What Are Action Words? - Definition & Examples

What Are Action Words? - Definition & Examples |  what are action words examples

What Are Action Words?

 You have heard these words from the mouths of movie directors, but what connection could this possibly have to English grammar? When there is call for action, we are calling for action words. Action words are verbs, as you might guess, which are words that describe actions

Action verbs, also called dynamic verbs, express an action whether it be physical or mental. An action verb explains what the subject of the sentence is doing or has done. Looking at action verb examples helps make it clear the function of action verbs in sentences and what purpose they serve.

Identifying Action Words  

Here are some simple action verbs and sample sentences found in the English language:

look – I like to look at magazines.

eat – You shouldn’t eat so quickly.

play – The dog plays with its new toy

taste – This apple tastes good.

smell – The perfume smells nice.

hear – I can hear the children crying.

see – I want to see the beautiful sunset!

run – The dog runs quickly.

walk – Let us walk towards the beach.

Action Words in Action  

1. Act
2. Agree
3. Arrive
4. Ask
5. Bake
6. Bring
7. Build
8. Buy
9. Call
10. Climb
11. Close
12. Come
13. Cry
14. Dance
15. Dream
16. Drink
17. Eat
18. Enter
19. Exit
20. Fall
21. Fix
22. Give
23. Go
24. Grab
25. Help
26. Hit
27. Hop
28. Insult
29. Joke
30. Jump
31. Kick
32. Laugh
33. Leave
34. Lift
35. Listen
36. Make
37. March
38. Move
39. Nod
40. Open
41. Play
42. Push
43. Read
44. Ride
45. Run
46. Send
47. Shout
48. Sing
49. Sit
50. Smile
51. Spend
52. Stand
53. Talk
54. Think
55. Throw
56. Touch
57. Turn
58. Visit
59. Vote
60. Wait
61. Walk
62. Write
63. Yell
64. Approve
65. Applaud
66. Buy
67. Boast
68. Climb
69. Crawl
70. Deliver
71. Dedicates
72. Eat
73. Exit
74. Frown
75. Fight
76. Gather
77. Giggle
78. Hunt
79. Hurt
80. Imitate
81. Irritate
82. Jump
83. Joke
84. Knock
85. Knead
86. Listen
87. Linger
88. Moan
89. Mutter
90. Nuzzle
91. Nap
92. Open
93. Organize
94. Play
95. Pose
96. Quote
97. Quibble
98. Rant
99. Reverse
100. Scream
101. Sing
102. Tell
103. Tickle
104. Undertstand
105. Ululate
106. Vent
107. Voice
108. Walk
109. Wander
110. Yodle
111. Yank
112. Zip
113. Zoom

example of action words in a sentence |  20 action words with sentences

1. Anthony is throwing the football.
2. She accepted the job offer.
3. He thought about his stupid mistake in the test.
4. John visited his friend for a while and then went home.
5. The dog ran across the yard.
6. She left in a hurry.
7. She yelled when she hit her toe.
8. The cat sat by the window.
9. I'll play this song on my guitar.
10. He hit a home run at the last game.
11. In the summer, we will swim in our pool.
12. Will you help me with the laundry?
13. He rode his new bike around the block for hours.
14. The horse trotted along the trail.
15. We ate dinner then walked around the park.
16. Did you fix the mistake in your homework?
17. She waited for her friend at the mall.
18. She lay on the couch and slept there all night.
19. Close the door!
20. The bird sings a cheery song every morning.
21. The teacher reads a book to her students then asks them questions about the story.
22. The roof on the house leaks.
23. The lightning struck the tree.
24. They bought a new house.

100 action words in english | what are action words examples

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