Weak Verbs: 100+ Examples and How to Fix Them

TL;DR: A weak verb is a vague verb, like walk, look, get, or was, that names an action without showing how it happened. Weak verbs usually lean on adverbs or extra words to make sense. Strong verbs are specific (stride, glare, snatch) and paint the picture on their own. To fix weak verbs, search your draft for the usual suspects, then replace the verb and its crutch together.

You finish a chapter, read it back, and something feels off. The plot works. The facts check out. But the sentences sit on the page like they're waiting for a bus, and you can't put your finger on why.

Very often, the problem is your verbs.

Weak verbs are the quiet reason so much writing feels flat. They name an action without letting the reader see it, so you end up propping them up with adverbs, adjectives, and extra clauses. Here's the encouraging part: they're also one of the fastest things to fix in revision, once you know what to look for.

This guide covers what a weak verb is (in both the craft sense and the grammar sense), a weak verbs list with 101 examples and better options for each, before-and-after weak verb examples, and a 5-step audit you can run on your manuscript this week.

What is a weak verb?

A weak verb is a vague verb, like walk, look, get, or was, that names an action without showing how it happened.

Take the sentence "She walked across the room." It's grammatically fine. But did she stroll? Stomp? Limp? Tiptoe? The reader has to guess, and most readers won't bother. They'll keep going with a blurry picture in their head.

That's the real cost of weak verbs. They hand the reader a placeholder instead of an image. And because the verb isn't pulling its weight, authors tend to patch it with an adverb ("walked angrily") or a whole extra clause, which makes the sentence longer and, somehow, even flatter.

Weak verbs show up in nearly every first draft we see from authors, including people who've published before. That's normal. Drafting is about getting the story or the idea down. Choosing the exact verb is what revision is for.

Weak verbs in grammar mean something different

If you've searched this term before, you've probably run into a second definition. In grammar, a weak verb is a regular verb: one that forms its past tense by adding -ed, -d, or -t. Walk becomes walked. Keep becomes kept.

A strong verb, in the grammar sense, changes its vowel instead. Sing becomes sang. Drive becomes drove. It's a holdover from Old English and the other Germanic languages, which is why German students learn about strong, weak, and mixed verbs too.

Here's a detail most grammar guides skip. Think and thought, or bring and brought, look irregular, but they're technically weak verbs because they still end in -t. And nearly every new verb English picks up joins the weak side. When "google" became a verb, it became "googled," not some vowel-shifted cousin.

None of this has anything to do with how good a verb is in a sentence. "Sprinted" is grammatically weak, but it's a strong verb on the page. "Ran" is grammatically strong, but it's often a weak choice in a chase scene. For the rest of this guide, we're using the craft meaning, since that's the one that changes how your book reads.

Strong and weak verbs: what’s the difference?

Weak verbs are general and need help from other words. Strong verbs are specific, carry their own image, and replace a verb plus an adverb.

The clearest way to see the difference between strong and weak verbs is side by side.

Trait	Weak verbs	Strong verbs
Specificity	Name a general action (walk, look, get)	Name an exact action (trudge, glare, snatch)
Adverbs	Often need one to make sense	Rarely need one
Sentence length	Inflate sentences with extra words	Tighten sentences
Show vs. tell	Tend to tell	Tend to show
Reader's picture	Blurry	Sharp
Example	"He looked at her angrily."	"He glared at her."

One thing worth saying clearly: strong doesn't mean fancy. "Gripped" is a strong verb. "Commandeered" might be, or it might be you showing off. A strong verb is the most precise word for the moment, and a lot of the time that's a short, plain one.

Strong verbs are also one of the fastest ways to sharpen your imagery, because each one drops a small, concrete picture into the reader's head. If you want the replacement side of the equation, our strong verbs list with 340+ examples by category pairs well with this guide.

The 6 types of weak verbs (and how to spot them)

Most weak verbs fall into 6 groups: to-be verbs, all-purpose verbs, adverb-dependent verbs, filter verbs, smothered verbs, and helper phrases like began to.

Knowing the type matters, because each one has a slightly different fix.

1. To-be verbs

Is, am, are, was, were, be, been, and being. They link a subject to a description, which is useful, but they don't actually do anything. Watch for "there was" and "there were" in particular.

"There was a dog barking in the yard" becomes "A dog barked in the yard." Same meaning, fewer words, and now the dog is doing something. To-be verbs also power the passive voice: "The letter was written by Maria" is weaker than "Maria wrote the letter."

2. All-purpose verbs

Get, go, make, do, have, put, take, and give. These can mean almost anything, which is exactly the problem. "She got the keys" could mean she grabbed them, found them, stole them, or someone handed them over. Each of those tells a different story, so pick the one that's true.

3. Verbs that need an adverb

If a verb needs an -ly word to make sense, the verb is usually the weak link. "Ran quickly" is sprinted. "Ate hungrily" is devoured. "Said quietly" is whispered.

"The road to hell is paved with adverbs." Stephen King, On Writing

King wasn't exaggerating as much as you'd think. Data journalist Ben Blatt counted -ly adverbs across classic and bestselling novels for his 2017 book Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve. Authors known for lean prose landed at the low end.

Author	-ly adverbs per 10,000 words
Ernest Hemingway	80
Mark Twain	81
John Steinbeck	93
Stephen King	105
J.K. Rowling	140
E L James	155

Notice that nobody on that list hits zero. Hemingway still used adverbs. He made his verbs carry most of the load, so the adverbs he kept actually meant something.

4. Filter verbs

Saw, heard, felt, noticed, realized, thought, wondered, watched, and seemed. These put a layer of the character's perception between the reader and the action, which keeps us one step back from the scene.

"She heard the door creak open" reports. "The door creaked open" puts us in the room. Cutting filter verbs is one of the quickest wins if you're working on show, don't tell.

5. Smothered verbs

This is the big one for nonfiction authors. A smothered verb (grammarians call it a nominalization) is an action that's been turned into a noun and parked behind a weak verb.

"Made a decision" is decided. "Conducted an analysis" is analyzed. "Gave an explanation" is explained. Business books, memoirs, and how-to guides are full of these, and unburying them can trim 10 or 20 words off a page without losing a single idea.

6. Helper phrases

Began to, started to, tried to, seemed to, managed to, proceeded to, could see, and could hear. Unless the beginning of the action actually matters to the scene, cut the helper. "He started to run" is almost always "He ran," and "She could see the lighthouse" is usually "The lighthouse rose out of the fog."

Weak verbs list: 101 examples and what to use instead

This weak verbs list groups 101 common weak verbs by type, with stronger replacements for each. Pick the option that matches your scene's mood.

Use it as a revision tool, not a rulebook. Every word in the left column is fine in the right spot. The real question is whether it's the best word for this particular sentence. And always check the replacement against your scene: "strolled" and "stormed" are both stronger than "walked," but they tell completely different stories.

Movement

Weak verb	Stronger options
walk	stride, stroll, trudge, shuffle, march
run	sprint, dash, bolt, race, scramble
go	head, venture, travel, set off
come	arrive, approach, burst in, return
move	shift, edge, slide, inch
jump	leap, spring, vault, hop
fall	tumble, collapse, topple, plunge
sit	perch, slump, settle, sprawl
stand	rise, loom, tower, straighten
climb	scale, clamber, scramble up
leave	depart, storm out, slip away, abandon
turn	pivot, swivel, whirl, spin

Speaking and sound

Weak verb	Stronger options
said	whispered, snapped, muttered, insisted (but "said" is often the right call in dialogue tags)
asked	pressed, quizzed, demanded, probed
told	informed, warned, assured, confided
talked	chatted, rambled, lectured, gossiped
spoke	announced, declared, murmured, addressed
yelled	bellowed, roared, shrieked, barked
answered	replied, retorted, countered, shot back
called	summoned, hailed, beckoned
laughed	giggled, chuckled, cackled, snorted
cried	wept, sobbed, wailed, whimpered
agreed	conceded, relented, endorsed, nodded
argued	bickered, disputed, debated, clashed

Seeing and sensing

Weak verb	Stronger options
look	glance, peer, stare, scan, glare
see	spot, glimpse, witness, catch sight of
watch	observe, monitor, study, eye
hear	catch, overhear, make out
feel	sense, ache, bristle, tingle
touch	brush, graze, stroke, tap
smell	sniff, inhale, catch a whiff of
taste	savor, sample, sip
notice	detect, register, pick up on
show	reveal, display, expose, unveil

Hands, holding, and force

Weak verb	Stronger options
get	grab, fetch, earn, secure, receive
take	seize, snatch, pluck, claim
put	place, set, shove, tuck
give	hand, offer, toss, award
hold	grip, clutch, cradle, clasp
hit	strike, punch, slap, smack
throw	hurl, fling, lob, pitch
pull	tug, yank, drag, haul
push	shove, nudge, press, ram
open	pry open, fling open, unlock, unfold
close	shut, slam, seal, latch

Thinking and feeling

Weak verb	Stronger options
think	suspect, assume, figure, reckon
know	recognize, sense, grasp
realize	discover, catch on, piece together
wonder	question, puzzle over, doubt
decide	resolve, settle on, commit to
want	crave, long for, ache for, covet
like	enjoy, relish, admire
love	adore, cherish, treasure
hate	despise, loathe, resent, detest
worry	fret, agonize, brood, dread
remember	recall, picture, revisit
understand	grasp, follow, comprehend, see through

All-purpose doing verbs

Weak verb	Stronger options
do	perform, complete, handle, tackle
make	build, craft, create, forge, cook
have	own, possess, carry
use	wield, apply, rely on
help	support, guide, coach, rescue
try	attempt, test, wrestle with
start	launch, kick off, spark
stop	halt, quit, freeze, cut off
change	shift, transform, revise, overhaul
keep	store, guard, save, hoard

Helper phrases to cut

Weak phrase	The fix
began to	Cut it: "began to cry" becomes "cried"
started to	Cut it: "started to run" becomes "ran"
tried to	Keep only if the attempt fails or matters
seemed to	Commit: "seemed to relax" becomes "relaxed"
managed to	Cut it unless the struggle is the point
decided to	Show the action: "decided to leave" becomes "left"
continued to	Use the verb alone or "kept + -ing" once
proceeded to	Cut it almost every time
could see	Describe what's seen: "The lighthouse rose out of the fog"
could hear	Describe the sound: "Thunder rumbled over the ridge"

To-be and linking verbs

Weak verb	The fix
is	Find the action hiding nearby: "The room is quiet" becomes "Silence fills the room"
am	Show the state: "I am tired" becomes "My eyelids drooped"
are	Lead with the doer: "There are 3 reasons" becomes "3 reasons explain this"
was	Swap "there was" for the real subject and verb
were	Flip passive voice: "were written by" becomes "wrote"
be	Replace "will be able to" with "can"
been	Trim "had been feeling" to "felt" when timing allows
being	Rewrite "being careful" as "tiptoed" or "double-checked"
seem	Commit to the observation or show the evidence
appear	Same as seem: show what makes it appear that way
become	Use the change itself: "became angry" becomes "flared"
exist	"Problems exist in the plan" becomes "The plan has 2 holes"

Nonfiction and business writing

In nonfiction, a stronger verb is often a shorter one. These phrasal and inflated verbs make expert writing sound like a memo.

Weak verb	Stronger options
utilize	use
facilitate	run, lead, guide
deal with	handle, fix, resolve
look into	investigate, research, audit
talk about	explain, argue, cover
go over	review, walk through, audit
find out	learn, discover, uncover
set up	build, launch, configure
come up with	invent, design, devise, draft
put together	assemble, compile, draft
get better	improve, sharpen, grow
make sure	confirm, verify, check

Adjectives work the same way, by the way. One precise word beats two vague ones, and our descriptive adjectives list is built for the same kind of revision pass.

Weak verb examples: before and after

Here are 10 weak verb examples from fiction and nonfiction, each rewritten with a stronger verb so you can see exactly what changes.

Before (weak)	After (strong)	What changed
John closed the door angrily.	John slammed the door.	One verb replaces a verb plus an adverb
She walked slowly into the kitchen.	She shuffled into the kitchen.	The pace and mood are built into the verb
There was a loud noise outside the cabin.	Something crashed outside the cabin.	"There was" becomes a real subject and action
He felt nervous as he looked at the crowd.	Sweat slicked his palms as he scanned the crowd.	A filter verb becomes a physical detail
Sarah ran as fast as she could and looked back at the trees.	Sarah sprinted through the brush, then glanced back at the treeline.	2 precise verbs replace a vague phrase
She began to cry.	Tears spilled down her cheeks.	The helper phrase is gone and the image is concrete
He worked really hard making dinner.	He toiled over dinner.	"Toiled" carries the effort that "really hard" was faking
In this chapter, we will talk about how to get more clients.	This chapter shows you how to win more clients.	A phrasal verb and an all-purpose verb both tighten
Our team made a decision to do an analysis of the data.	Our team analyzed the data.	2 smothered verbs collapse into 1 active verb
The CEO gave an explanation of the new policy.	The CEO explained the new policy.	The action comes out from behind the noun

Look at the "felt nervous" example for a second. The weak version tells you an emotion. The strong version gives you sweaty palms and lets you figure out the emotion yourself, which is more fun to read and more convincing. That's the whole game with weak verbs: stop announcing and start showing.

How to fix weak verbs in your manuscript (a 5-step audit)

Fix weak verbs during revision, not drafting. Search for the usual suspects, picture each action, then replace the verb and its crutch together.

Step 1: Pick one chapter

Don't try to audit the whole book in one sitting. That's how revisions stall out around chapter 4. Start with your opening chapter, since it does the most work convincing a reader to keep going.

Step 2: Search for the usual suspects

Use Find (Ctrl+F on Windows, Cmd+F on Mac) and run through these one at a time:

• was
• were
• there was
• there were
• began to
• started to
• felt
• saw
• heard
• looked
• got
• ly (with a space after)
• very
• really

You'll probably be surprised by a couple of these. Most authors have 1 or 2 pet weak verbs they lean on without noticing. If you'd rather have software do the first pass, the Hemingway Editor highlights adverbs and passive voice in color. It won't choose your replacement verb, but it shows you where to look.

Step 3: Ask the picture question

For every hit, ask: "Can my reader see exactly what's happening?" If the answer is yes, leave it alone. If the reader could imagine 3 different versions of the action, the verb is weak and worth replacing.

Step 4: Replace the verb and its crutch together

When you swap the verb, delete whatever was propping it up: the adverb, the "very," the helper phrase, or the extra clause. "Closed the door angrily" doesn't become "slammed the door angrily." It becomes "slammed the door." The new verb already did the work.

Step 5: Read it out loud and check for repeats

Strong verbs lose their punch when you repeat them. If "slammed" shows up 14 times in one chapter, readers will notice by the third. Reading aloud also catches overcorrection, those moments where a fancy verb sounds like it wandered in from a different book.

This kind of self-editing won't replace a professional copy edit, but it means your editor can spend their time on bigger issues instead of flagging the same weak verbs on every page.

When a weak verb is the right choice

Keep weak verbs when they're invisible on purpose: dialogue tags, definitions, quick transitions, and plain-spoken narrators. Not every sentence needs a spotlight.

The goal was never to delete every weak verb in your book. It's to make sure the important moments get the precise words. Here's when the plain verb wins:

• Dialogue tags. "Said" is practically invisible, which is the point. It lets the dialogue carry the scene. Swapping every "said" for "exclaimed" or "retorted" pulls attention away from what characters are actually saying. Our guide on how to write dialogue goes deeper on this.
• Definitions and explanations. Nonfiction runs on "is." "A royalty is the payment an author earns per book sold" is clear, and clear beats clever when you're teaching.
• Transitions and pacing. "She drove home" between 2 big scenes is fine. A run of quiet verbs gives your big moments room to land.
• Voice. A first-person narrator who talks plainly shouldn't suddenly start "traipsing" and "sauntering." Match your verbs to your writing tone.
• When the stronger verb changes the meaning. If characters are relaxing at a picnic, someone "waiting" by the car is fine. Someone "lurking" by the car changes the whole scene.

Common mistakes when replacing weak verbs

The biggest mistake is overcorrecting: thesaurus-heavy prose, repeated pet verbs, leftover adverbs, deleting every was, and editing verbs before the draft is done.

1. Reaching for the fanciest word. "Ambulated" isn't stronger than "walked." It's only longer. If a reader has to stop and decode a verb, it's working against you.
2. Repeating the same strong verb. Plenty of authors fix "pulled" by switching to "jerked," then run a search and find "jerked" 200 times. Spread the variety around.
3. Keeping the adverb after the swap. "She whispered quietly" says the same thing twice. Once the verb is strong, the adverb usually has nothing left to do.
4. Deleting every "was." "She was running when the phone rang" uses "was" correctly, because the ongoing action matters. Fix the lazy uses, not all of them.
5. Polishing verbs while you draft. Hunting for the perfect verb mid-chapter kills momentum. Finish the draft first. If you're still in that stage, our guide on how to write a book will keep you moving.

FAQ about weak verbs

What is a weak verb?

A weak verb is a vague verb that names an action without showing how it happened, like walk, look, get, or was. In grammar, the term also means a regular verb that adds -ed, -d, or -t in the past tense.

Can you give me 50 examples of weak verbs?

Here are 50 common weak verbs: walk, run, go, come, move, sit, stand, leave, turn, fall, say, ask, tell, talk, speak, yell, answer, laugh, cry, call, look, see, watch, hear, feel, notice, show, touch, smell, taste, get, take, put, give, hold, hit, pull, push, throw, open, think, know, realize, want, like, decide, do, make, have, and is. The full weak verbs list above pairs each one with stronger options.

What are 10 strong verbs?

Stride, sprint, glare, snatch, whisper, slam, crave, devour, shatter, and plunge. Each one carries a specific image on its own. For hundreds more, browse our strong verbs list.

Is "said" a weak verb?

Technically, yes, but it's usually the right choice in dialogue tags. "Said" disappears so readers can focus on the dialogue. Save stronger speech verbs for moments where how something is said really matters.

Is "was" a weak verb?

"Was" is a to-be verb, so it's often weak. Replace it when it hides a stronger action ("There was a crash" becomes "Something crashed") or creates passive voice. Keep it when it's describing an ongoing action or a simple state.

What's the difference between strong and weak verbs in grammar?

Grammatically weak verbs form the past tense with -ed, -d, or -t (walked, kept). Grammatically strong verbs change their vowel (sing, sang, sung). This has nothing to do with whether a verb is a good choice in your writing.

Are weak verbs grammatically wrong?

No. Weak verbs are perfectly correct grammar. The issue is effectiveness, not correctness. A sentence full of weak verbs is accurate but flat, and readers feel the difference even if they can't name it.

How many weak verbs is too many?

There's no magic number. Focus on the moments that matter most, like action scenes, emotional turns, and your opening pages. If those moments rely on weak verbs and adverbs, revise them first and let quieter passages stay plain.

Turn your draft into a book you’re proud to publish

Fixing weak verbs makes a real difference, but it's one piece of a much bigger process. selfpublishing.com has helped authors publish over 7,000 books in 91+ countries, with 1:1 coaching from first draft to launch day.

If you want a clear plan for finishing, editing, and publishing your book, book your free strategy call with our team today.