Some writing terms can be confusing, and the term weak verbs is a good example.
The truth is that no verb is inherently weak or strong. Every verb has a purpose. However, some verbs are less descriptive than others, and choosing a more precise verb can often make your writing more engaging.
A good example is the verb to be. It is sometimes classed as weak because it describes a state rather than an action.
However, that doesn’t mean you should avoid it. You can’t write without using am, is, and was in any form of writing.
What are weak verbs?
While your writing can be grammatically perfect, it can still feel a bit flat.
One common reason is that some verbs hide or reduce the action in a sentence.
But if you replace a few vague or overused verbs with more precise choices, it can make your writing clearer, stronger, and more interesting.
However, if you think strong verbs are the natural opposite term, it’s not quite so simple.
In linguistics, a strong verb is one that changes its vowel or form to show the past tense, such as drive, drove, driven.
A weak verb forms the past tense in the regular way, such as look, looked, looked.
But that’s not the meaning most writers use.
In writing, a strong verb is simply one that is more precise and descriptive than a weaker alternative.
For example, open is a perfectly good verb.
But depending on the context, unlatch, unlock, unbolt, pry open, or ease open can create a much clearer picture for the reader.
When, how, and why to choose your verbs
Now that you understand the term weak verbs is a bit of a misnomer, it doesn’t mean you should ignore verbs that often have better alternatives.
A good example is the verb get. We use it in many different ways, but according to the Oxford English Dictionary, get has 289 meanings.
That makes it a good candidate for replacement. For example, “he received a promotion” is usually more precise than “he got a promotion.”
On the other hand, a simple or less descriptive verb is sometimes the better choice if you want to keep your writing moving along naturally.
Remember that stronger verbs do not always mean longer or more complicated verbs. The best verb is usually the one that creates the clearest picture with the fewest words.
Use the following list as a guide rather than a set of rules.
These twenty common verbs often have stronger alternatives, but the best choice will always depend on what you want your sentence to achieve.
20 Weak verbs with alternatives
My list below is not a definitive list, but a selection of verbs that you can often replace with better alternatives.
Because verbs drive a sentence, it’s often the best place to look if you want to make your writing stronger, more persuasive, and more interesting.
1. Be
Use: Be is an essential state verb, but you can sometimes replace it with a more descriptive verb.
General: The room was suddenly quiet.
More precise: The room fell silent.
Other possibilities: remained, appeared, seemed, became, felt, stayed
Special note about be verbs: You don’t need to avoid them. However, watch for expletive openings such as there is, there are, it is, and it was.
These often add unnecessary words and can usually be deleted or rewritten with a stronger, more direct subject.
Example: There were two hundred guests at the wedding.
Better: The wedding was attended by two hundred guests.
2. Have
Use: Have often describes possession, but a more specific verb can add more detail.
General: She had a notebook in her hand.
More precise: She carried a notebook in her hand.
Other possibilities: owned, experienced, faced, carried, held, received
3. Get
Use: Get has many meanings, so a more precise verb is often much clearer.
General: He got a new car.
More precise: He bought a new car.
Other possibilities: received, earned, gained, achieved, secured, obtained
4. Go
Use: Go often hides how someone moved.
General: She went into the meeting room.
More precise: She hurried into the meeting room.
Other possibilities: entered, walked, rushed, wandered, travelled, approached
5. Come
Use: You can often replace come with a verb that shows the movement more clearly.
General: He came into the office at 9 am.
More precise: He arrived at the office at 9 am.
Other possibilities: entered, approached, returned, appeared, reached
6. Make
Use: Make is often less direct than a more specific verb choice.
General: She made the decision to leave.
More precise: She decided to leave.
Other possibilities: created, caused, produced, formed, built, influenced
7. Do
Use: You can usually replace do with the actual action.
General: He did the repairs to the roof himself.
More precise: He repaired the roof himself.
Other possibilities: completed, performed, prepared, finished, handled, achieved
8. Put
Use: Put often benefits from describing how something was placed.
General: She put the book on the shelf.
More precise: She slid the book onto the shelf.
Other possibilities: placed, positioned, set, inserted, stored, arranged
9. Take
Use: Take is often too general on its own.
General: He took the letter.
More precise: He picked up the letter.
Other possibilities: accepted, seized, grabbed, used, carried, collected
10. Give
Use: Give can often be replaced with a more specific action.
General: She gave him some advice.
More precise: She offered him some advice.
Other possibilities: provided, shared, explained, delivered, supplied
11. Look
Use: Look doesn’t explain how someone looked.
General: She looked out the window.
More precise: She peered out the window.
Other possibilities: examined, studied, watched, observed, inspected, glanced
12. See
Use: See often benefits from a more descriptive verb.
General: He saw the mistake.
More precise: He noticed the mistake.
Other possibilities: spotted, recognized, identified, observed, detected
13. Say
Use: Say is perfectly acceptable, but dialogue writing sometimes benefits from a more descriptive verb.
General: She said hello with a smile.
More precise: She greeted everyone with a smile.
Other possibilities: replied, explained, whispered, shouted, announced, admitted
14. Tell
Use: You can often replace tell with a verb that explains the purpose.
General: He told her the news.
More precise: He explained the news.
Other possibilities: revealed, informed, warned, described, mentioned
15. Think
Use: Think is often vague when describing thoughts.
General: She thought about the problem.
More precise: She considered the problem.
Other possibilities: analyzed, imagined, wondered, questioned, realized
16. Feel
Use: You can often make feel much more specific.
General: He felt nervous.
More precise: He became anxious.
Other possibilities: sensed, experienced, feared, worried, noticed, believed
17. Show
Use: Show is sometimes less descriptive than a more precise verb.
General: The results showed clear improvement.
More precise: The results revealed clear improvement.
Other possibilities: demonstrated, proved, displayed, indicated, confirmed
18. Find
Use: Find is often easy to replace with a verb that better describes discovery.
General: She found an old photograph.
More precise: She discovered an old photograph.
Other possibilities: identified, located, uncovered, revealed, determined
19. Open
Use: Open is often clear enough, but a more specific verb can create a stronger image.
General: He opened the gate.
More precise: He unlatched the gate.
Other possibilities: unlocked, pulled back, lifted, revealed, exposed
20. Move
Use: Move tells the reader very little about the action.
General: She moved toward the door.
More precise: She crept toward the door.
Other possibilities: walked, stepped, rushed, wandered, crossed
Summary
You don’t have a right or wrong choice with any vocabulary, including verbs.
The potentially weak verbs in my list only serve to demonstrate that you can always find better or stronger alternatives that can often help you show and not tell.
As with all writing choices, you’re in charge. If you think a general verb does the job, then fine. But if you choose to change it, that’s fine too.
The main point of this article is that many writing terms you read about are not strict rules.
They are simply ideas to help you make better choices.
Once you understand them, you’ll know when to follow them and when to ignore them.
Related Reading: How To Fix Weak Sentences And Improve Focus In 3 Steps
