice was just as strong and even slightly more varied. 

Hemingway tended to use simpler, shorter verbs, though, often repeating verbs, whereas Novik's verbs were longer and often more varied.

I love both of these writers, but if you're measuring strength, simplicity will most often win.

In dialogue this is especially important . Writers sometimes try to find every synonym for the word, “said” to describe the exact timber and attitude of how a character is speaking.

This becomes a distraction from the dialogue itself. In dialogue, the words spoken should speak for themselves, not whatever synonym the writer has looked up for “said.” 

Writers should use simple speaker tags like “said” and “asked” as a rule, only varying that occasionally when the situation warrants it.

270+ Strong Verbs List

We've argued strong verbs are detailed, descriptive, action verbs, and below, I list over 200 strong verbs to make your writing better.

I compiled this list directly from the first chapters of some of my favorite books, already mentioned previously,  For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway,  Deadly Education  by Naomi Novik, and The Undoing Project   by Michael Lewis.

This is a necessarily simplified list, taken only from the first chapters of those books.  There are thousands of strong verbs, usually action verbs, but these are a good start.

I've also sorted them alphabetically and put them into present tense.

• Collaborate
• Intellectualize

The Best Way to Learn to Use Strong Verbs

The above tips will help get you started using strong verbs, but the best way to learn how to grow as a writer with your verbs is through reading.

But not just reading, studying the work of your favorite writers carefully and then trying to emulate it, especially in the genre you write in.

As Cormac McCarthy, who passed away recently, said, “The unfortunate truth is that books are made from books.”

If you want to grow as a writer, start with the books you love. Then adapt your style from there.

Which tip will help you use more strong verbs in your writing today? Let me know in the comments.  

Choose one of the following three practice exercises:

1. Study the verb use in the first chapter of one of your favorite books. Write down all of the verbs the author uses. Roughly what percentage are action verbs versus linking verbs? What else do you notice about their verb choice?

2. Free write for fifteen minutes using only action verbs and avoiding all “to be” verbs and adverbs.

3. Edit a piece that you've written, replacing the majority of linking verbs with action verbs and adverbs with stronger verbs.

Share your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop here , and give feedback to a few other writers. 

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Want to Get Published?

Enter your email to get our free interactive checklist to writing and publishing a book.

152 Analysis Verbs

Analysis verbs are helpful in demonstrating your higher-order thinking skills. They help you to show that you haven’t just understood what you read, but that you can also critique it.

Use analysis verbs as a way of demonstrating your mastery of a topic. But instead of simply using the same verb over and over again, try to mix up your use of analysis verbs to convey the most precise meaning you can in each context.

Below are over 150 examples of analysis verbs that you can use. Make sure you choose wisely for your situation.

Analysis Verbs List

• Articulates
• Casts Doubt
• Characterizes
• Contradicts
• Deconstructs
• Demonstrates
• Differentiates
• Distinguishes
• Embellishes
• Establishes
• Exaggerates
• Exemplifies
• Extrapolates
• Facilitates
• Foreshadows
• Hypothesizes
• Illustrates
• Incorporates
• Investigates
• Legitimizes
• Manipulates
• Misses the Point
• Particularizes
• Perpetuates
• Personifies
• Presupposes
• Problematizes
• Rationalizes
• Recapitulates
• Sensationalizes
• Strengthens
• Substantiates

Examples of Analysis Verbs in a Sentence

Advises – Johnson advises that students should finish their essays at least two weeks before due date.

Advocates – The writer advocates for one perspective over another.

Affects – The study affects how we perceive the data.

Alleges – The author alleges that earlier research was poorly conducted.

Alludes – In his speech, the student alludes to recent studies.

Amplifies – The new information amplifies the theory.

Argues – The professor argues that their position is more valid.

Articulates – The student articulates her ideas well.

Asserts – The article asserts that the data was valid.

Assesses – The teacher assesses that the students had poor understanding of the material.

Attributes – The article attributes the cause of the changes to the researcher’s intervention.

Bolsters – The new evidence bolsters the case.

Builds – The professor builds upon their previous arguments in their new book.

Casts Doubt – The study casts doubt on the previous research.

Certifies – The article certifies that the data is accurate.

Characterizes – The article characterizes the data as accurate.

Claims – The author claims that they have found new information.

Clarifies – The author clarifies what they mean in the second paragraph.

Collates – The study accurately collates the data.

Compares – The study compares their findings to previous findings.

Compels – The evidence compels the jury to find the defendant guilty.

Complies – The study complies with the requirements for methodological rigor.

Concedes – The author concedes that they were wrong.

Concludes – The study concludes that there is a correlation between sleep and grades.

Confirms – The new data confirms the theory.

Connects – The study connects the dots to generate new data.

Constructs – The professor constructs an argument.

Contradicts – The new evidence contradicts the old evidence.

Contrasts – The article contrasts the two perspectives.

Conveys – The author conveys their feelings about the subject matter.

Correlates – The study correlates the two datasets effectively.

Creates – The study creates a strong argument.

Criticizes – The article criticizes the government’s response to the crisis.

Critiques – The student critiques the article.

Deconstructs – The professor deconstructs the popular theory.

Deepens – The research deepens our understanding of the phenomenon.

Defends – The author defends their position.

Demonstrates – The experiment demonstrates that the data is accurate.

Denies – The author denies that the previous study is accurate.

Denotes – The study denotes that there is a link between the two datasets.

Derives – The student derives their conclusion from the data.

Develops – The author develops a new theory.

Deviates – The results deviate from what was expected.

Differentiates – The article differentiates between the two types of research.

Diminishes – The impact of the evidence diminishes over time.

Disagrees – The two scientists disagree about the results of the experiment.

Discards – The author discards the irrelevant evidence.

Discredits – The study discredits the old evidence.

Disproves – The new evidence disproves the theory.

Distinguishes – The article distinguishes between the two types of research.

Eclipses – The new evidence eclipses the old evidence.

Elaborates – The author elaborates on their point in the second paragraph.

Elevates – The writer elevates their position.

Elicits – The writer elicits a response from their readers.

Embellishes – The author embellishes the story with details.

Embodies – The book embodies the ideals of the movement.

Emphasizes – The author emphasizes their point with an example.

Encourages – The teacher encourages the students to think outside the box.

Enhances – The study enhances the strength of previous studies.

Equates – The article equates the two phenomena.

Establishes – The study establishes a connection between the two concepts.

Evaluates – The professor evaluates the students’ papers.

Evokes – The article evokes a feeling of frustration.

Exaggerates – The article exaggerates its findings.

Examines – The study examines the points in more depth than ever before.

Exemplifies – The student exemplifies their knowledge of the material.

Exhibits – The author exhibits a depth of knowledge around the topic.

Exonerates – The new evidence exonerates the accused.

Expands – The theory expands previous knowledge on the topic.

Exposes – The article exposes previously unknown information.

Extends – The research extends our understanding of the phenomenon.

Extrapolates – The scientist extrapolates from past trends to make predictions.

Facilitates – The author facilitates knowledge transfer through detailed writing.

Forecasts – The study forecasts future trends.

Foreshadows – The author foreshadows that new findings will come soon.

Formulates – The study formulates a hypothesis.

Frames – The article frames the issue in a new light.

Furnishes – The study furnishes evidence to support its claims.

Gauges – The scholar gauges people’s reactions through a new blog post on the topic.

Generates – The scholar generates a new theory by bringing together a range of different ideas.

Highlights – The article highlights the importance of the issues.

Hints – The article hints that there may be a link between the data.

Hypothesizes – The researcher hypothesizes that there is a link between two concepts.

Illustrates – The author illustrates their point with an example.

Imagines – The author imagines a future where their findings will change the world.

Imparts – The teacher imparts knowledge to her students.

Implies – The study implies that there is a link between the two concepts.

Incorporates – The author incorporates three new ideas in their new book.

Indicates – The study indicates that there is a link between the two concepts.

Infers – The reader infers from the data that there is a link between the two concepts.

Insinuates – The article insinuates that there is a problem with previous studies.

Integrates – The author integrates three ideas into one thesis very well.

Interprets – The author interprets previous studies in the wrong way.

Invents – The author invents a new way to look at the issue.

Investigates – The scholar investigates the issue.

Isolates – The study isolates a group of people to focus on.

Justifies – The study justifies its cost by pointing to the revolutionary findings.

Lambasts – The article lambasts the previous scholars’ inaction on the topic.

Lauds – The article lauds the efforts of the university to improve its work.

Legitimizes – The author legitimizes previous studies.

Limits – The study limits its focus to a specific group of people.

Magnifies – The article magnifies the effects of climate change.

Maintains – The author maintains that this is a worthwhile argument despite some critique.

Manipulates – The author manipulates the data in the study to meet their biases.

Misses the Point – The article misses the point of the issue.

Negates – The study negates the hypothesis that there is a link between social media and depression.

Neglects – The article neglects to mention the other side of the issue.

Obscures – The author obscures the fact that they don’t have much evidence to support their claims.

Omits – The article omits vital information about the issue.

Optimizes – The author optimizes their argument by structuring their paragraphs well.

Overlooks – The article overlooks the fact that there are other ways to look at the issue.

Draws Parallels – The article draws parallels between two previously unlinked concepts.

Particularizes – The article particularizes the issue.

Perpetuates – The article perpetuates false narratives.

Personifies – The article personifies the issue well.

Persuades – The article persuades the reader to take action.

Pivots – The author pivots from talking about the effects of the issue to talking about what we can do to solve it.

Points Out – The article points out that climate change is a global problem.

Predicts – The article predicts that the problem will get worse.

Prejudices – The study prejudices the results by only looking at one group of people.

Presupposes – The article presupposes that the reader knows a lot about the issue.

Probes – The author probes the issue with new questions.

Problematizes – The article problematizes the issue.

Promotes – The article promotes the idea that we need to take action.

Proposes – The article proposes a new way to look at the issue.

Proves – The article proves that the issue is real and happening.

Provokes – The article provokes the reader to think about the issue more deeply.

Queries – The article queries the validity of the issue.

Rationalizes – The company rationalizes its actions.

Recapitulates – The article recapitulates the main points of the issue but doesn’t add new data.

Refutes – The article refutes previous claims.

Reinforces – The article reinforces the idea that the issue is a big problem.

Reiterates – The article reiterates the main points on the issue.

Reveals – The study reveals that there is a link between two concepts.

Ridicules – The article ridicules the other scholar’s ideas.

Sensationalizes – The article sensationalizes the findings from their dataset to gain attention.

Simplifies – The article simplifies the issue too much.

Speculates – The article speculates on the future of the issue.

Strengthens – The article strengthens the reader’s understanding of the issue.

Substantiates – The article substantiates the idea that the issue is serious.

Supports – The article supports previous studies.

Underlines – The article underlines the importance of taking action on this issue.

Undermines – The article undermines the reader’s trust in previous research.

Unifies – The article unifies the different perspectives on the issue.

Urges – The article urges the reader to take action on the issue.

Validates – The study validates the link between the two concepts.

Verifies – The article verifies the claims made in the previous study.

Vilifies – The article vilifies its opponents.

Warns – The article warns that the effects will only get worse over time.

Weakens – The article weakens the reader’s understanding of the issue.

Withstands – The article withstands scrutiny.

Not all of the above analysis verbs will be perfect for every situation, but one of them will be perfect for you! Select a range of verbs for analysis when writing a critical review. Similarly, for people seeking analysis verbs for learning outcomes, try to select ones that perfectly capture what you want to see from your students.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Ultimate Strong Verbs List And Guide To Power Up Your Writing

Why should it matter so much whether your verbs are strong or weak?

And how do you even know if you’re using weak verbs?

If you know the answer to the question, “What is a verb?” and if you enjoy reading, it won’t take long to answer the bigger question of how to replace weak verbs with strong ones.

Because you know the purpose of the verb isn’t just to give you a pencil tracing of what’s going on.

It’s supposed to show you as much as possible with an economy of words .

This is why adverbs get so little love from writers nowadays.

They try to compensate for the inadequacies of weak verbs, but all they end up doing is making the sentence harder to read (without cringing).

Who knew there were two types of verbs, anyway, though?

Don’t all verbs basically do the same thing?

Well, yes and no.

Weak verbs can tell your reader what’s happening, but only strong verbs can catapult them right into the action.

Want to know how? Of course, you do!

What writer doesn’t want to master the art of captivating their readers with strong, evocative language?

And to help you do this, we’ve included a strong verbs list, which you can draw from to turn a basic narration into a full-color IMAX in-house movie.

But how do you tell a weak verb from a strong one?

Strong Verbs Vs. Weak Verbs

Replacing to be verbs, to be verbs list, power verbs, vivid verbs, forceful verbs, interesting verbs, descriptive verbs, cooler ways to say “said”, strong action verbs, what are strong verbs.

Strong verbs are the best verbs for a specific context because they do the following:

The strongest verb is the one that communicates exactly what someone is doing and how they are doing it — without any need for an adverb.

By contrast, the weakest verb is the easiest one to use, and it communicates as little as possible while giving you the basic idea of what’s going on.

Sometimes, a weak verb is the one to use, but if all or most of your verbs are weak, your writing will be dull and lifeless. It won’t paint a clear picture, and it won’t evoke an emotional response.

And it’s way too easy to put down.

While strong verbs are specific, weak verbs are general.

For example, you can say someone ran down the hallway, and that gives you the basic idea of what’s happening, but it’s also bland.

But if you say he bolted down the hallway, you communicate more of the urgency or even panic behind it.

You show the reader some of the emotion behind the action. Weak or “basic” verbs don’t do that.

When you use weak verbs like “ran” or “walked” or “smiled,” it’s tempting to use an adverb or a clichéd adverbial phrase to make the verb sound more interesting by telling the reader how the subject is doing something.

Strong verbs SHOW. Weak verbs — and their supporting adverbs — TELL.

The adverbs don’t really make the verb more compelling. They add detail but without making the action feel more real.

The character running frantically down the hallway is as much a stick figure as the one running like a cheetah. But the character bolting down the hallway makes the reader wonder what might be pursuing him or what’s at stake.

Or if the reader already knows the why, the word “bolted” is more satisfying than simply “ran.”

As the more appropriate verb, it feels more like the appropriate response to the danger at hand, and it leads the reader deeper into the story .

Strong verbs paint clearer and more vivid images in the reader’s mind, making them care more about what will happen next. They add an extra dimension to the character taking action.

How easy is it, though, to replace your weak verbs with strong ones?

Weak verbs are everywhere because they’re easy to use.

If there was a supermarket for verbs, the weak ones would be at eye-level and right across from the ice cream freezer. We’re only human.

The weakest of the weak verbs are “to be” verbs (also called simply “be verbs”). They’re not evil incarnate, though. and there are times when they’re the best words to use.

If you can say the same thing with a strong verb — in a way that doesn’t sound like you’re forcing it in there — go with it. But don’t try to make every verb a strong one.

No one wants to read something that sounds like the writer swallowed a thesaurus and chased it with some ipecac, but try to mix it up as much as you can.

When your reader’s attention is at stake, it’s worth it to find verbs that will get the response you want.

It’s also worth changing combinations like the following to eliminate the extra “to be” verb:

These verbs are used alone and as part of compound verbs like “are used” and “has been scared.”

If you’re yawning right now, you’re not alone. While there’s definitely a place for “to be verbs,” don’t let them do all the work.

Don’t beat yourself up, though, if you look through something you’ve written and you find that most of your verbs (or even all of them) are weak verbs. As I mentioned earlier, they’re low-hanging fruit. We all use them.

But when you’re more conscious of the verbs you choose, chances are your readers will be more conscious, too.

If you’re not already familiar with the “to be” verbs, here’s a list:

The Ultimate Strong Verbs List

We’ve broken the following list of strong verbs into subsets to help you more quickly find the strong verb with the exact quality you want — from vivid to forceful to fun.

Verbs do have a tone, and even verbs that mean generally the same thing won’t work equally well in the same context.

If your character is having a nighttime phone conversation within earshot of her sleeping captors, you’ll want to avoid dialogue tags with verbs like “broadcasted,” “blabbered,” or “announced.”

The thesaurus does open the door to a whole new universe of more evocative verbs, though, and the lists below give you a taste.

Part of what makes the verb appropriate, though, is the sound it makes and how it affects the rhythm of your sentence.

So, read the word aloud in the context of your sentence and make sure it reads easily, sounds like it belongs there, and creates the right visual effect.

The same verb can belong to multiple categories, based on the impact you want to make and on the mood you’re in as you read this.

Take a slow read through the lists that follow and take note of the ones that stand out for you.

If you’re rereading one of your sentences and feeling the need for a more powerful verb — one that grabs the reader’s attention and leaves them in no doubt as to your meaning — see if one of the following verbs are a better fit.

Maybe they’ll at least get your mind so in tune with powerful verbs that you have an easier time thinking of just the right one.

More Related Articles

15 Common Grammar Mistakes That Kill Your Writing Credibility

31 Ridiculously Simple Tips For Writing Your Next Book

Grammarly Review: Is This the Best Grammar Checker?

Some verbs just don’t create a vivid enough picture for your reader . You want a verb with visuals that pop in your reader’s mind.

The following should give you some ideas.

If you’re looking for a verb with a strong and undeniable presence — one that gets the message across with a one-two punch and without apologies — consider the verbs in this list.

Maybe you just want a verb that sounds more interesting than your original choice — but without sounding forced or flowery.

You don’t want purple prose, but you do want to keep your reader interested. So, mix it up with one of the dazzling verbs below.

Some verbs are just more fun than others. It’s not a competition; it’s just how it is.

Some verbs get all the oohs and ahhs but none of the laughs. They’re cool with it. They know their place.

Some verbs just do a better job of describing how a character is doing something.

It paints a clearer picture, so the reader is better able to visualize what’s going on.

These might not be the most vivid verbs, but they do show you more detail than your average “basic” verb.

You’ll find some of these in the other lists, but it makes sense to gather up other ways to say “said” into a list of their own.

Sometimes, “said” is just fine. But if you’re using a lot of dialogue tags, and you’d like to show a little more of how your character is saying something (with making things awkward), a list of strong “said” verbs will come in mighty handy.

Don’t overdo them, though. And if you can indicate who’s speaking without using a dialogue tag at all, so much the better.

The following verbs are also helpful in other contexts where you might use the word “said.”

Side Note: I’m omitting the word “exclaimed” on purpose; the word is overused and pure torture to read.

With strong action verbs, you can almost physically feel their impact. You should also be able to picture the action each word represents. Look through the following list and see what visuals and sounds come to mind. 

Was this list of strong verbs helpful?

Now that you have a fair sampling of strong verbs to choose from, we hope you keep this post handy, and that it serves you well.

Remember that it’s not so much a question of good verbs vs. bad verbs.

The weakness of a “to be” verb or a general verb doesn’t make it bad; it just makes it less communicative. It has less of an impact than a strong verb.

But as we mentioned before, sometimes a weak verb is honestly the best fit. Think of dialogue, for example. How many people do you know who always use strong verbs in every spoken sentence?

I don’t know any. And that’s okay. Sometimes, phrases using weak verbs — like “Need more coffee” — say everything you need to say. So, no verb shaming allowed.

May your ingenuity and compassion influence everything you do today.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Powerful Verbs for Your Writing

Inventory Your Own Verbs for Powerful Writing

• Study Methods
• Homework Tips
• Learning Styles & Skills
• Time Management
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

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

• How to Use Verbs Effectively in Your Research Paper
• Jive, Jibe, and Gibe: How to Choose the Right Word
• The Italian Past Participle
• 4 Stories About the Generation Gap
• An English Grammar Guide to Using Adjectives Correctly
• Verb of Perception
• Using the Spanish 'No'
• How to Conjugate "Inclure" (to Include) in French
• Subject and Object Questions in English
• Using the Spanish Verb ‘Gustar’
• Project: How to Make Your Own French Vocabulary Flash Cards
• Handy Expressions and Uses of the Italian Verb Fare
• German Grammar Checklist
• How to Conjugate Verbs
• How to Write a Response Paper

Make Your Writing Pop: An Essential List of Strong Verbs

Strong verbs are an important part of any piece of writing. They can make your sentences more vivid and engaging, allowing your readers to visualize the scene in their minds. Strong verbs also help add a sense of action and movement to your writing, making it more exciting and interesting. They can also help to make your writing more concise and direct, helping to get your point across quickly and effectively.

Replace These Verbs in Your Writing

Change your verbs with “ing” suffixes.

Changing your verbs that have an “ing” suffix is an important part of writing. It helps make your sentences more interesting and lively, as well as helping to create a better flow. Plus, it can help you avoid sounding repetitive. Here are a few examples of how you can switch up your “ing” verbs:

Before: I was running to the store. After: I sprinted to the store or I ran to the store.

Before: He was eating lunch. After: He devoured lunch or he ate lunch.

Before: She was walking home. After: She strolled home or she walked home.

By making small changes like these, you can add some extra flavor to your writing and make it more engaging for readers.

Replace Your Adverbs With Verbs

Replace Your Adverbs With Verbs is an important writing tool to help make your writing more vivid and engaging. It’s a great way to make your sentences more concise and effective by swapping out adverbs for verbs. This can help your writing stand out from the crowd and make it more memorable.

Here are a few before and after examples:

Before: She quickly ran away. After: She sprinted away.

Before: He softly whispered the secret. After: He murmured the secret.

Before: She angrily slammed the door shut. After: She banged the door shut.

A quick way to do this while editing is simply to search for “ly” and replace some of the words with more vivid verbs.

Replace Your State-of-Being Verbs

Replacing state-of-being verbs is an important step for making your writing more interesting and active. State-of-being verbs are words like “is,” “was,” “were,” and “am” that describes a state of being, but don’t really add any action to your writing. Instead of using these verbs, you can replace them with stronger, more descriptive verbs that will make your writing come alive!

Here are a few examples:

Before: He was happy. After: He grinned with delight.

Before: She is sad. After: She sobbed uncontrollably.

Before: They were angry. After: They fumed with rage.

So, keep an eye out for the boring old state-of-being verbs that look like the following, and consider replacing them:

Be en, Had, Do, Does, Did, Can, Are, Could, Am, Is, Will, Would, Should, May, Have, Has, M ight, Mus,t Sh all, Would, Was

List of 300 Strong Verbs

Now let’s get into the meat and potatoes, a huge list of strong verbs to replace the more boring ones in your writing, and bring the piece to life!

1. Accelerate 2. Achieve 3. Acquire 4. Act 5. Adapt 6. Address 7. Administer 8. Advance 9. Advocate 10. Affirm 11. Amplify 12. Analyze 13. Appraise 14. Apprehend 15. Approve 16. Argue 17. Arrange 18. Articulate 19. Ascertain 20. Assemble 21. Assess 22. Assign 23. Assimilate 24. Assure 25. Attain 26. Augment 27. Authenticate 28. Balance 29. Ban 30. Bankroll 31. Bar 32. Bolster 33. Bridge 34. Broaden 35. Budget 36. Build 37. Calculate 38. Call 39. Capitalize 40. Cast 41. Catalog 42. Centralize 43. Certify 44. Challenge 45. Chart 46. Clarify 47. Classify 48. Coalesce 49. Collaborate 50. Command 51. Commence 52. Commit 53. Compile 54. Comply 55. Compose 56. Comprehend 57. Compress 58. Conceive 59. Conclude 60. Condense 61. Conduct 62. Confer 63. Configure 64. Confirm 65. Connect 66. Consolidate 67. Construct 68. Consult 69. Contain 70. Contemplate 71. Continually 72. Contract 73. Contradict 74. Control 75. Convert 76. Coordinate 77. Correlate 78. Corroborate 79. Create 80. Critique 81. Cultivate 82. Curtail 83. Decentralize 84. Decipher 85. Declare 86. Decode 87. Deduce 88. Defend 89. Define 90. Deliberate 91. Deliver 92. Demonstrate 93. Denote 94. Depict 95. Derive 96. Describe 97. Designate 98. Determine 99. Develop 100. Devise 101. Diagnose 102. Differentiate 103. Direct 104. Discern 105. Discharge 106. Disclose 107. Discontinue 108. Discriminate 109. Disseminate 110. Distinguish 111. Divert 112. Document 113. Draft 114. Duplicate 115. Elaborate 116. Eliminate 117. Embrace 118. Enact 119. Encapsulate 120. Encompass 121. Encourage 122. Endorse 123. Engage 124. Enhance 125. Enlist 126. Enrich 127. Ensure 128. Establish 129. Evaluate 130. Examine 131. Execute 132. Exert 133. Expand 134. Expedite 135. Experiment 136. Explicate 137. Explore 138. Express 139. Fabricate 140. Facilitate 141. Fashion 142. Finalize 143. Forge 144. Formulate 145. Foster 146. Function 147. Generate 148. Govern 149. Grasp 150. Guide 151. Harmonize 152. Hasten 153. Identify 154. Illuminate 155. Illustrate 156. Implement 157. Improve 158. Inaugurate 159. Incorporate 160. Increase 161. Indicate 162. Induce 163. Infer 164. Initiate 165. Innovate 166. Inspect 167. Install 168. Instigate 169. Instruct 170. Integrate 171. Interpret 172. Interview 173. Introduce 174. Invent 175. Investigate 176. Isolate 177. Justify 178. Launch 179. Leverage 180. Liberate 181. List 182. Locate 183. Maximize 184. Mediate 185. Moderate 186. Monitor 187. Motivate 188. Negotiate 189. Nominate 190. Normalize 191. Obtain 192. Operate 193. Optimize 194. Order 195. Organize 196. Originate 197. Overcome 198. Participate 199. Perceive 200. Perfect 201. Perform 202. Persuade 203. Pinpoint 204. Pioneer 205. Plan 206. Prepare 207. Prescribe 208. Present 209. Preserve 210. Prioritize 211. Process 212. Procure 213. Produce 214. Program 215. Promote 216. Propose 217. Prosecute 218. Protect 219. Provision 220. Publish 221. Pursue 222. Qualify 223. Quantify 224. Query 225. Rate 226. Rationalize 227. Reaffirm 228. Realign 229. Reassess 230. Rebuild 231. Reconcile 232. Reconstruct 233. Recruit 234. Refine 235. Reformulate 236. Regulate 237. Reinforce 238. Reiterate 239. Rejuvenate 240. Relate 241. Release 242. Remedy 243. Render 244. Renew 245. Renovate 246. Reorganize 247. Rephrase 248. Replicate 249. Report 250. Represent 251. Reproduce 252. Require 253. Resolve 254. Respond 255. Restructure 256. Retain 257. Retrieve 258. Revise 259. Revitalize 260. Revolutionize 261. Reward 262. Route 263. Salvage 264. Satisfy 265. Secure 266. Segment 267. Select 268. Separate 269. Simulate 270. Solicit 271. Solve 272. Spearhead 273. Specify 274. Standardize 275. Stimulate 276. Strategize 277. Streamline 278. Structure 279. Substantiate 280. Supplement 281. Sustain 282. Synthesize 283. Tailor 284. Target 285. Testify 286. Transform 287. Translate 288. Transmit 289. Unify 290. Unite 291. Utilize 292. Validate 293. Verify 294. Veto 295. Visualize 296. Vitalize 297. Voluntarily 298. Weigh 299. Withdraw 300. Work

You might also be interested in learning all about how to make your own tongue twisters .

About The Author

Related Posts

What is Chiasmus in Writing? Examples, Definitions, and How to Create Them

What is a Metalepsis in Writing? Examples, Definitions, and How to Create Them

What is a Vignette in Writing? Examples, Definitions, and How to Create Them

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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.

Craft of Writing Quiz (Easy)

Your answer:

Correct answer:

SHARE YOUR RESULTS

Your Answers

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.

Craft of Writing Quiz (Hard)

Yves Lummer

As the founder of BookBird, Yves Lummer has pioneered a thriving community for authors, leading more than 100,000 of them towards their dreams of self-publishing. His expertise in book marketing has become a catalyst for multiple best-sellers, establishing his reputation as an influential figure in the publishing world.

Elements of a Story: 8 Story Elements Explained

February 6, 2024

170 Book Puns: Funny Puns & Jokes You’ll Never Forget

February 4, 2024

Side Character: Definition, Examples & Writing Tips

How to start a story: 10 secret writing tips, inciting incident: definition, purpose & examples.

January 23, 2024

Biography vs. Autobiography vs. Memoir: Art of Life Stories

November 22, 2023

Privacy Overview

Want to sell more Books?

• Readers Read
• Screenwriting
• Songwriting
• Writing Contests

Karlie Kloss to Relaunch Life Magazine at Bedford Media

NBF Expands National Book Awards Eligibility Criteria

Striking Writers and Actors March Together on Hollywood Streets

Vice Media Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Oprah Selects The Covenant of Water as 101st Book Club Pick

• Self-publishing
• Technical Writing
• Writing Prompts

Words To Use In Essays: Amplifying Your Academic Writing

Use this comprehensive list of words to use in essays to elevate your writing. Make an impression and score higher grades with this guide!

Words play a fundamental role in the domain of essay writing, as they have the power to shape ideas, influence readers, and convey messages with precision and impact. Choosing the right words to use in essays is not merely a matter of filling pages, but rather a deliberate process aimed at enhancing the quality of the writing and effectively communicating complex ideas. In this article, we will explore the importance of selecting appropriate words for essays and provide valuable insights into the types of words that can elevate the essay to new heights.

Words To Use In Essays

Using a wide range of words can make your essay stronger and more impressive. With the incorporation of carefully chosen words that communicate complex ideas with precision and eloquence, the writer can elevate the quality of their essay and captivate readers.

This list serves as an introduction to a range of impactful words that can be integrated into writing, enabling the writer to express thoughts with depth and clarity.

Significantly

Furthermore

Nonetheless

Nevertheless

Consequently

Accordingly

Subsequently

In contrast

Alternatively

Implications

Substantially

Transition Words And Phrases

Transition words and phrases are essential linguistic tools that connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs within a text. They work like bridges, facilitating the transitions between different parts of an essay or any other written work. These transitional elements conduct the flow and coherence of the writing, making it easier for readers to follow the author’s train of thought.

Here are some examples of common transition words and phrases:

Furthermore: Additionally; moreover.

However: Nevertheless; on the other hand.

In contrast: On the contrary; conversely.

Therefore: Consequently; as a result.

Similarly: Likewise; in the same way.

Moreover: Furthermore; besides.

In addition: Additionally; also.

Nonetheless: Nevertheless; regardless.

Nevertheless: However; even so.

On the other hand: Conversely; in contrast.

These are just a few examples of the many transition words and phrases available. They help create coherence, improve the organization of ideas, and guide readers through the logical progression of the text. When used effectively, transition words and phrases can significantly guide clarity for writing.

Strong Verbs For Academic Writing

Strong verbs are an essential component of academic writing as they add precision, clarity, and impact to sentences. They convey actions, intentions, and outcomes in a more powerful and concise manner. Here are some examples of strong verbs commonly used in academic writing:

Analyze: Examine in detail to understand the components or structure.

Critique: Assess or evaluate the strengths and weaknesses.

Demonstrate: Show the evidence to support a claim or argument.

Illuminate: Clarify or make something clearer.

Explicate: Explain in detail a thorough interpretation.

Synthesize: Combine or integrate information to create a new understanding.

Propose: Put forward or suggest a theory, idea, or solution.

Refute: Disprove or argue against a claim or viewpoint.

Validate: Confirm or prove the accuracy or validity of something.

Advocate: Support or argue in favor of a particular position or viewpoint.

Adjectives And Adverbs For Academic Essays

Useful adjectives and adverbs are valuable tools in academic writing as they enhance the description, precision, and depth of arguments and analysis. They provide specific details, emphasize key points, and add nuance to writing. Here are some examples of useful adjectives and adverbs commonly used in academic essays:

Comprehensive: Covering all aspects or elements; thorough.

Crucial: Extremely important or essential.

Prominent: Well-known or widely recognized; notable.

Substantial: Considerable in size, extent, or importance.

Valid: Well-founded or logically sound; acceptable or authoritative.

Effectively: In a manner that produces the desired result or outcome.

Significantly: To a considerable extent or degree; notably.

Consequently: As a result or effect of something.

Precisely: Exactly or accurately; with great attention to detail.

Critically: In a careful and analytical manner; with careful evaluation or assessment.

Words To Use In The Essay Introduction

The words used in the essay introduction play a crucial role in capturing the reader’s attention and setting the tone for the rest of the essay. They should be engaging, informative, and persuasive. Here are some examples of words that can be effectively used in the essay introduction:

Intriguing: A word that sparks curiosity and captures the reader’s interest from the beginning.

Compelling: Conveys the idea that the topic is interesting and worth exploring further.

Provocative: Creates a sense of controversy or thought-provoking ideas.

Insightful: Suggests that the essay will produce valuable and thought-provoking insights.

Startling: Indicates that the essay will present surprising or unexpected information or perspectives.

Relevant: Emphasizes the significance of the topic and its connection to broader issues or current events.

Timely: Indicates that the essay addresses a subject of current relevance or importance.

Thoughtful: Implies that the essay will offer well-considered and carefully developed arguments.

Persuasive: Suggests that the essay will present compelling arguments to convince the reader.

Captivating: Indicates that the essay will hold the reader’s attention and be engaging throughout.

Words To Use In The Body Of The Essay

The words used in the body of the essay are essential for effectively conveying ideas, providing evidence, and developing arguments. They should be clear, precise, and demonstrate a strong command of the subject matter. Here are some examples of words that can be used in the body of the essay:

Evidence: When presenting supporting information or data, words such as “data,” “research,” “studies,” “findings,” “examples,” or “statistics” can be used to strengthen arguments.

Analysis: To discuss and interpret the evidence, words like “analyze,” “examine,” “explore,” “interpret,” or “assess” can be employed to demonstrate a critical evaluation of the topic.

Comparison: When drawing comparisons or making contrasts, words like “similarly,” “likewise,” “in contrast,” “on the other hand,” or “conversely” can be used to highlight similarities or differences.

Cause and effect: To explain the relationship between causes and consequences, words such as “because,” “due to,” “leads to,” “results in,” or “causes” can be utilized.

Sequence: When discussing a series of events or steps, words like “first,” “next,” “then,” “finally,” “subsequently,” or “consequently” can be used to indicate the order or progression.

Emphasis: To emphasize a particular point or idea, words such as “notably,” “significantly,” “crucially,” “importantly,” or “remarkably” can be employed.

Clarification: When providing further clarification or elaboration, words like “specifically,” “in other words,” “for instance,” “to illustrate,” or “to clarify” can be used.

Integration: To show the relationship between different ideas or concepts, words such as “moreover,” “furthermore,” “additionally,” “likewise,” or “similarly” can be utilized.

Conclusion: When summarizing or drawing conclusions, words like “in conclusion,” “to summarize,” “overall,” “in summary,” or “to conclude” can be employed to wrap up ideas.

Remember to use these words appropriately and contextually, ensuring they strengthen the coherence and flow of arguments. They should serve as effective transitions and connectors between ideas, enhancing the overall clarity and persuasiveness of the essay.

Words To Use In Essay Conclusion

The words used in the essay conclusion are crucial for effectively summarizing the main points, reinforcing arguments, and leaving a lasting impression on the reader. They should bring a sense of closure to the essay while highlighting the significance of ideas. Here are some examples of words that can be used in the essay conclusion:

Summary: To summarize the main points, these words can be used “in summary,” “to sum up,” “in conclusion,” “to recap,” or “overall.”

Reinforcement: To reinforce arguments and emphasize their importance, words such as “crucial,” “essential,” “significant,” “noteworthy,” or “compelling” can be employed.

Implication: To discuss the broader implications of ideas or findings, words like “consequently,” “therefore,” “thus,” “hence,” or “as a result” can be utilized.

Call to action: If applicable, words that encourage further action or reflection can be used, such as “we must,” “it is essential to,” “let us consider,” or “we should.”

Future perspective: To discuss future possibilities or developments related to the topic, words like “potential,” “future research,” “emerging trends,” or “further investigation” can be employed.

Reflection: To reflect on the significance or impact of arguments, words such as “profound,” “notable,” “thought-provoking,” “transformative,” or “perspective-shifting” can be used.

Final thought: To leave a lasting impression, words or phrases that summarize the main idea or evoke a sense of thoughtfulness can be used, such as “food for thought,” “in light of this,” “to ponder,” or “to consider.”

How To Improve Essay Writing Vocabulary

Improving essay writing vocabulary is essential for effectively expressing ideas, demonstrating a strong command of the language, and engaging readers. Here are some strategies to enhance the essay writing vocabulary:

• Read extensively: Reading a wide range of materials, such as books, articles, and essays, can give various writing styles, topics, and vocabulary. Pay attention to new words and their usage, and try incorporating them into the writing.
• Use a dictionary and thesaurus:  Look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary to understand their meanings and usage. Additionally, utilize a thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms to expand word choices and avoid repetition.
• Create a word bank: To create a word bank, read extensively, write down unfamiliar or interesting words, and explore their meanings and usage. Organize them by categories or themes for easy reference, and practice incorporating them into writing to expand the vocabulary.
• Contextualize vocabulary: Simply memorizing new words won’t be sufficient; it’s crucial to understand their proper usage and context. Pay attention to how words are used in different contexts, sentence structures, and rhetorical devices. 

How To Add Additional Information To Support A Point

When writing an essay and wanting to add additional information to support a point, you can use various transitional words and phrases. Here are some examples:

Furthermore: Add more information or evidence to support the previous point.

Additionally: Indicates an additional supporting idea or evidence.

Moreover: Emphasizes the importance or significance of the added information.

In addition: Signals the inclusion of another supporting detail.

Furthermore, it is important to note: Introduces an additional aspect or consideration related to the topic.

Not only that, but also: Highlights an additional point that strengthens the argument.

Equally important: Emphasizes the equal significance of the added information.

Another key point: Introduces another important supporting idea.

It is worth noting: Draws attention to a noteworthy detail that supports the point being made.

Additionally, it is essential to consider: Indicates the need to consider another aspect or perspective.

Using these transitional words and phrases will help you seamlessly integrate additional information into your essay, enhancing the clarity and persuasiveness of your arguments.

Words And Phrases That Demonstrate Contrast

When crafting an essay, it is crucial to effectively showcase contrast, enabling the presentation of opposing ideas or the highlighting of differences between concepts. The adept use of suitable words and phrases allows for the clear communication of contrast, bolstering the strength of arguments. Consider the following examples of commonly employed words and phrases to illustrate the contrast in essays:

However: e.g., “The experiment yielded promising results; however, further analysis is needed to draw conclusive findings.”

On the other hand: e.g., “Some argue for stricter gun control laws, while others, on the other hand, advocate for individual rights to bear arms.”

Conversely: e.g., “While the study suggests a positive correlation between exercise and weight loss, conversely, other research indicates that diet plays a more significant role.”

Nevertheless: e.g., “The data shows a decline in crime rates; nevertheless, public safety remains a concern for many citizens.”

In contrast: e.g., “The economic policies of Country A focus on free-market principles. In contrast, Country B implements more interventionist measures.”

Despite: e.g., “Despite the initial setbacks, the team persevered and ultimately achieved success.”

Although: e.g., “Although the participants had varying levels of experience, they all completed the task successfully.”

While: e.g., “While some argue for stricter regulations, others contend that personal responsibility should prevail.”

Words To Use For Giving Examples

When writing an essay and providing examples to illustrate your points, you can use a variety of words and phrases to introduce those examples. Here are some examples:

For instance: Introduces a specific example to support or illustrate your point.

For example: Give an example to clarify or demonstrate your argument.

Such as: Indicates that you are providing a specific example or examples.

To illustrate: Signals that you are using an example to explain or emphasize your point.

One example is: Introduces a specific instance that exemplifies your argument.

In particular: Highlights a specific example that is especially relevant to your point.

As an illustration: Introduces an example that serves as a visual or concrete representation of your point.

A case in point: Highlights a specific example that serves as evidence or proof of your argument.

To demonstrate: Indicates that you are providing an example to show or prove your point.

To exemplify: Signals that you are using an example to illustrate or clarify your argument.

Using these words and phrases will help you effectively incorporate examples into your essay, making your arguments more persuasive and relatable. Remember to give clear and concise examples that directly support your main points.

Words To Signifying Importance

When writing an essay and wanting to signify the importance of a particular point or idea, you can use various words and phrases to convey this emphasis. Here are some examples:

Crucially: Indicates that the point being made is of critical importance.

Significantly: Highlights the importance or significance of the idea or information.

Importantly: Draws attention to the crucial nature of the point being discussed.

Notably: Emphasizes that the information or idea is particularly worthy of attention.

It is vital to note: Indicates that the point being made is essential and should be acknowledged.

It should be emphasized: Draws attention to the need to give special importance or focus to the point being made.

A key consideration is: Highlight that the particular idea or information is a central aspect of the discussion.

It is critical to recognize: Emphasizes that the understanding or acknowledgment of the point is crucial.

Using these words and phrases will help you convey the importance and significance of specific points or ideas in your essay, ensuring that readers recognize their significance and impact on the overall argument.

Exclusive Scientific Content, Created By Scientists

Mind the Graph platform provides scientists with exclusive scientific content that is created by scientists themselves. This unique feature ensures that the platform offers high-quality and reliable information tailored specifically for the scientific community. The platform serves as a valuable resource for researchers, offering a wide range of visual tools and templates that enable scientists to create impactful and visually engaging scientific illustrations and graphics for their publications, presentations, and educational materials.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Exclusive high quality content about effective visual communication in science.

Content tags

Get 25% OFF new yearly plans in our Spring Sale

• Features for Creative Writers
• Features for Work
• Features for Higher Education
• Features for Teachers
• Features for Non-Native Speakers
• Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
• Grammar Guide

Words to Use in an Essay: 300 Essay Words

Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

Words to use in the essay introduction, words to use in the body of the essay, words to use in your essay conclusion, how to improve your essay writing vocabulary.

It’s not easy to write an academic essay .

Many students struggle to word their arguments in a logical and concise way.

To make matters worse, academic essays need to adhere to a certain level of formality, so we can’t always use the same word choices in essay writing that we would use in daily life.

If you’re struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don’t worry—you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay.

The introduction is one of the hardest parts of an essay to write.

You have only one chance to make a first impression, and you want to hook your reader. If the introduction isn’t effective, the reader might not even bother to read the rest of the essay.

That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful and deliberate with the words you choose at the beginning of your essay.

Many students use a quote in the introductory paragraph to establish credibility and set the tone for the rest of the essay.

When you’re referencing another author or speaker, try using some of these phrases:

To use the words of X

According to X

As X states

Example: To use the words of Hillary Clinton, “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health.”

Near the end of the introduction, you should state the thesis to explain the central point of your paper.

If you’re not sure how to introduce your thesis, try using some of these phrases:

In this essay, I will…

The purpose of this essay…

This essay discusses…

In this paper, I put forward the claim that…

There are three main arguments for…

Example: In this essay, I will explain why dress codes in public schools are detrimental to students.

After you’ve stated your thesis, it’s time to start presenting the arguments you’ll use to back up that central idea.

When you’re introducing the first of a series of arguments, you can use the following words:

First and foremost

First of all

To begin with

Example: First , consider the effects that this new social security policy would have on low-income taxpayers.

All these words and phrases will help you create a more successful introduction and convince your audience to read on.

The body of your essay is where you’ll explain your core arguments and present your evidence.

It’s important to choose words and phrases for the body of your essay that will help the reader understand your position and convince them you’ve done your research.

Let’s look at some different types of words and phrases that you can use in the body of your essay, as well as some examples of what these words look like in a sentence.

Transition Words and Phrases

Transitioning from one argument to another is crucial for a good essay.

It’s important to guide your reader from one idea to the next so they don’t get lost or feel like you’re jumping around at random.

Transition phrases and linking words show your reader you’re about to move from one argument to the next, smoothing out their reading experience. They also make your writing look more professional.

The simplest transition involves moving from one idea to a separate one that supports the same overall argument. Try using these phrases when you want to introduce a second correlating idea:

Additionally

In addition

Furthermore

Another key thing to remember

In the same way

Correspondingly

Example: Additionally , public parks increase property value because home buyers prefer houses that are located close to green, open spaces.

Another type of transition involves restating. It’s often useful to restate complex ideas in simpler terms to help the reader digest them. When you’re restating an idea, you can use the following words:

In other words

To put it another way

That is to say

To put it more simply

Example: “The research showed that 53% of students surveyed expressed a mild or strong preference for more on-campus housing. In other words , over half the students wanted more dormitory options.”

Often, you’ll need to provide examples to illustrate your point more clearly for the reader. When you’re about to give an example of something you just said, you can use the following words:

For instance

To give an illustration of

To exemplify

To demonstrate

As evidence

Example: Humans have long tried to exert control over our natural environment. For instance , engineers reversed the Chicago River in 1900, causing it to permanently flow backward.

Sometimes, you’ll need to explain the impact or consequence of something you’ve just said.

When you’re drawing a conclusion from evidence you’ve presented, try using the following words:

As a result

Accordingly

As you can see

This suggests that

It follows that

It can be seen that

For this reason

For all of those reasons

Consequently

Example: “There wasn’t enough government funding to support the rest of the physics experiment. Thus , the team was forced to shut down their experiment in 1996.”

When introducing an idea that bolsters one you’ve already stated, or adds another important aspect to that same argument, you can use the following words:

What’s more

Not only…but also

Not to mention

To say nothing of

Another key point

Example: The volcanic eruption disrupted hundreds of thousands of people. Moreover , it impacted the local flora and fauna as well, causing nearly a hundred species to go extinct.

Often, you'll want to present two sides of the same argument. When you need to compare and contrast ideas, you can use the following words:

On the one hand / on the other hand

Alternatively

In contrast to

On the contrary

By contrast

In comparison

Example: On the one hand , the Black Death was undoubtedly a tragedy because it killed millions of Europeans. On the other hand , it created better living conditions for the peasants who survived.

Finally, when you’re introducing a new angle that contradicts your previous idea, you can use the following phrases:

Having said that

Differing from

In spite of

With this in mind

Provided that

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

Notwithstanding

Example: Shakespearean plays are classic works of literature that have stood the test of time. Having said that , I would argue that Shakespeare isn’t the most accessible form of literature to teach students in the twenty-first century.

Good essays include multiple types of logic. You can use a combination of the transitions above to create a strong, clear structure throughout the body of your essay.

Strong Verbs for Academic Writing

Verbs are especially important for writing clear essays. Often, you can convey a nuanced meaning simply by choosing the right verb.

You should use strong verbs that are precise and dynamic. Whenever possible, you should use an unambiguous verb, rather than a generic verb.

For example, alter and fluctuate are stronger verbs than change , because they give the reader more descriptive detail.

Here are some useful verbs that will help make your essay shine.

Verbs that show change:

Accommodate

Verbs that relate to causing or impacting something:

Verbs that show increase:

Verbs that show decrease:

Deteriorate

Verbs that relate to parts of a whole:

Comprises of

Is composed of

Constitutes

Encompasses

Incorporates

Verbs that show a negative stance:

Misconstrue

Verbs that show a positive stance:

Substantiate

Verbs that relate to drawing conclusions from evidence:

Corroborate

Demonstrate

Verbs that relate to thinking and analysis:

Contemplate

Hypothesize

Investigate

Verbs that relate to showing information in a visual format:

Useful Adjectives and Adverbs for Academic Essays

You should use adjectives and adverbs more sparingly than verbs when writing essays, since they sometimes add unnecessary fluff to sentences.

However, choosing the right adjectives and adverbs can help add detail and sophistication to your essay.

Sometimes you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is useful and should be taken seriously. Here are some adjectives that create positive emphasis:

Significant

Other times, you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is harmful or ineffective. Here are some adjectives that create a negative emphasis:

Controversial

Insignificant

Questionable

Unnecessary

Unrealistic

Finally, you might need to use an adverb to lend nuance to a sentence, or to express a specific degree of certainty. Here are some examples of adverbs that are often used in essays:

Comprehensively

Exhaustively

Extensively

Respectively

Surprisingly

Using these words will help you successfully convey the key points you want to express. Once you’ve nailed the body of your essay, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.

The conclusion of your paper is important for synthesizing the arguments you’ve laid out and restating your thesis.

In your concluding paragraph, try using some of these essay words:

In conclusion

To summarize

In a nutshell

Given the above

As described

All things considered

Example: In conclusion , it’s imperative that we take action to address climate change before we lose our coral reefs forever.

In addition to simply summarizing the key points from the body of your essay, you should also add some final takeaways. Give the reader your final opinion and a bit of a food for thought.

To place emphasis on a certain point or a key fact, use these essay words:

Unquestionably

Undoubtedly

Particularly

Importantly

Conclusively

It should be noted

On the whole

Example: Ada Lovelace is unquestionably a powerful role model for young girls around the world, and more of our public school curricula should include her as a historical figure.

These concluding phrases will help you finish writing your essay in a strong, confident way.

There are many useful essay words out there that we didn't include in this article, because they are specific to certain topics.

If you're writing about biology, for example, you will need to use different terminology than if you're writing about literature.

So how do you improve your vocabulary skills?

The vocabulary you use in your academic writing is a toolkit you can build up over time, as long as you take the time to learn new words.

One way to increase your vocabulary is by looking up words you don’t know when you’re reading.

Try reading more books and academic articles in the field you’re writing about and jotting down all the new words you find. You can use these words to bolster your own essays.

You can also consult a dictionary or a thesaurus. When you’re using a word you’re not confident about, researching its meaning and common synonyms can help you make sure it belongs in your essay.

Don't be afraid of using simpler words. Good essay writing boils down to choosing the best word to convey what you need to say, not the fanciest word possible.

Finally, you can use ProWritingAid’s synonym tool or essay checker to find more precise and sophisticated vocabulary. Click on weak words in your essay to find stronger alternatives.

There you have it: our compilation of the best words and phrases to use in your next essay . Good luck!

Good writing = better grades

ProWritingAid will help you improve the style, strength, and clarity of all your assignments.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to footer

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:

Enjoyed this get my fortnightly newsletter in your inbox > > >, get my best writing tips in your inbox ....

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

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.

Books and courses

Follow proven templates for specific writing tasks, practice your skills, and get professional feedback so you become a confident business writer. Take on any writing project with gusto. Learn more about books and courses

About Henneke

I never saw myself as a writer, but in my early forties, I learned how to write and discovered the joy of writing. Now, I’d like to empower you to find your voice, share your ideas and inspire your audience. Learn how I can help you

Popular topics

Sales copywriting

Blog writing for business

Your writing voice

Tips for beginning writers

The writing process

Improve your writing skills

Writing examples

Popular blog posts

Recent blog posts

Free Snackable Writing Course

Get 16 concise emails and learn how to write more persuasive content.

• Affiliate Program

• UNITED STATES
• 台灣 (TAIWAN)
• TÜRKIYE (TURKEY)
• Academic Editing Services
• - Research Paper
• - Journal Manuscript
• - Dissertation
• - College & University Assignments
• Admissions Editing Services
• - Application Essay
• - Personal Statement
• - Recommendation Letter
• - Cover Letter
• - CV/Resume
• Business Editing Services
• - Business Documents
• - Report & Brochure
• - Website & Blog
• Writer Editing Services
• - Script & Screenplay
• Our Editors
• Client Reviews
• Editing & Proofreading Prices
• Wordvice Points
• Partner Discount
• Plagiarism Checker
• APA Citation Generator
• MLA Citation Generator
• Chicago Citation Generator
• Vancouver Citation Generator
• - APA Style
• - MLA Style
• - Chicago Style
• - Vancouver Style
• Writing & Editing Guide
• Academic Resources
• Admissions Resources

100+ Research Vocabulary Words & Phrases

The academic community can be conservative when it comes to enforcing academic writing style , but your writing shouldn’t be so boring that people lose interest midway through the first paragraph! Given that competition is at an all-time high for academics looking to publish their papers, we know you must be anxious about what you can do to improve your publishing odds.

To be sure, your research must be sound, your paper must be structured logically, and the different manuscript sections must contain the appropriate information. But your research must also be clearly explained. Clarity obviously depends on the correct use of English, and there are many common mistakes that you should watch out for, for example when it comes to articles , prepositions , word choice , and even punctuation . But even if you are on top of your grammar and sentence structure, you can still make your writing more compelling (or more boring) by using powerful verbs and phrases (vs the same weaker ones over and over). So, how do you go about achieving the latter?

Below are a few ways to breathe life into your writing.

1. Analyze Vocabulary Using Word Clouds

Have you heard of “Wordles”? A Wordle is a visual representation of words, with the size of each word being proportional to the number of times it appears in the text it is based on. The original company website seems to have gone out of business, but there are a number of free word cloud generation sites that allow you to copy and paste your draft manuscript into a text box to quickly discover how repetitive your writing is and which verbs you might want to replace to improve your manuscript.

Seeing a visual word cloud of your work might also help you assess the key themes and points readers will glean from your paper. If the Wordle result displays words you hadn’t intended to emphasize, then that’s a sign you should revise your paper to make sure readers will focus on the right information.

As an example, below is a Wordle of our article entitled, “ How to Choose the Best title for Your Journal Manuscript .” You can see how frequently certain terms appear in that post, based on the font size of the text. The keywords, “titles,” “journal,” “research,” and “papers,” were all the intended focus of our blog post.

2. Study Language Patterns of Similarly Published Works

Study the language pattern found in the most downloaded and cited articles published by your target journal. Understanding the journal’s editorial preferences will help you write in a style that appeals to the publication’s readership.

Another way to analyze the language of a target journal’s papers is to use Wordle (see above). If you copy and paste the text of an article related to your research topic into the applet, you can discover the common phrases and terms the paper’s authors used.

For example, if you were writing a paper on  links between smoking and cancer , you might look for a recent review on the topic, preferably published by your target journal. Copy and paste the text into Wordle and examine the key phrases to see if you’ve included similar wording in your own draft. The Wordle result might look like the following, based on the example linked above.

If you are not sure yet where to publish and just want some generally good examples of descriptive verbs, analytical verbs, and reporting verbs that are commonly used in academic writing, then have a look at this list of useful phrases for research papers .

3. Use More Active and Precise Verbs

Have you heard of synonyms? Of course you have. But have you looked beyond single-word replacements and rephrased entire clauses with stronger, more vivid ones? You’ll find this task is easier to do if you use the active voice more often than the passive voice . Even if you keep your original sentence structure, you can eliminate weak verbs like “be” from your draft and choose more vivid and precise action verbs. As always, however, be careful about using only a thesaurus to identify synonyms. Make sure the substitutes fit the context in which you need a more interesting or “perfect” word. Online dictionaries such as the Merriam-Webster and the Cambridge Dictionary are good sources to check entire phrases in context in case you are unsure whether a synonym is a good match for a word you want to replace. 

To help you build a strong arsenal of commonly used phrases in academic papers, we’ve compiled a list of synonyms you might want to consider when drafting or editing your research paper . While we do not suggest that the phrases in the “Original Word/Phrase” column should be completely avoided, we do recommend interspersing these with the more dynamic terms found under “Recommended Substitutes.”

A. Describing the scope of a current project or prior research

B. outlining a topic’s background, c. describing the analytical elements of a paper, d. discussing results, e. discussing methods, f. explaining the impact of new research, wordvice writing resources.

For additional information on how to tighten your sentences (e.g., eliminate wordiness and use active voice to greater effect), you can try Wordvice’s FREE APA Citation Generator and learn more about how to proofread and edit your paper to ensure your work is free of errors.

Before submitting your manuscript to academic journals, be sure to use our free AI proofreader to catch errors in grammar, spelling, and mechanics. And use our English editing services from Wordvice, including academic editing services , cover letter editing , manuscript editing , and research paper editing services to make sure your work is up to a high academic level.

We also have a collection of other useful articles for you, for example on how to strengthen your writing style , how to avoid fillers to write more powerful sentences , and how to eliminate prepositions and avoid nominalizations . Additionally, get advice on all the other important aspects of writing a research paper on our academic resources pages .

Best Active Verbs for Research Papers with Examples

What are active verbs.

Active verbs, often referred to as "action verbs," depict activities, processes, or occurrences. They energize sentences by illustrating direct actions, like "run," "write," or "discover." In contrast, linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to its complement, offering information about the subject rather than denoting an action. The most common linking verb is the "be" verb (am, is, are, was, were, etc.), which often describes a state of being. While active verbs demonstrate direct activity or motion, linking and "be" verbs serve as bridges, revealing relations or states rather than actions.

While linking verbs are necessary to states facts or show connections between two or more items, subjects, or ideas, active verbs usually have a more specific meaning that can explain these connections and actions with greater accuracy. And they captivate the reader’s attention! (See what I did there?)

Why are active verbs important to use in research papers?

Using active verbs in academic papers enhances clarity and precision, propelling the narrative forward and making your arguments more compelling. Active verbs provide clear agents of action, making your assertions clearer and more vigorous. This dynamism ensures readers grasp the research's core points and its implications.

For example, using an active vs passive voice sentence can create more immediate connection and clarity for the reader. Instead of writing "The experiment was conducted by the team," one could write, "The team conducted the experiment."

Similarly, rather than stating "Results were analyzed," a more direct approach would be "We analyzed the results." Such usage not only shortens sentences but also centers the focus, making the statements about the research more robust and persuasive.

Best Active Verbs for Academic & Research Papers

When writing research papers , choose active verbs that clarify and energize writing: the Introduction section "presents" a hypothesis, the Methods section "describes" your study procedures, the Results section "shows" the findings, and the Discussion section "argues" the wider implications. Active language makes each section more direct and engaging, effectively guiding readers through the study's journey—from initial inquiry to final conclusions—while highlighting the researcher's active role in the scholarly exploration.

Active verbs to introduce a research topic

Using active verbs in the Introduction section of a research paper sets a strong foundation for the study, indicating the actions taken by researchers and the direction of their inquiry.

Stresses a key stance or finding, especially when referring to published literature.

Indicates a thorough investigation into a research topic.

Draws attention to important aspects or details of the study topic you are addressing.

Questions or disputes established theories or beliefs, especially in previous published studies.

Highlights and describes a point of interest or importance.

Inspects or scrutinizes a subject closely.

Sets up the context or background for the study.

Articulates

Clearly expresses an idea or theory. Useful when setting up a research problem statement .

Makes something clear by explaining it in more detail.

Active verbs to describe your study approach

Each of these verbs indicates a specific, targeted action taken by researchers to advance understanding of their study's topic, laying out the groundwork in the Introduction for what the study aims to accomplish and how.

Suggests a theory, idea, or method for consideration.

Investigates

Implies a methodical examination of the subject.

Indicates a careful evaluation or estimation of a concept.

Suggests a definitive or conclusive finding or result.

Indicates the measurement or expression of an element in numerical terms.

Active verbs to describe study methods

The following verbs express a specific action in the methodology of a research study, detailing how researchers execute their investigations and handle data to derive meaningful conclusions.

Implies carrying out a planned process or experiment. Often used to refer to methods in other studies the literature review section .

Suggests putting a plan or technique into action.

Indicates the use of tools, techniques, or information for a specific purpose.

Denotes the determination of the quantity, degree, or capacity of something.

Refers to the systematic gathering of data or samples.

Involves examining data or details methodically to uncover relationships, patterns, or insights.

Active verbs for a hypothesis or problem statement

Each of the following verbs initiates a hypothesis or statement of the problem , indicating different levels of certainty and foundations of reasoning, which the research then aims to explore, support, or refute.

Suggests a hypothesis or a theory based on limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

Proposes a statement or hypothesis that is assumed to be true, and from which a conclusion can be drawn.

Attempts to identify

Conveys an explicit effort to identify or isolate a specific element or relationship in the study.

Foretells a future event or outcome based on a theory or observation.

Theorizes or puts forward a consideration about a subject without firm evidence.

Proposes an idea or possibility based on indirect or incomplete evidence.

Active verbs used to interpret and explain study results

In the Discussion section , the findings of your study are interpreted and explained to the reader before moving on to study implications and limitations . These verbs communicate the outcomes of the research in a precise and assertive manner, conveying how the data aligns with the expectations and hypotheses laid out earlier in the paper.

Shows or unveils findings from the data.

Demonstrates

Clearly shows the result of an experiment or study, often implying evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship.

Illustrates

Shows or presentes a particular result or trend.

Provides evidence in favor of a theory or hypothesis.

Establishes the truth or validity of an anticipated outcome or theory.

Visually presents data, often implying the use of figures or tables.

Active verbs to discuss study implications

In the discussion of study implications, these verbs help to weave the results into a broader context, suggesting relevance, highlighting importance, and pointing out potential consequences within the respective field of research.

Proposes a possible interpretation or implication without making a definitive statement.

Points to broader consequences or significances hinted at by the results.

Indicates a logical consequence or a meaning that is not explicitly stated.

Strengthens the validity or importance of a concept or finding.

Emphasizes certain findings and their broader ramifications.

Underscores

Underlines or emphasizes the significance or seriousness of an implication.

Active verbs to discuss study limitations

Discussing study limitations with these verbs allows researchers to maintain transparency about their study's weaknesses, thus providing a clearer picture of the context and reliability of the research findings.

Acknowledges

Recognizes the existence of potential weaknesses or restrictions in the study.

Directly confronts a specific limitation and often discusses ways it has been mitigated.

Makes an observation of a limitation that could affect the interpretation of the results.

Reflects on or thinks about a limitation in the context of the study's impact or scope.

Points out and describes a specific limitation.

Makes known or reveals a limitation that could have an effect on the study's conclusions.

Active verbs for the Conclusion section

In the Conclusion section , these verbs are pivotal in crystallizing the core findings, implications, and the future trajectory of research initiated by the study.

Signifies drawing a final inference or judgement based on the results.

Provides a brief statement of the main points of the research findings.

States positively or asserts the validity of the findings.

Advises on a course of action based on the results obtained.

Highlights the importance or significance of the research outcomes.

Use an AI Grammar Checker to Correct Your Research Verbs

While lists like these will certainly help you improve your writing in any academic paper, it can still be a good idea to revise your paper using an AI writing assistant during the drafting process, and with professional editing services before submitting your work to journals.

Wordvice’s AI Proofreading Tool , AI Paraphrasing Tool , AI Summarizer , and AI Translator are ideal for enhancing your academic papers. And with our professional editing services, including academic proofreading and paper editing services, you get high-quality English editing from experts in your paper’s subject area.

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.

View all posts

33 Transition Words and Phrases

Transitional terms give writers the opportunity to prepare readers for a new idea, connecting the previous sentence to the next one.

Many transitional words are nearly synonymous: words that broadly indicate that “this follows logically from the preceding” include accordingly, therefore, and consequently . Words that mean “in addition to” include moreover, besides, and further . Words that mean “contrary to what was just stated” include however, nevertheless , and nonetheless .

as a result : THEREFORE : CONSEQUENTLY

The executive’s flight was delayed and they accordingly arrived late.

in or by way of addition : FURTHERMORE

The mountain has many marked hiking trails; additionally, there are several unmarked trails that lead to the summit.

at a later or succeeding time : SUBSEQUENTLY, THEREAFTER

Afterward, she got a promotion.

even though : ALTHOUGH

She appeared as a guest star on the show, albeit briefly.

in spite of the fact that : even though —used when making a statement that differs from or contrasts with a statement you have just made

They are good friends, although they don't see each other very often.

in addition to what has been said : MOREOVER, FURTHERMORE

I can't go, and besides, I wouldn't go if I could.

as a result : in view of the foregoing : ACCORDINGLY

The words are often confused and are consequently misused.

in a contrasting or opposite way —used to introduce a statement that contrasts with a previous statement or presents a differing interpretation or possibility

Large objects appear to be closer. Conversely, small objects seem farther away.

used to introduce a statement that is somehow different from what has just been said

These problems are not as bad as they were. Even so, there is much more work to be done.

used as a stronger way to say "though" or "although"

I'm planning to go even though it may rain.

in addition : MOREOVER

I had some money to invest, and, further, I realized that the risk was small.

in addition to what precedes : BESIDES —used to introduce a statement that supports or adds to a previous statement

These findings seem plausible. Furthermore, several studies have confirmed them.

because of a preceding fact or premise : for this reason : THEREFORE

He was a newcomer and hence had no close friends here.

from this point on : starting now

She announced that henceforth she would be running the company.

in spite of that : on the other hand —used when you are saying something that is different from or contrasts with a previous statement

I'd like to go; however, I'd better not.

as something more : BESIDES —used for adding information to a statement

The city has the largest population in the country and in addition is a major shipping port.

all things considered : as a matter of fact —used when making a statement that adds to or strengthens a previous statement

He likes to have things his own way; indeed, he can be very stubborn.

for fear that —often used after an expression denoting fear or apprehension

He was concerned lest anyone think that he was guilty.

in addition : ALSO —often used to introduce a statement that adds to and is related to a previous statement

She is an acclaimed painter who is likewise a sculptor.

at or during the same time : in the meantime

You can set the table. Meanwhile, I'll start making dinner.

BESIDES, FURTHER : in addition to what has been said —used to introduce a statement that supports or adds to a previous statement

It probably wouldn't work. Moreover, it would be very expensive to try it.

in spite of that : HOWEVER

It was a predictable, but nevertheless funny, story.

in spite of what has just been said : NEVERTHELESS

The hike was difficult, but fun nonetheless.

without being prevented by (something) : despite—used to say that something happens or is true even though there is something that might prevent it from happening or being true

Notwithstanding their youth and inexperience, the team won the championship.

if not : or else

Finish your dinner. Otherwise, you won't get any dessert.

more correctly speaking —used to introduce a statement that corrects what you have just said

We can take the car, or rather, the van.

in spite of that —used to say that something happens or is true even though there is something that might prevent it from happening or being true

I tried again and still I failed.

by that : by that means

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.

for that reason : because of that

This tablet is thin and light and therefore very convenient to carry around.

immediately after that

The committee reviewed the documents and thereupon decided to accept the proposal.

because of this or that : HENCE, CONSEQUENTLY

This detergent is highly concentrated and thus you will need to dilute it.

while on the contrary —used to make a statement that describes how two people, groups, etc., are different

Some of these species have flourished, whereas others have struggled.

NEVERTHELESS, HOWEVER —used to introduce a statement that adds something to a previous statement and usually contrasts with it in some way

It was pouring rain out, yet his clothes didn’t seem very wet.

Word of the Day

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Games & Quizzes

Usage Notes

Prepositions, ending a sentence with, is 'irregardless' a real word, 8 more grammar terms you used to know: special verb edition, point of view: it's personal, 31 useful rhetorical devices, grammar & usage, a list of most commonly confused words, more commonly misspelled words, 10 words you see but don't hear, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, 9 other words for beautiful, rare and amusing insults, volume 2, etymologies for every day of the week, the words of the week - apr. 12, 10 scrabble words without any vowels.

• Service to the State

College of Education - UT Austin

• Academics Overview
• Bachelor’s Programs
• Master’s Programs
• Doctoral Programs
• Post-baccalaureate
• Educator Preparation Programs
• Student Life Overview
• Career Engagement
• For Families
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Tuition, Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Commencement
• Office of Student Affairs
• Departments Overview
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Educational Leadership and Policy
• Kinesiology and Health Education
• Our Programs
• Educational Psychology
• Special Education
• Centers and Institutes
• Find Faculty
• Office of Educational Research
• Alumni and Friends Overview
• Advisory Council
• Meet Our Alumni
• Update Your Information
• About Overview
• College Leadership
• Facts and Rankings
• Reimagine Education
• Visit the college
• Building Renovations
• How to Apply
• How To Apply
• Newly Admitted Students
• Academic Advising
• Student Services
• Office of Educational Research Support
• Communications, Marketing and Media
• Visit the College

Strong Action Verbs

Use this list of strong action verbs to diversify, strengthen, and individualize your résumé language.

The list is organized in sections to help you locate the best words:  Accomplishment , Creative , Communication , Helping , Instructional , Leadership , Organization/Detail , Research , Technical .

Printer-friendly version .

Review Résumé Writing  to explore content development ideas and view our résumé checklist.

Need additional help? Schedule an appointment with your Career Engagement Coordinator on Handshake  or email us at [email protected] .

Accomplishment

Achieved Completed Exceeded Pioneered Resolved Restored Succeeded Surpassed

Acted Adapted Composed Conceptualized Created Customized Designed Developed Directed Displayed Entertained Established Fashioned Formulated Founded Transformed Illustrated Initiated Instituted Integrated Introduced Invented Modeled Modified Originated Performed Photographed Planned Revised Shaped Solved

Communication

Addressed Advertised Arbitrated Arranged Articulated Authored Clarified Collaborated Communicated Condensed Conferred Consulted Contacted Conveyed Convinced Corresponded Debated Defined Described Developed Directed Discussed Drafted Edited Elicited Enlisted Explained Expressed Furnished Incorporated Influenced Interacted Interpreted Interviewed Involved Joined Judged Lectured Listened Marketed Mediated Moderated Negotiated Observed Outlined Participated Persuaded Presented Promoted Proposed Publicized Reconciled Recruited Reinforced Reported Resolved Responded Solicited Specified Spoke Suggested Summarized Synthesized Translated Wrote

Advocated Aided Answered Arranged Assessed Assisted Cared for Clarified Collaborated Contributed Counseled Demonstrated Diagnosed Encouraged Ensured Expedited Facilitated Furthered Guided Insured Intervened Motivated Provided Referred Rehabilitated Represented Supplied Supported

Instructional

Adapted Advised Clarified Coached Communicated Conducted Coordinated Critiqued Developed Enabled Encouraged Evaluated Explained Focused Guided Individualized Informed Instilled Instructed Persuaded Set goals Simulated Taught Tested Trained Transmitted Tutored Administered Adjusted Allocated Analyzed Appraised Assessed Audited Balanced Budgeted Calculated Computed Conserved Corrected Determined Developed Estimated Forecasted Managed Marketed Measured Planned Prepared Programmed Projected Reconciled Reduced Researched Retrieved

Administered Appointed Approved Assigned Attained Authorized Chaired Considered Consolidated Contracted Controlled Converted Coordinated Decided Delegated Developed Directed Eliminated Emphasized Enforced Enhanced Established Executed Handled Headed Hired Hosted Improved Incorporated Increased Initiated Inspected Instituted Led Managed Merged Motivated Organized Originated Overhauled Oversaw Panned Presided Prioritized Recommended Reorganized Replaced Restored Reviewed Scheduled Secured Selected Streamlined Strengthened Supervised Terminated

Organization/Detail

Approved Arranged Catalogued Categorized Charted Classified Coded Collected Compiled Corrected Distributed Filed Generated Implemented Incorporated Inspected Monitored Operated Ordered Organized Prepared Processed Registered Reviewed Routed Scheduled Submitted Standardized Systematized Updated Validated

Analyzed Clarified Collected Compared Conducted Critiqued Conducted Detected Determined Diagnosed Evaluated Experimented Explored Extracted Formulated Gathered Identified Inspected Interpreted Interviewed Invented Investigated Located Measured Organized Researched Reviewed Searched Solved Summarized Surveyed Systematized Tested

Adapted Applied Assembled Built Calculated Computed Conserved Constructed Converted Designed Determined Developed Engineered Fabricated Installed Maintained Operated Overhauled Printed Programmed Regulated Remodeled Repaired Replaced Restored Solved Specialized Standardized Studied Upgraded

The Best Verbs to Use for Resumes and Leadership Essays

When it comes to creating impressive resumes and impactful leadership essays, the words you choose can make all the difference. Using strong and persuasive verbs not only showcases your skills and accomplishments but also highlights your potential as a candidate.

In this article, we will explore the best verbs to use in different sections of your resume and how they can enhance your leadership essays. Whether you are preparing for college applications or seeking professional growth, these powerful verbs will help you stand out from the crowd.

Accomplishment:

Leadership:.

• Coordinated
• Established
• Founded 
• Prioritized
• Recommended
• Streamlined
• Strategized

Communication:

• Collaborated
• Communicated
• Incorporated
• Interpreted
• Experimented
• Interviewed
• Investigated
• Constructed
• Individualized
• Conceptualized
• Entertained
• Transformed
• Photographed
• Shaped 
• Cared for 

Organization:

• Categorized
• Distributed
• Standardized

Now that you have an extensive list of impactful verbs at your disposal, it’s time to incorporate them into your resumes and leadership essays. Remember, the key is to choose verbs that accurately represent your experiences and demonstrate your potential.

By implementing these powerful words, you can make your application shine and capture the attention of admissions officers .

Related Posts

How to Proofread Your College Application Essay Like a Pro: 7 Tips

How to get the most out of your college visits.

How to Find the Best College for You: A Comprehensive Guide

Trending now.