List of 100 Adverbs + Printable

If you need a word that shows how an action was done in a positive way, look no further. These adverbs can turn a boring paragraph into a sunbeam with their sunny outlook.

1. boldly
2. bravely
3. brightly
4. cheerfully
5. deftly
6. devotedly
7. eagerly
8. elegantly
9. faithfully
10. fortunately
11. gleefully
12. gracefully
13. happily
14. honestly
15. innocently
16. kindly
17. merrily
18. obediently
19. perfectly
20. politely
21. powerfully
22. safely
23. victoriously
24. warmly
25. vivaciously

These adverbs can make someone's ordinary actions seem more positive. For example, "Sarah asked for the salt" is straightforward, but "Sarah politely asked for the salt" lets us know that Sarah has good table manners.

If life isn't looking so positive for you or your characters, you might need an adverb that suits a more negative tone. Here's a list of adverbs that have negative connotations.

1. achingly
2. angrily
3. annoyingly
4. anxiously
5. badly
6. boastfully
7. dejectedly
8. enviously
9. foolishly
10. hopelessly
11. irritably
12. jealously
13. joylessly
14. lazily
15. miserably
16. morosely
17. obnoxiously
18. painfully
19. poorly
20. rudely
21. sadly
22. selfishly
23. terribly
24. unhappily
25. wearily

Adverbs like these can help you describe negative attitudes when needed. For example, "Sarah irritably asked for the salt" sets a much different scene than the positive example above!

Adverbs can also convey how often something happens. They range from very often ( always, frequently, regularly) to not very often (rarely, seldom, never).

1. always
2. daily
3. eventually
4. finally
5. frequently
6. generally
7. hourly
8. later
9. never
10. nightly
11. normally
12. occasionally
13. often
14. rarely
15. regularly
16. seldom
17. sometimes
18. soon
19. still
20. today
21. tomorrow
22. usually
23. weekly
24. yearly
25. yesterday

These adverbs can make a big difference in the sentence you're writing. For example, "I'll pay you later" is a solid promise, but "I'll pay you daily" is a much nicer offer.

Describing how fast an item moves is a great way to modify a verb! Use these adverbs when you're talking about the speed of a verb.

1. briskly
2. casually
3. expeditiously
4. fleetingly
5. gradually
6. haltingly
7. hastily
8. hurriedly
9. immediately
10. instantly
11. languidly
12. lazily
13. leisurely
14. promptly
15. quickly
16. rapidly
17. slowly
18. speedily
19. swiftly
20. tediously

These adverbs can help you establish pacing in your writing. For example, "I leisurely packed my suitcase" makes the story sound more relaxed, but "I hastily packed my suitcase" brings a sense of urgency to the scene.

Writers often need to describe the noise that something makes to strengthen their writing. Use these adverbs to describe how something sounds in your story.

1. audibly
2. deafeningly
3. ear-splittingly
4. emphatically
5. faintly
6. inaudibly
7. loudly
8. noiselessly
9. noisily
10. quietly
11. resonantly
12. resoundingly
13. shrilly
14. silently
15. softly
16. soundlessly
17. thunderously
18. uproariously
19. vociferously
20. weakly

These adverbs are effective ways to bring sensory language into your writing. For example, "He snored faintly" paints a much different picture than "He snored thunderously."

Some adverbs need context to create tone. Use these adverbs when you need to paint a very clear picture of how the reader should imagine your verbs. Some adverbs include:

1. accidentally
2. awkwardly
3. blindly
4. coyly
5. crazily
6. cruelly
7. defiantly
8. deliberately
9. doubtfully
10. dramatically
11. dutifully
12. enormously
13. excitedly
14. hungrily
15. madly
16. mortally
17. mysteriously
18. nervously
19. seriously
20. shakily
21. restlessly
22. solemnly
23. sternly
24. unexpectedly
25. wildly

Choosing the right adverbs can help you establish your desired tone. For example, "Mike shook my hand solemnly" sets a scene, but "Mike shook my hand excitedly" reveals that something fun might be about to happen.

If you'd like a handy list of adverbs for easy reference, take a look at the PDF below. You can download and print it up for prominent posting in your writing station, classroom or notebook.

Many adverbs can be formed simply by adding -ly to the end of what was once an adjective. Anxious becomes anxiously, for example, and poor becomes poorly. But adverbs that describe how often something occurs, such as never or always, don't always follow that rule.

The main types of adverbs answer questions related to time, place, manner, frequency, and extent. Depending on what you want to modify, adverbs are the perfect way to make your writing more vivid and descriptive.

Now that you have a better handle on the world of adverbs, why not expand your vocabulary with even more word lists too? This list of descriptive adjectives is a great place to start, including simple adjectives, compound adjectives and proper adjectives. Then you can tie your writing together, with a list of transition words.