# verb

/ˈvɝb/ (US) · /vˈɜːb/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/verb
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. grammar

noun · CEFR A2 · Academic

a word that describes an action (like 'run'), an event (like 'happen'), or a state (like 'be').

For teachers: a member of the syntactic class that typically functions as the main part of the predicate in a sentence.

- 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.

### 2. programming

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a command or name for a specific action that a computer program performs on an object.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to use a noun as a verb

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · Technical

to take a word that is usually a noun and use it as a verb.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- In the sentence 'She runs', the word 'runs' is a verb.
- When you learn a new language, you often have to memorise how verbs change depending on the subject and the tense.
- In English grammar, a transitive verb requires a direct object to complete its meaning, whereas an intransitive one can stand alone within the predicate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.