Generate random English verbs instantly — filter by verb type, difficulty, and first or last letter. The only verb generator with action, linking, auxiliary, and modal filters built in.
Every word generator you need, all free
This tool spits out random verbs from a curated dataset of English vocabulary. One difference between the Wordineer version and other websites is that it shows the definition of the verb it generates, helping users save time by avoiding the need to open another browser to check the meaning.
The interface also includes filters for verb types, difficulty, and verbs that start or end with specific letters to narrow results and save time.
One reason for writer's block is that you ran out of verbs to use. Most people default to overused verbs like walk, go, get, or look, which makes the storytelling bland.
Using more precise verbs adds a bit of life. This is where the Random Verb Generator helps break that mental block. Set the filters for your specific needs, then press the spacebar or click the generate button to see which verbs appear.
These results can unearth alternatives you might overlook. One unexpected verb can help you out of a writing quagmire after hours of struggle with the same sentence.
For dialogue in particular, limit your results to the action verbs, and you'll find a host of great alternatives to "said" (whispered, commanded, ventured, conceded, etc.). Use these verbs sparingly and with intention, and they can reveal so much about a character.
Toggle 'definitions' on and set the difficulty to 'Medium' or 'Hard'. Then go through the list verb by verb. Read the definition of each verb before you move on to the next one. You can 'save' any verbs you want to go back to by clicking on the heart icon next to them. Then you can 'copy' the saved list when you're ready to study. The filter-by-type feature is also great for grammar practice. For example, you can generate only the auxiliary verbs to practice the perfect tense (e.g., "have written" or "had been running"), or only the modal verbs to practice probability and obligation (e.g., "might" vs. "should" vs. "must").
Create a list of verbs in seconds. Sort by difficulty (e.g., easy for younger or beginner learners, hard for more advanced or university-level learners). Sort by verb type to instantly create grammar exercises (e.g., a list of 10 linking verbs. Ask students to complete corresponding predicate adjective sentences. A list of 10 action verbs. Ask students to write the same sentence in 3 different tenses). Every verb includes a definition, so vocabulary is already embedded in the verb list.
Strong calls to action, product descriptions, and headlines run on verbs. When writing a landing page or email subject line, it's easy to reach for the same short list of defaults — get, try, start, use, discover. Try to generate a list of 20 action verbs to get more precise alternatives to generic verbs. So instead of using "get better results," changing get to "amplify" or "accelerate" can improve conversion rates in your sales copy. Select two or three alternatives to match your product's benefit to sharpen your copy.
Some action verb samples include run, illuminate, negotiate, devour, contemplate, fracture, whisper, forge, galvanize, and vindicate. In general, all verbs of action are either transitive (they have a direct object after the verb, i.e., "she devoured the manuscript") or intransitive (i.e., "he ran"); but whatever their form, the key point about action verbs is that they describe doing something. Using the Action filter on a given sentence can help it move forward and increase its sense of action; if a scene is static and the characters are just sitting there, applying the Action filter to them can help bring them to life. And the same applies to interior scenes: even very abstract processes such as the character's contemplation, his inferences, his dreads, are action verbs and so increase the energy of a scene in which the character is alone with his thoughts.
Linking verbs connect a subject to a description — a predicate adjective or predicate nominative — rather than describing an action. The most common linking verb is "to be" in all its forms: is, are, was, were, been, being. But the category also includes seem, appear, become, feel, look, smell, taste, sound, remain, grow, stay, prove, turn, fall. They are essential in descriptive writing and academic prose. Use the Linking filter when you want to slow the reader down and describe a state rather than propel an action — "the city seemed abandoned", "she remained unconvinced", "the argument grew more heated". Linking verbs are also invaluable for sentence rhythm: a sequence of action verbs creates pace; dropping in a linking verb creates pause.
Auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) are used with the main verb to form the correct tense, mood, or passive form of a sentence. The main auxiliary verbs used in English are be, have, and do. Here are some examples of their use in sentences: 'She has written the report' (present perfect); 'They were running' (past continuous); 'The letter was sent' (passive); 'Do you understand?' (interrogative). Three of the most commonly used words in English are the auxiliary verbs (to do), which are used to form the main tenses and different voices in English. The Auxiliary filter can be used for tense-construction exercises and other ESL grammar exercises where students must use and practice specific verb patterns.
Modal verbs express possibility, necessity, ability, permission or obligation. The basic English modals are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will and would. Related to these are the semi-modals ought to, need to, have to and be able to. Note that modals do not change for the third person singular (he/she/it) as other main verbs do. Modals have no infinitive or participle forms. Typically, a modal is followed by the base form of the main verb. It is the primary means by which writers can express a character's degree of conviction, their level of authority or doubt. The Modal filter suits more advanced studies of English grammar and writers creating dialogue who need to express the full range of certainty and power characters can feel.
The tool gives you raw material. Here is how to get the most from it.
Create a list of fifteen action verbs. Test these against your current draft of your writing, specifically in the first two paragraphs of that piece. Identify all instances of walk, look, go, get, and make in those two paragraphs and replace them with one of the verbs from your list.
Mix easier words for accessibility and pace, and harder or more advanced words for precision and surprise. It's a matter of balance: too many very common words make writing flat, while too many very rare words make writing seem airless and self-conscious. Write with intention to register.
Use linking verbs to slow down a scene. Instead of "she ran, she grabbed, she threw" create pause in your scene with "she seemed older than she was" or "the room remained silent" to create pause in your scene. Use linking verbs to control the tempo of your scenes.
Save your five favorites from each session by clicking the heart icon. Copy and paste the saved list into a running vocabulary document. After ten sessions, you will have developed a personal verb bank of fifty words that will help spark your writing!
Keep track of your favorite five from each session by clicking the heart button above them. Copy and paste these into a running document for future reference. By the end of the ten sessions, you will have a list of fifty words that will become your personal verb bank and trigger your best writing.