Do you prefer to read, reason or ramble? All three sound like fun, don’t they? How about reading your favorite book while you reason out the plot and ramble through the countryside? Verbs that start with "r" can add some serious spice to your literary life. So, take a look at 50 great "r" verbs in the English language.
Introduction to Verbs
Verbs are words used to express action or describe a state of being. When it comes to English, each word needs to be properly placed in the sentence, based on the context in which it is being used. In most situations, verbs come after the subject of the sentence and before the object of the sentence, though this is not always the case. For example, "Rayna reads romance novels." In this sentence, "Rayna" is the subject, "reads" is the verb showing action and "romance novels" is the object receiving the action of the verb.
50 Verbs Starting With R
Perhaps the antagonist in your plot will reappear to ravage your main character’s home life. With a few R-verbs in your arsenal, you can craft a plot that’ll rebuff anyone who doubted your writing skills! Review 50 popular English verbs that start with "r."
| Verb | Definition |
race |
to compete in a contest of speed |
raid |
to launch a surprise attack |
rain |
to fall in drops of water from the clouds |
raise |
to lift something upward |
rake |
to gather up or move using a pronged garden tool |
rally |
to come together for a common purpose |
ramble |
to write, speak or move aimlessly |
rap |
to strike something sharply |
rasp |
to utter in a rough, grating tone |
rationalize |
to attempt to justify something |
rattle |
to make a series of sharp sounds |
ravage |
to cause severe destruction |
rave |
to speak wildly or irrationally |
ravish |
to seize by force or violence |
reach |
to arrive at something; to stretch in order to be able to touch something |
react |
to respond to something |
read |
to comprehend the meaning of letters or other symbols mean |
realign |
to put back into proper order |
reap |
to cut, gather or harvest; to see the benefits of one's labor |
reappear |
to return to view |
reason |
to think things by using logic |
reboot |
to stop a device and then start it again |
rebuff |
to reject in an abrupt way |
rebuild |
to extensively repair something |
recall |
to bring back to mind or remember |
recede |
to diminish; to move back |
recommend |
to suggest someone or something as a good option |
reconcile |
to bring things into balance; to get back together |
record |
to make a permanent file of something |
recover |
to get back or regain; to get well from an illness |
recycle |
to reuse waste material by converting it into something new |
redden |
to make red |
redesign |
to make a revision to the appearance or function of |
reduce |
to diminish or make smaller |
refer |
to send someone to a resource that can help them |
rehearse |
to practice for a performance; to repeat something to help remember it |
reign |
to be the ruler of a kingdom; to hold an elevated position |
reject |
to discard or throw out as substandard or useless |
relapse |
to have an illness or addiction reoccur |
relax |
to become less tense; to lessen requirements |
remove |
to take something away |
repair |
to fix something |
replace |
to substitute one thing for another |
resemble |
to be similar in appearance to someone or something else |
resent |
to feel bitterness or anger toward a person or situation |
restore |
to bring back to a former condition |
reunite |
to bring back together |
rinse |
to wash quickly or lightly |
roast |
to cook in an oven at a very high temperature |
ruin |
to destroy something |
Types of Verbs That Start With R
There are several types of verbs, some of which include options that start with the letter "r."
- The verbs in the list above are examples of action verbs. Also known as dynamic verbs, action verbs are the most common type of verb. They express the action of the sentence. For example, in "Please rinse the puppy’s paws," the word "rinse" describes a specific action.
- Another category of verbs is linking verbs. They are typically "to be" verbs, as would be the case with "am," "is," "are," "was," and "were." However, the "r" word "remain" is also a linking verb. This verb type is meant to link the subject with more information, as in "She’ll remain under my care."
- Some "r" verbs are regular verbs, which means that the past tense is formed by adding -ed to the end of the present tense form. For example, "They couldn’t repair the laptop, but they repaired the typewriter."
- Other verbs that begin with "r" are irregular verbs, which don't follow this straightforward rule. For instance, "rise" becomes "rose" in the past tense, not "raised," which isn't even a word. For example, you'd say, "I didn’t rise at dawn. Rather, I rose at ten a.m.” There are quite a few irregular verbs in English.
10 Example Sentences With R-Verbs
Verbs that start with "r" reverberate across a lot of sentences all the time. Let’s take a look at 10 examples of sentences with action words in the form of "r" verbs. Once you've reviewed these, you'll be ready to get to work writing your own sentences that are rich in "r" verbs.
- It’s time to raise the flag.
- She always rambles on about French cuisine.
- The baby loves to rattle his new toy.
- I need to realign my schedule to mesh with yours.
- He took steps to rebuild his life.
- Can you recommend a book for me?
- Let’s make an effort to reduce the amount of junk food we eat.
- I hope we never relapse again.
- He was kind enough to repair my Macbook.
- Let’s restore this house to its former glory.
Read, Read and Read Some More
You'll find some of the verbs above on this list of words that start with "r" on WordFinder by YourDictionary, along with additional "r" words representing multiple parts of speech. Now that you've got "r" verbs and other terms covered, move on to the next letter and seek some verbs that start with "s." Once you’ve covered the whole alphabet, you'll be ready to write with renewed vigor. Consider flexing your new language arts skills with these creative writing exercises. Who knows what you'll be able to do?