If you are looking for a list of vivid verbs in the English language, take a look at the list below!
You need to be descriptive in your writing, which is why you should use strong words. Creative writing is all about how you frame your content, which is why it is helpful to use a thesaurus if you are looking for strong word choices. If you use weak verbs, you could lose your reader, and you might have difficulty holding their attention.
Instead of going with common verbs, look at the list of vivid verbs below, and use powerful verbs to make your writing more interactive. So what are some vivid verbs you should consider including in your writing?
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What Are Vivid Verbs?
Vivid verbs are words that show rather than tell. You can use them to paint a mental picture for your reader, showing the reader what is physically happening to your character. They may take the form of action verbs, and they allow you to create interest in your writing. For example, it can create a feeling of sadness, excitement, anger, or any other emotion you want your reader to feel. Vivid verbs come in many shapes and forms, which is why it is helpful to look at a list.
| ambled | bellowed | hurried |
| hiked | cackled | jogged |
| lumbered | chortled | raced |
| marched | chuckled | rushed |
| meandered | crowed | scampered |
| paradered | giggled | sprinted |
| sauntered | guffawed | trotted |
| strolled | howled | fancied |
| travered | roared | favored |
| trudged | snickered | enjoyed |
| barrelled | admired | preferred |
| bolted | adored | relished |
| galloped | cherished | treasured |
| worshipped | admired | tittered |
Walked Vivid Verbs
If you are looking for a different word to use other than “walked,” there are several examples from which to choose. Walking comes in many shapes and forms, depending on how your character goes through it. Here are some of the words you might want to choose to include:
1. Ambled: John ambled down the street on a sunny day.
2. Hiked: Graham hiked to the top of the mountain in the middle of a snowstorm.
3. Lumbered: He lumbered around town, sending vibrations everywhere he went.
4. Marched: The military unit marched down the main street with their supreme leader saluting them from start to finish.
5. Meandered: The couple meandered down Main Street, looking at all the exciting displays in the shops and restaurants.
6. Paraded: They paraded around town with an unnecessary and excessive arrogance that annoyed everyone around them.
7. Sauntered: He sauntered into the classroom 20 minutes late, much to the teacher’s chagrin.
8. Strolled: They strolled around the park, looking at all the people lying on the grass and enjoying the sunshine.
9. Traverse: They knew they had to traverse the ravine to get to where they wanted to go and tried to do it as quickly as possible.
10. Trudged: They trudged through the mud, struggling to make it back in the truck, which had slid down the hill even with the emergency brake.
Ran Vivid Verbs
Many characters have to run from place to place, but running can look very different in different situations. For example, is your character out for a run as a form of exercise? Or is your character running from something trying to kill them? Choosing a word other than “run” can be helpful, and some of the words that you might want to consider include:
11. Barreled: He barreled into the store like a bull in a china shop, destroying everything in sight.
12. Bolted: The cat bolted out from under the chair and hid under the desk, hiding from the unfamiliar person who had just walked into the room.
13. Darted: The dog darted from place to place, trying to catch the squirrel, which always seemed to stay one step ahead.
14. Galloped: He galloped across the track with speed unparalleled by anyone else in his heat.
15. Hurried: She hurried up the stairs and tried to grab the elevator, but the doors closed just before she could get inside.
16. Jogged: He jogged down the street, trying to hold the paste he would hold for his marathon the next day.
17. Raced: They raced from store to store, trying to find the perfect birthday present, but could not seem to find anything that was entirely right.
18. Scampered: The children scampered outside for recess, racing to see who could get the swingset first.
19. Sprinted: As soon as the gun went off, they sprinted down the track, trying to break the school record.
20. Trotted: They trotted across the parking lot, dodging the raindrops as they went.
Laughed Vivid Verbs
Comedy is a very common form of writing, but instead of simply describing your character as laughing, you might be looking for something different. For example, is a word more descriptive to describe a character who laughs? Some of the options you may want to consider include:
21. Bellowed: The joke was so funny that the audience bellowed across the room, echoing in the auditorium.
22. Cackled: The Wicked Witch of the West immediately cackled at the mere thought of what would happen to them next.
23. Chortled: As he thought about what would happen next, he chortled with an arrogant belly laugh, immediately sending chills up the spine of everyone in the room.
24. Chuckled: He chuckled after the story, knowing that everyone in the room would be able to relate to it.
25. Crowed: Immediately after sharing the story, everyone crowed with laughter.
26. Giggled: She immediately giggled at the thought of going out with her best friend, envisioning what happened in her mind.
27. Guffawed: The man guffawed with excitement, showcasing precisely what his sense of humor was like to everyone.
28. Howled: The mere thought of what happened next was so funny that he howled with excitement.
29. Roared: The comedian put on such an impressive set that the audience roared so loud people could hear them from miles away.
30. Snickered: As the plan went into motion, he snickered, knowing that he had manipulated everyone perfectly.
31. Tittered: After the last statement, he could hear the audience tittering because of what he’d said, but he decided to keep going anyway.
Liked Vivid Verbs
The word “liked” is overused in a lot of writing, and if you want to make a positive impression on your reader, you should try to pick something more descriptive. Does your reader like something? Or does your reader love something? There might be a different word you’d prefer, with some of the most common examples being:
32. Admired: She admired what he was able to accomplish, particularly given the tight schedule they were trying to keep.
33. Adored: He adored his big brother, trying to be like him in everything he did.
34. Appreciated: He appreciated everything his mom did for him, even if he clashed with her from time to time.
35. Cherished: She cherished the thought of spending every minute with him and wanted to do everything she could to get back to him.
36. Enjoyed: He enjoyed spending every minute with his family, but he knew it was time to return to his hometown.
37. Walked: When he walked into the ice cream shop, he knew that he fancied the cookies and cream, but he decided to go with bubble gum instead.
38. Favored: The teacher always favored him, perhaps because of his hardworking nature, not because of his innate talent.
39. Idolized: He idolized his father and missed him dearly, particularly after the funeral service.
40. Relished: She relished the upcoming vacation, but she knew she had a lot to do first.
41. Treasured: He treasured that teddy bear but knew it was time to grow up, so he decided to part ways with it.
42. Worshipped: Even though he worshipped that car and all the memories he had made in it, he knew it was on its last legs.
Every good story has a hero and a villain. Our guide to the protagonist vs. antagonist explains what every storyteller must know.
