intransitive verb

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noun

a verb that indicates a complete action without being accompanied by a direct object, as sit or lie, and, in English, that does not form a passive.

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QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Origin of intransitive verb

First recorded in1605–15

Words nearby intransitive verb

intranet, intrans., intransigence, intransigent, intransitive, intransitive verb, in transitu, intrant, intranuclear, intraocular, intraocular lens

How to use intransitive verb in a sentence

Thus the adoption of any particular verb is a matter of taste, not a question of absolute correctness.
Go Ahead, End With a Preposition: Grammar Rules We All Can Live With|Nick Romeo|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The term “gestation,” for instance, is derived from the Latin verb gestāre, used to describe a mammal carrying a burden.
The Artificial Womb Will Change Feminism Forever|Samantha Allen|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As with any emergent technology where an action is involved, the brand becomes the verb.
The Zen of Yo|Dale Eisinger|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The verb shovel is not a figure of speech; a garden shovel actually is used to serve the oysters.
A Briny, South Carolina Oyster Shack|Jane & Michael Stern|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Their Dutch nickname, putterje, comes from the verb putten, meaning to draw water from a well.
Face to Face With ‘The Goldfinch,’ the Painting from Donna Tartt’s Novel|Malcolm Jones|December 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The verb (—) in the Hebrew, when connected with the name of God in different other passages, has the same import.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
Here ends Chaucer's portion of the translation, in the middle of an incomplete sentence, without any verb.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Observe that the word Christus has no verb following it; it is practically an objective case, governed by thanke in l. 168. '
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Both in the present passage and in the Pardoner's Prologue the verb to erme is used with the same sb., viz.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Ethel could not help saying, "How did you find out the meaning of that word, Tom, if you didn't look out the verb?"
The Daisy Chain|Charlotte Yonge

Cultural definitions for intransitive verb

intransitive verb

A verb that does not need a direct object to complete its meaning. Run, sleep, travel, wonder, and die are all intransitive verbs. (Compare transitive verb.)

notes for intransitive verb

Some verbs can be intransitive in one sentence and transitive in another. Boiled is intransitive in “My blood boiled” but transitive in “I boiled some water.”