verb

1 of 2

noun

ˈvərb 

plural verbs

: a word (such as jump, happen, or exist) that functions as the main word of the predicate of a sentence and expresses an act, occurrence, or state of being or that is used with another verb as an auxiliary see also linking verb, phrasal verb, pro-verb

Note: In various languages, verbs take different forms (or inflections) to convey different kinds of grammatical information (such as tense, voice, mood, and aspect) and to agree grammatically (as in number and person) with the subject of a sentence.

verbless

ˈvərb-ləs 

adjective

verb

2 of 2

verb

verbed; verbing

transitive verb

: to use (a word and especially a noun) as a verb : to make (a word) into a verb

A television announcer in Vero Beach, Fla., spoke of a promise "to upkeep the beach," thus verbing a word that had been in use as an honest noun since 1884.

—James Kilpatrick

But it is by no means unusual for a noun to be verbed.

—Theodore M. Bernstein

Did you know?

What is a verb?

Verbs are words that show an action (sing), occurrence (develop), or state of being (exist). Almost every sentence requires a verb. The basic form of a verb is known as its infinitive. The forms call, love, break, and go are all infinitives.

Almost all verbs have two other important forms called participles. Participles are forms that are used to create several verb tenses (forms that are used to show when an action happened); they can also be used as adjectives. The present participle always ends in -ing: calling, loving, breaking, going. (There is also a kind of noun, called a gerund, that is identical in form to the present participle form of a verb.) The past participle usually ends in -ed, but many past participles have irregular endings: called, loved, broken, gone.

The verb's past tense usually has the same -ed form as the past participle. For many verbs, however, the past tense is irregular. An irregular past tense is not always identical to an irregular past participle: called, loved, broke, went.

The two main kinds of verbs, transitive verbs and intransitive verbs, are discussed at the entries for transitive and intransitive.

Examples of verb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The verb lie, lie, lied, which means to tell an untruth, is an intransitive verb not requiring an object. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025

If their tenses, verbs, or pronunciation are off, don't jump to correct or criticize them. —Holly Garcia, Parents, 8 Apr. 2025

The app is jam-packed with other learning tools, too, like hands-free audio lessons, and quick grammar guides that explain how to conjugate verbs and use adjectives. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2025

The gameplay is deceptively simple: Review the scene of a crime and fill in blanks in the narrative with nouns and verbs discovered in dialogue or text within the environment. —The New York Times, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English verbe, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin verbum "word, verb" — more at word entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1928, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing verb

• action verb
• auxiliary verb
• helping verb
• linking verb
• modal auxiliary verb
• modal verb
• phrasal verb
• pro-verb
• verb sap

Rhymes for verb

• blurb
• curb
• erb
• herb
• kerb
• serb
• disturb
• perturb
• reverb
• superb

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

Kids Definition

verb

noun

ˈvərb 

: a word that is usually the grammatical center of a predicate and expresses an act, occurrence, or state of being and that in various languages is inflected (as for agreement with the subject or for tense)