There are thousands of English verbs.
But what are some of the most used ones? Which should you make sure you know?
Here are 100 English verbs worth knowing.
100 Essential English Verbs
1. Be
- Meaning: To exist or have a specific quality
- Example: She is beautiful.
2. Have
- Meaning: To possess or own something
- Example: I have a car.
3. Do
- Meaning: To work at or perform an activity or a task
- Example: He does his homework every evening.
4. Say
- Meaning: To speak or tell somebody something, using words
- Example: A legendary football coach once said, ‘Winning is everything.’
5. Get
- Meaning: To acquire or receive something
- Example: I got a call from one of my best friends this morning.
6. Make
- Meaning: to create or produce
- Example: She likes to make jewellery.
7. Go
- Meaning: to move from one place to another
- Example: They go to school by bus.
8. Know
- Meaning: to possess knowledge or be aware of something
- Example: I know how to swim.
9. Take
- Meaning: to carry or move something from one place to another
- Example: Remember to take your coat when you leave.
10. See
- Meaning: to become aware of somebody/something by using your eyes
- Example: I can see the mountains from here.
11. Come
- Meaning: to move or arrive at a specific location
- Example: When will you come over?
12. Think
- Meaning: to have thoughts or opinions
- Example: I think it's a great idea!
13. Look
- Meaning: to turn your eyes in a particular direction
- Example: Look at the beautiful sunset!
14. Want
- Meaning: to have a desire or a wish for something/somebody
- Example: She wants a new phone.
15. Give
- Meaning: to offer or present something to someone
- Example: He will give you a gift.
16. Use
- Meaning: to do something with a machine, a method, an object, etc. for a particular purpose
- Example: Can I use your computer to send a couple of emails?
17. Find
- Meaning: to become aware of somebody/something by using your eyes
- Example: We've found a great new restaurant near the office.
18. Tell
- Meaning: to communicate information or a story
- Example: Please tell me a joke.
19. Ask
- Meaning: to pose a question or request information
- Example: I need to ask him a question.
20. Work
- Meaning: to do something that involves physical or mental effort, especially as part of a job
- Example: She works at a hospital.
21. Seem
- Meaning: to give the impression of being or doing something
- Example: It seems like a nice day.
22. Feel
- Meaning: to experience a sensation or emotion
- Example: I feel happy today.
23. Try
- Meaning: to attempt or make an effort
- Example: I will try my best to pass the test.
24. Leave
- Meaning: to depart or go away from a place
- Example: Don't leave without me!
25. Call
- Meaning: to make a phone or vocal communication
- Example: I'll call you later.
26. Need
- Meaning: to require something/somebody because they are essential or very important, not just because you would like to have them.
- Example: We need food and water.
27. Sleep
- Meaning: to rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body not active
- Example: I couldn’t sleep last night.
28. Became
- Meaning: to come into existence or change state
- Example: She became a lawyer last year.
29. Jump
- Meaning: to move quickly off the ground or away from a surface by pushing yourself with your legs and feet
- Example: She jumped into the water to save them.
30. Hold
- Meaning: to have somebody/something in your hand
- Example: He holds the baby gently.
31. Show
- Meaning: to display or demonstrate something
- Example: Can you show me how it's done?
32. Move
- Meaning: to change position or location
- Example: Let's move the table over there.
33. Live
- Meaning: to have your home in a particular place
- Example: They live in a big house.
34. Believe
- Meaning: to feel certain that something is true or that somebody is telling you the truth
- Example: I believe what you’re saying
35. Bring
- Meaning: to come to a place with somebody/something
- Example: Please bring the book with you.
36. Happen
- Meaning: to occur or take place
- Example: What happened last night?
37. Write
- Meaning: to put words on paper or a screen
- Example: She likes to write poems.
38. Provide
- Meaning: to give or supply something
- Example: They will provide food for the event.
39. Sit
- Meaning: to be in a seated position
- Example: Please sit down.
40. Stand
- Meaning: to be in an upright position on your feet
- Example: He likes to stand at the window.
41. Begin
- Meaning: to start doing something
- Example: Let's begin the meeting.
42. Eat
- Meaning: to put food in your mouth, bite it and swallow it
- Example: I eat a lot of vegetables
43. Talk
- Meaning: to communicate verbally with someone
- Example: They like to talk about politics.
44. Turn
- Meaning: to change the direction or position of something
- Example: Turn the key to start the engine.
45. Let
- Meaning: to allow or permit something to happen
- Example: Please let me help you.
46. Meet
- Meaning: to come into contact or acquaintance with someone
- Example: I will meet you at the café.
47. Play
- Meaning: to engage in an activity for enjoyment
- Example: Children love to play games.
48. Run
- Meaning: to move rapidly on foot
- Example: He can run very fast.
49. Drink
- Meaning: to take liquid into your mouth and then down your throat into your stomach
- Example: You should drink more water.
50. Like
- Meaning: to have a preference for or enjoy something
- Example: I like chocolate ice cream.
51. Help
- Meaning: to assist or give support to someone
- Example: Can you help me with this task?
52. Learn
- Meaning: to acquire knowledge or skills
- Example: She wants to learn English.
53. Change
- Meaning: to make or become different
- Example: The weather can change quickly.
54. Follow
- Meaning: to go or come after someone or something
- Example: He followed her into the house.
55. Stop
- Meaning: to no longer continue to do something
- Example: I stopped smoking years ago.
56. Type
- Meaning: to write something using a computer keyboard
- Example: I typed my name and password.
57. Catch
- Meaning: to stop and hold a moving object or person, especially in your hands
- Example: She managed to catch the keys as they fell.
58. Buy
- Meaning: to acquire something in exchange for money
- Example: I need to buy groceries for dinner tonight.
59. Fall
- Meaning: to descend from a higher position to a lower one
- Example: The leaves fall from the trees in the autumn.
60. Die
- Meaning: to stop living or exist
- Example: Unfortunately, her pet fish died last night.
61. Offer
- Meaning: to say that you are willing to give something to somebody
- Example: He offered his help when he saw she was struggling with her luggage.
62. Love
- Meaning: to have very strong feelings of liking and caring for somebody
- Example: They’ve loved each other for many years.
63. Grow
- Meaning: to increase in size, number, strength or quality
- Example: The business has grown exponentially over the past ten years.
64. Spend
- Meaning: to use time for a particular purpose
- Example: She likes to spend her weekends shopping for clothes.
65. Reach
- Meaning: to arrive at or attain a particular place, condition, or goal
- Example: After a long journey, they finally reached their destination.
66. Send
- Meaning: to make something go or be taken to a place, especially by post, email, radio, etc.
- Example: I will send you an email with the information you need.
67. Kill
- Meaning: to make somebody/something die
- Example: Both members of the crew were killed instantly when the missile hit their aircraft.
68. Stay
- Meaning: to remain in a place or situation for a period of time
- Example: We decided to stay at the beach for the entire weekend.
69. Remain
- Meaning: to continue to exist or stay in a particular state
- Example: Despite the challenges, he remained optimistic about the future.
70. Add
- Meaning: to put something with something else
- Example: Please add sugar to the coffee to make it sweeter.
71. Build
- Meaning: to construct or create something by assembling materials or parts
- Example: The architect plans to build a modern skyscraper in the city.
72. Cut
- Meaning: to make an incision or divide something with a sharp tool
- Example: She used a knife to cut the vegetables for the salad.
73. Wait
- Meaning: to stay in one place until a particular time or event occurs
- Example: We'll have to wait for the bus to arrive.
74. Appear
- Meaning: to become visible or come into sight
- Example: The stars appear in the sky after the sun sets.
75. Remember
- Meaning: to have a memory of something in the past
- Example: I always remember my childhood vacations with fondness.
76. Win
- Meaning: to achieve victory in a competition or game
- Example: Our team worked hard and managed to win the championship.
77. Serve
- Meaning: to provide a service or assistance to others
- Example: She decided to serve her community by volunteering at the local shelter.
78. Walk
- Meaning: to move on foot by taking steps
- Example: I like to walk in the park to enjoy the fresh air.
79. Consider
- Meaning: to think about something carefully before making a decision
- Example: I will consider your proposal and get back to you with my decision.
80. Choose
- Meaning: to select one option or course of action from multiple possibilities
- Example: She had to choose between two job offers, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
81. Pay
- Meaning: to give somebody money for work, products, services, etc.
- Example: My boyfriend always pays for me when we eat out.
82. Cost
- Meaning: if something costs a particular amount of money, you need to pay that amount in order to buy, make or do it
- Example: The new smartphone costs more than the older model.
83. Drive
- Meaning: to operate a vehicle and control its movement
- Example: I will drive my dad’s car once I get a driver’s licence.
84. Ring
- Meaning: to produce a sound, usually a bell or phone, to get someone's attention
- Example: When the doorbell rings, please answer it.
85. Ask
- Meaning: to pose a question or request information
- Example: I will ask the teacher for clarification on this topic.
86. Answer
- Meaning: to respond to a question or statement with information or a reply
- Example: He didn't know how to answer the difficult question on the test.
87. Fly
- Meaning: to move through the air with the help of wings
- Example: Birds can fly, but humans need aeroplanes to fly.
88. Forgive
- Meaning: to stop feeling angry with somebody who has done something to harm, annoy or upset you; to stop feeling angry with yourself
- Example: It's important to forgive people who harmed us.
89. Listen
- Meaning: to pay attention to sounds or spoken words
- Example: Please listen carefully to the instructions before starting the experiment.
90. Hear
- Meaning: to perceive sounds through the ears
- Example: I can hear the music playing from the next room.
91. Lend
- Meaning: to give something to someone temporarily, expecting it to be returned
- Example: Can you lend me your pen for a moment?
92. Borrow
- Meaning: to take something temporarily with the intention of returning it
- Example: I need to borrow your car for the weekend.
93. Mean (Of A Word)
- Meaning: to have something as a meaning in the same or another language
- Example: The word ‘Kuching’ means ‘cat’ in Malay.
94. Can
- Meaning: to have the ability to do something
- Example: I can swim, so I'm not afraid of the pool.
95. Could
- Meaning: the past tense of “can,” indicating past ability or possibility or used to ask if you can do something
- Example: Could I see your passport please?
96. Would
- Meaning: used to indicate a future action or condition in a polite or hypothetical context
- Example: If I had more time, I would visit the museum.
97. Should
- Meaning: used to express an obligation, recommendation, or expectation
- Example: You should wear a coat. It's cold outside.
98. Must
- Meaning: used to indicate a strong necessity or obligation
- Example: I must finish this report by the end of the day.
99. Understand
- Meaning: to comprehend or grasp the meaning of something
- Example: It took a while, but eventually, I came to understand the complex concept.
100. Wear
- Meaning: to have clothing or accessories on one's body
- Example: I like to wear comfortable clothes when I'm at home.
English Verbs
I hope you’ll find this list of English verbs helpful!
Many of these English verbs have more than one meaning (the verb “get” has 27!) What a verb means depends on what context the verb is used in.
So if you want to learn and remember English verbs, I highly recommend learning them in context. Here’s the good news: a story gives you that context!
So don’t just study long lists of vocabulary. Instead, make sure you read and listen to engaging short stories in English and use a dictionary to discover new meanings.
Make learning more fun and efficient for yourself!
Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearning® Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.
