It warms the cockles of my aortic pump (heart) to see you literary enthusiasts return from whence you came for more content that will not only educate but that you can utilize in your day-to-day life.
Today, we shall be poking our noses into how you can utilize verbs to your best capacity, strengthen your verb game, and craft speeches and conversations that will leave your acquaintances reeling in pleasure and even in befuddlement!
The difference between strong and weak verbs
- Strong verbs pump up your writing.
- They add zest, and, as Jeremy Clarkson would put it- POWERRR!! Imagine your sentence is a scrawny person who wishes to boost his popularity by hitting the gym. Then, strong verbs are the steroids that will help. Just ask your gym trainer.
- They can aid in making your advertisement and hook lines catchy and attention-grabbing.
- When you pull out ye ol’ trusty thesaurus, you end up shaping your unique voice via emboldened word choices.
- The writing resonates with your readers much better. It will set hearts racing and leave them drooling for more.
For example, instead of opting for a simple sentence such as ‘I read a book’, add some flavor and ‘pizzazz’ like so:
‘I devoured the pages, savored its binding, letting the words dance off the pages and saunter onto my tongue, relishing each tantalizing syllable as it slid down my throat. The other books beckoned, and I smacked my lips for more… Such a dizzying pleasurable sensation!’
Types of strong verbs
Onomatopoeic verbs that describe sound
Crack, snap, sizzle, cackle, bubble, grumble, grunt, growl, gnaw, plonk, thud, strum, gobble, slurp, munch, crunch, trumpet, tip tap, pop, croak, bang, guzzle, plop, roar, rumble, thunder, thump, swoop, smash, gnash, gag, splash, meow, woof, chirrup, slosh, thrash, thwack, whack, grind, slurp, burp, snort, chortle, crumple, clatter.
Sensory verbs that leave readers with ‘all the feels’
Pulsate, mystify, slump, thrill, chill, vex, frustrate, invalidate, exaggerate, exasperate, befuddle, drench, soak, intertwine, tantalize, mesmerize, radiate, regurgitate, vibrate, arouse, fantasize, mesmerize, engorge, idolize, thirst over, quench thirst, bedazzle, bewitch, repulse, etherealize, radiate.
Strong action verbs
Guzzle, gag, sashay, lurch, pump up, waltz, twaddle, twiddle, fidget, bamboozle, bewitch, sexualise, objectify, glorify, wallop, characterize, generalize, utilize, alienate, slither, saunter, trudge along, fly into rage, flipflop, cannibalise, twist and turn (in bed), hike up, shuffle off, meander, scurry off, spring, sprint, leap, pounce, break into sweat, tiptoe, gush blood, jumpstart, hijack, decimate, warrant, repent, resolve, jettison, glare/shoot lasers, enunciate, obliterate, pierce, prick up ears, terrify, horrify, leave (in pieces, in peals of laughter), energise, knock (it out of the park/shoes off), shackle, unbuckle, boost, blow (minds/brains), throttle, segregate, comply, weather through a rough situation, weasel out of a tough situation, lecture, booze up, barrel down the street, flourish, amplify, grimace, smother, dishearten, electrify, encapsulate, encircle, elongate, embellish, embolden, trip up, fornicate, flog away, club, worsen, palpitate, repulse, propagate, rejuvenate, procrastinate, recreate, waggle,wiggle, brandish, banish, demonstrate, fixate, coaxe, demarcate, mutate, lactate, process, hydrate, estimate, lay prostate, medicate, amalgamate, mediate, procrastinate, recreate, rejuvenate,corroborate, unionize, bifurcate, crumble, propagate, marinate, immunise, vaccinate, bedeck,berate, garnish, saturate, bombard, truncate, copulate, gyrate, swivel, recuperate, resonate,digest, legitimise.
How to make sure your word choices are on fleek
- Keep a thesaurus handy.
- Strip your content of unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. Use mainly strong verbs where possible. This makes for some nuanced writing and wordplay. It also adds much more context.
- Review your draft and note down which verbs are sensory, auditory, onomatopoeic, etc.
Now that you are armed with a plethora of strong verbs to utilize as you see fit let your creativity burst forth, flood the cowlings and seep through your writing! The brain is but a bubbling cauldron, boiling over with all the perfect ingredients- ideas and words galore that can spice up your writing. Now, away you go! And don’t forget to share.
