When you think of the letter "i," what springs to mind? Maybe igloos and icicles? When the letter "i" takes on the verb form, we’re met with all kinds of interesting creations, from illuminate, to illustrate, to immortalize. An "i" verb may be just the ticket if you’re trying to improve your writing. Let’s take a look at 50 of the most popular verbs that start with "i."
What Is a Verb?
Verbs express action or a state of being. In the English language, every word sits in a specific place and plays a specific role in a sentence. Most of the time (but not always), verbs come after a sentence's subject and before its object. For example, "Ivy imitates her friends." In this sentence, "Ivy" is the subject, "imitates" is the verb showing action, and "friends" is the object receiving the action of the verb.
50 Verbs Starting With I
We love to idealize our favorite writers. Or is it idolize? Perhaps it’s both. Take the time to investigate the meaning of some illuminating verbs that start with "i."
| Verb | Definition |
idealize |
to perceive as representative of perfection; to see as ideal |
identify |
to determine who or what something is |
idle |
to do nothing |
idolize |
to look up to someone as a hero |
ignite |
to start something on fire |
ignore |
to deliberately avoid noticing |
illuminate |
to light something up |
illustrate |
to tell a story using drawings or pictures; to explain so something is clear |
imagine |
to form a mental image; to consider what something would be like |
imbibe |
to consume alcohol |
imbue |
to fill with a particular quality |
imitate |
to copy or model after; to mimic |
immerse |
to dunk something in liquid; to become completely involved with something |
immigrate |
to move permanently to a new country |
immobilize |
to prevent the movement of something |
immortalize |
to preserve in memoriam forever; to make immortal |
immunize |
to render immune by inoculation |
impair |
to hinder or weaken something |
impart |
to share information; to make known |
impeach |
to charge someone in an official position with misconduct |
impede |
to block movement or progress |
impersonate |
to mimic the appearance or manner of a person |
implant |
to insert firmly or deeply |
implement |
to put something into effect |
implicate |
to show that someone is connected to a crime |
implode |
to collapse and burst inward |
implore |
to beg or plead |
imply |
to suggest something indirectly |
import |
to bring goods into one country from another |
impose |
to force something to be accepted; to take advantage of someone's hospitality |
impress |
to do something that causes others to view you with admiration |
improve |
to make better |
incarcerate |
to put in jail |
incinerate |
to burn something until only ashes remain |
incite |
to rile people up |
include |
to contain or consider something as part of a whole |
incorporate |
to work into something that already exists |
increase |
to grow in size or magnitude |
indicate |
to point towards or be a sign of something |
indulge |
to permit oneself to do or have something pleasurable |
infect |
to contaminate someone or something with a disease |
influence |
to have an impact on; to persuade indirectly |
inform |
to provide knowledge or information |
insert |
to put one thing into another |
inspire |
to act in a way that gives someone an urge to do something |
interpret |
to translate or explain what something means |
interrupt |
to cause something to stop for a period of time |
intrude |
to become involved in something where you don’t belong |
invest |
to put resources into something in the hopes of earning a personal or financial gain |
itch |
to cause an uncomfortable feeling that makes one want to scratch |
Identifying Verb Types
The primary category of verbs is action verbs, which are sometimes called dynamic verbs. This type of verb expresses physical or mental action occurring in the sentence. For example, "Irene indulges in a weekly spa session." There are a lot of action verb examples in the English language, some of which are regular verbs, while others are irregular verbs.
- Regular verbs transform from present to past tense with the simple addition of the suffix -ed at the end. For example, "They couldn’t influence his thinking, so they influenced his child’s thinking."
- Irregular verbs don't follow conventional conjugation patterns. For example, "keep" becomes kept in the past tense, not keeped (which is not a word). There aren't any common irregular verbs that start with "i."
Linking verbs are another type of verb. The word "is" is a form of the verb "to be" that begins with an "i." In the statement "Scott is nasty," the word "is" links the subject (Scott) to an adjective that describes him (nasty). There are also a number of helping verbs in English. These extend the meaning of main verbs. The word "is" can function as a helping verb. For example, in the statement "It is raining," the use of the word "is" as a helping verb lets readers know that the main verb (raining) is happening right now.
10 Example Sentences Using I-Verbs
Are you ready to start inserting "i" verbs into your writing? As a final step of preparation, explore some sample sentences that feature some "i" verbs hard at work. Let them inspire you to craft some interesting sentences of your own!
- Readers tend to idealize life in a fairy tale.
- Let’s watch the stars illuminate the sky.
- She likes to imbue her characters with bravery and strength.
- He loves it when seasoned writers impart their knowledge on him.
- They’re going to implement a “no sugar” rule in their house.
- They always impose their viewpoints on us.
- Don’t follow any crowds that are trying to incite violence.
- Every year, they increase their budget for groceries.
- Let’s inspire everyone to higher levels of greatness.
- We should only invest our time in people who make us feel happy.
Instant Intensity
With an extensive selection of "i" verbs in your vocabulary, your writing may experience instant intensity. Who knows what heights you can inspire your readers to explore once you illuminate their minds? Don’t stop there! You can also dabble in the world of "i" adjectives with this list of 20 adjectives that start with the letter "i." Take your "i" word insights to the next level by exploring this full list of words that begin with "i" on WordFinder by YourDictionary. Then, get refocused on verbs by moving on to verbs that start with "j." You'll jostle your way through the entire alphabet in no time at all.