Word
verb
US/ˈvɝb/
UK/vˈɜːb/
Definitions
01grammar
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Religion Academic
n. a word that describes an action (like 'run'), an event (like 'happen'), or a state (like 'be').
n. a member of the syntactic class that typically functions as the main part of the predicate in a sentence.
Español:verbo
“In the sentence 'The cat sleeps on the sofa', the word 'sleeps' is the verb.”
“The student struggled to identify the auxiliary verb in the complex sentence, confusing it with the main participle.”
Usage
In English, verbs must agree with their subjects in person and number.
Synonyms
02programming
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. a command or name for a specific action that a computer program performs on an object.
n. a named operation or method that performs a specific task on a data object within a software system.
“The programmer added a new verb to the system to allow users to delete files.”
“The API documentation specifies which verbs are supported for each resource type, such as GET, POST, or DELETE.”
Usage
Often used in the context of RESTful APIs or object-oriented programming.
03to use a noun as a verb
C2 · Proficiency Linguistics Informal · Technical
v. to take a word that is usually a noun and use it as a verb.
v. to convert a non-verb lexical item, typically a noun, into a verb through functional shift or anthimeria.
“People often verb nouns like 'friend' or 'google' in modern conversation.”
“Linguistic purists often complain when speakers verb nouns, yet the process has been a fundamental driver of English lexical evolution for centuries.”
Teaching tip
This is often called 'verbing' in casual discussion; it is very common in business and tech jargon.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“What verb describes the act of creating a new verb from another part of speech? Verbify, of course — or, simply, verb.” “Mothers and fathers used to bring up children: now they parent. Critics used to review plays: now they critique them. Athletes podium, executives flipchart, and almost everybody Googles. Watch out—you’ve been verbed.” “Businesses feared that if their product name became a verb, then it would lose its individual identity.” Etymology
From Middle English verbe, directly from Latin verbum (“word, verb”), reinforced by Old French verbe, from Proto-Indo-European *werdʰo-. Doublet of verve and word.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/verb
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0