adverb

American  

[ad-vurb] / ˈæd vɜrb /

noun

Grammar.

1. 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 bethere ), time (Do your homeworknow! ), manner (She singsbeautifully ), circumstance (He accidentally dropped the glass when the bell rang), degree (I'm very happy to see you), or cause (I draw, although badly).

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adverb British  

/ ˈædˌvɜːb /

noun

1.  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

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adverb Cultural  

1. 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 capable.”

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Grammar

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”!

Usage

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 in our extensive article.

Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

• adverbless adjective

Etymology

Origin of adverb

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

Compare meaning

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

• verb vs. adverb

Explanation

An adverb is a word that modifies anything other than a noun, usually a verb. If you listen patiently to my grammar lesson, you will learn that "patiently" is an adverb in this sentence. Many adverbs end in –ly, like quickly, happily, or grudgingly. Sometimes adverbs are harder to spot. If you're playing baseball and hit the ball hard, then hard is an adverb: it describes how you are hitting. And since you did so well and hit a home run, your team was ahead and won the game superbly! Did you catch ahead and superbly as adverbs?

Example Sentences

The adverb is apt because dividend-paying stocks have long struggled.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

The prefix ong-, the zone of extremities, provided ongcho, “to stitch,” something one did with fingers, as well as the adverb ongkochil, meaning “hurriedly,” which usually applied to movements involving a hand or foot.

From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2023

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

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2022

Please learn the difference between an adverb and an adjective.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2022

Malik insists that Jar Jar Binks should be a verb, adjective, and an adverb to describe whack stuff because Jar Jar Binks is the worst character in the Star Wars universe.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas