ADVERB Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

adverb

[ ad-vurb ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Grammar.

any member of a class of words that function as modifiers of verbs or clauses, and in some languages, as Latin and English, as modifiers of adjectives, other adverbs, or adverbial phrases, as very in very nice, much in much more impressive, and tomorrow in She'll write to you tomorrow. They relate to what they modify by indicating place (I promise to be there ), time (Do your homework now! ), manner (She sings beautifully ), circumstance (He accidentally dropped the glass when the bell rang), degree (I'm very happy to see you), or cause (I draw, although badly).

adverb

/ ˈæ��ˌ��ɜː�� /

noun

adv
1. a word or group of words that serves to modify a whole sentence, a verb, another adverb, or an adjective; for example, probably, easily, very, and happily respectively in the sentence They could probably easily envy the very happily married couple
2. ( as modifier )
  an adverb marker

adverb

A part of speech that modifies a verb , an adjective , or another adverb. Adverbs usually answer such questions as “How?” “Where?” “When?” or “To what degree?” The following italicized words are adverbs: “He ran well ”; “She ran very well ”; “The mayor is highly ��貹��.”

Discover More

Grammar Note

For some, distinguishing adjectives from adverbs is impossibly confusing. Yet telling them apart should be easy. Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns ( tight shoes, She is brilliant! ), while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs (drive carefully, rather hasty, more rapidly). Adjectives provide answers to “what kind,” “which one,” and “how many,” while adverbs answer “how,” “when,” and “where” (to boldly go, see you later, happening here ). Simply put, adverbs modify everything that adjectives don’t—including whole sentences! They are a grammatical wastebasket—the part of speech into which you toss anything you can’t otherwise categorize. The source of bewilderment, then, may not be function but form. We think of adverbs as typically ending in -ly ( badly, quickly, completely ), unlike their adjective counterparts ( bad, quick, complete ). But some adjectives end in -ly ( cowardly lion, motherly affection, friendly persuasion), while some adverbs, called “flat” adverbs, do not (sit up straight, work hard, aim high ). To add to the ambiguity, a small number of words can function as adverbs with or without the classic ending (walk slow on the ice / speak more slowly; hold me close / a closely knit family). Still others shift meaning as they change form (She arrived late. Lately, she’s been doing that). And some are both adjectival and adverbial without changing form ( fast trains, run fast; early morning, wake up early ). No wonder the mind boggles. Perhaps in response, there has been a resurgence of common adjectives used adverbially (You played amazing. It worked out fantastic. ) Similar flat adverbs, like sudden, extreme, and wondrous, were standard in early Modern English. But in the 18th century, grammar mavens began to disparage them, insisting on the -ly form, and for certain adverbs, that is now the norm. While our language may be shifting back toward increasing use of flat adverbs, an adjective where an adverb is expected may still be subject to criticism. It’s fine to use these newly flattened adverbs with friends, on social media, etc. But traditional cautions apply. It’s probably best to stay with established forms in academic writing, during a job interview, and in other circumstances that call for more formal language. You’re bound to do “great”!

Discover More

Notes

Adverbs are often formed by adding -ly to an adjective, as in truly or deeply .

Discover More

Other �y��vlog Forms

��v��·�� adjective

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of adverb¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin adverbium, equivalent to ad- “toward” + verb(um) “word, verb” + -ium noun suffix; loan translation of Greek ��í��ŧ��; ad-, verb, -ium

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of adverb¹

C15–C16: from Latin adverbium adverb, literally: added word, a translation of Greek ��辱��ŧ�� a word spoken afterwards

Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does adverb compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A line such as this one, from Carrickfergus, a traditional ballad Shane admired, says more about state of mind than any sentence loaded with adjectives and adverbs.

From

The bound words were nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs that always existed with markers indicating a relation to other objects, events or states.

From

She then asked whether the word “structure” was a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.

From

Reading her articles aloud, Ms. Rubin said, helps her cut superfluous adverbs like “very” and “really” — or break up long paragraphs that provide context but can quickly become unwieldy.

From

For them, it is just an adverb or verb they use calmly and constantly.

From

Discover More

More About Adverb

What is an adverb?

An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, clause, adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs tell us how, when, or where.

Adverbs can modify verbs to give us more information about an action. In the sentence She walked quickly, the adverb quickly tells us how she walked. In the sentence The car turned left, the adverb left tells us where the car went.

Adverbs can also modify adjectives, usually to indicate degree or intensity, as in��I was very happy. The adverb very tells us more about the happy feeling.

Adverbs can also modify other adverbs, as in She drove very carefully. Here, the adverb very tells us more about the adverb carefully.

Typically, you want to place an adverb next to the word it is modifying. In a verb phrase, the adverb is usually placed immediately before the action verb, as in We were pleasantly watching the birds.

Sometimes, an adverb describes an entire clause. Rather than modify a single word, the adverb is instead describing the general mood or feeling of the clause, as in Amazingly, the zookeeper wrangled the lion without getting injured.

Many adverbs end in –ly and many adjectives can be turned into adverbs by adding –ly to them. For example, slow becomes slowly and happy becomes happily.

Learn even more about adverbs

Why are adverbs important?

The first records of the term adverb come from around 1520. It comes from the Latin adverbium, which means “added word.” Adverbs can follow verbs and are added on to a sentence to provide more information.

You need to be careful when using sentences that contain linking verbs, like be, seem, or look. Often, what comes after a linking verb modifies the subject of the sentence, which is a noun or pronoun. Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns, while adverbs modify verbs. For example, we would say The flowers smelled nice not The flowers smelled nicely. This is because we want a word to describe the noun flowers, not the verb smelled. The flowers aren’t actually smelling anything.

Did you know … ?

Sometimes, where the adverb is in the sentence can change the meaning of the sentence. The adverb only is a common example of this. For example, the sentence I only baked the cake means that all you did was bake the cake and you didn’t eat it or do anything else to it. I baked only the cake means that the cake was the only thing you baked and you didn’t bake the pies or cookies.

What are real-life examples of adverbs?

Here are some examples of the different ways we use adverbs:

We use adverbs to spice up our sentences.

Millennials love adverbs. Seriously.

— Joanne Nosuchinsky (@JoNosuchinsky)

Acknowledge quietly and move on quickly. It's all in the adverbs.

— John T. Biggs (@biggspirit)

��

What other words are related to adverb?

Quiz yourself!

Which of the following words is an adverb?

A. he
B.��was
C. very
D. sad

Browse