Adverbs work hard to provide more detail to verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Sometimes, you can spot them by their -ly ending, although they don't always end in -ly. Safely and seemingly are adverbs in the same way seldom or sometimes are adverbs. Together, let's smoothly dip our toes into the exciting waters of adverbs that start S.
50 Adverbs Starting With S
Here's a list of 50 of the most common S-adverbs. Their definitions have been placed seamlessly beside them, along with a sampling of synonyms:
Adverb | Definition | Synonyms |
in a sorrowful way | regretfully, sorrowfully, unfortunately | |
in a manner without risk | securely, carefully, reliably | |
unlikely to be the case | barely, hardly, merely | |
with no apparent gaps between one part and the next | smoothly, continuously, evenly | |
in the second place | furthermore, also, besides | |
done in a hidden manner | covertly, privately, discreetly | |
in a manner that does not evoke fear or apprehension | safely, fearlessly, properly | |
according to the facts as one knows them | apparently, ostensibly, professedly | |
something that does not occur very often | infrequently, rarely, scarcely | |
in a manner that is not connected to anyone or anything | apart, respectively, individually | |
in a manner fraught with danger | dangerously, precariously, perilously | |
in a manner that is very serious, harsh, or critical | critically, harshly, firmly | |
right away | abruptly, briefly, curtly | |
an important, sizeable, or meaningful way | importantly, sizeably, meaningfully | |
in a like style or manner | also, equally, likewise | |
absolutely; completely (used for emphasis) | clearly, frankly, honestly | |
going on at the same time | concurrently, synchronously, jointly | |
in a genuine manner | honestly, truthfully, earnestly | |
as a single, separate person or thing | individually, separately, alone | |
to a small degree or extent | hardly, marginally, superficially | |
at a slow pace; not quickly | leisurely, sluggishly, tardily | |
in a manner that is even, flat, and not rough | sleekly, placidly, evenly | |
the way or amount shown | accordingly, consequently, thus | |
in the company of others, especially for pleasure | politely, courteously, companionably | |
something done for only one reason | exclusively, purely, primarily | |
at some point in the future | eventually, sometime, subsequently | |
by some means | anyhow, anyway, unspecified | |
something that occurs every now and then | occasionally, periodically, sporadically | |
to some extent | approximately, considerably, partially | |
in, to, or at some place not known or specified | around, about, someplace | |
in the near future | expeditiously, imminently, shortly | |
for a special purpose or a specific person | particularly, uniquely, especially | |
in a way that is exact and clear | expressly, particularly, precisely | |
in a manner that is firm, constant, and free from change | regularly, uniformly, consecutively | |
without movement | calmly, impassively, quietly | |
in a straight line; not curly, wavy, or out of the way | continuously, directly, uninterruptedly | |
in a manner that will achieve a specific goal or plan | decisively, cleverly, diplomatically | |
in a manner that is precise and follows the rules | rigidly, rigorously, stringently | |
in a powerful manner | stoutly, vigorously, resolutely | |
following; afterwards | after, consequently, later | |
to a great degree | extensively, considerably, largely | |
without failing | fortunately, triumphantly, victoriously | |
happening quickly, with little or no warning | abruptly, quickly, swiftly, unexpectedly | |
to an adequate degree | adequately, amply, enough | |
over a short period of time | promptly, readily, speedily | |
as to an outward appearance only; on the surface | apparently, seemingly, ostensibly | |
according to what is believed | seemingly, believably, apparently | |
without doubt | certainly, definitely, absolutely | |
in a way that is unexpected or unusual | extraordinarily, remarkably, unexpectedly | |
in a fast manner | quickly, speedily, briskly |
For more adverbs to add to your lexicon, take a look at this List of 100 Adverbs!
What, Specifically, Is an Adverb?
Did you spot the adverb there? We could've simply written, "What Is an Adverb?" in the heading. But, from time to time, adverbs can be used to provide more information about our verbs.
Although adverbs typically work alongside verbs, they're not strictly tied to them. They can also modify adjectives and other adverbs. A great way to spot adverbs is to look for words that end in -ly. Examples from the above list include "substantially" and "surprisingly."
Let's take a closer look at the role that adverbs can play in sentences:
- Adverbs Tell How It Happened: Adverbs like "sloppily" describe how something was done.
- Adverbs Tell Where It Happened: Adverbs like "somewhere" describe the location of where something happened.
- Adverbs Tell When It Happened: Adverbs like "suddenly" describe when something took place.
- Adverbs Tell the Extent of an Action: Adverbs like "so" describe the extent to which something did or did not happen.
For more on how adverbs work to intensify the meaning behind other words, check out these Examples of Adverbs.
10 Example Sentences
Here are ten of the above S-adverbs hard at work in sentence form:
- Although he had started the race with everyone else, he sadly remained at the back of the pack.
- He brought her safely back to shore.
- Together, they seamlessly brought the injured pup back to life.
- He was significantly older than she was.
- They simultaneously pulled the desk and chair into the bedroom.
- She smoothly hefted the potted plant onto the desk.
- I'm somewhat curious as to her motives.
- The new parking regulations are being strictly enforced.
- She subsequently received a parking ticket.
- Her worry or fear over the incident was surprisingly absent.
Selectively Set Your Adverbs
As you successfully acquaint yourself with this part of speech, remember to be selective. Adverbs are meant to be used in moderation. Adding too many -ly words to your writing can become cumbersome and make it difficult for the reader to sail through your prose.
When possible, choose a notable, strong verb. For more on that, check out Strong Verbs and Weak Verbs: What's the Difference? From there, you'll be able to dabble in adverbs from time to time, in the midst of some seriously standout verbs.