Verbs That Start With E

Updated August 16, 2021
Used under Getty Images license
  • DESCRIPTION
    Verbs That Start With E
  • SOURCE
    Aleksandra Nekrasova / iStock / Getty Images Plus
  • PERMISSION
    Used under Getty Images license

Verbs are the glue that holds sentences together. They join subjects and objects together with cohesion and unity. How else could Martha evacuate the building or Mark electrify the audience? Verbs beep and bop all across our sentences, usually demonstrating the action taking place. Together, let’s take a look at 50 verbs that start with "e." Which new "e" verbs will ease into your next piece of writing?

What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word that expresses action or a state of being. The way the English language works, every word sits in a particular place and plays a specific role in a sentence. As such, verbs usually tend to come after the subject of a sentence. They also tend to appear before the object of a sentence. For example, “Martha educates her children on the benefits of exercise.” In this sentence, “Martha” is the subject, “educate” is the verb showing action, and “children” is the object receiving the action of the verb.

50 Verbs Starting With E

Knowing that most verbs are words that express action, let’s take a look at 50 verbs that start with "e." Some of these words can also function as other parts of speech, such as nouns or adjectives. However, the definitions provided here focus on verb usage so you'll be able to use these "e" words as the action stars of a sentence.

VerbDefinition

earn

to gain something through effort or work

eat

to put food in the mouth, chew, and swallow

eavesdrop

to listen to a private conversation between other people without their knowledge

echo

to reflect a sound off a surface and repeat it

eclipse

to obscure or block out light; to surpass something else in prominence

edit

to prepare something for publication by removing errors or rearranging

educate

to teach a skill or subject

eject

to release or remove by force

elaborate

to add details to something

elapse

to pass by or slip by

elect

to vote for a person for office

electrify

to charge with electricity

elevate

to lift something up, promote, or boost

elicit

to evoke or draw out from someone

eliminate

to take out or remove

elongate

to grow or stretch longer

elope

to go away from home and get married in secret

elude

to cleverly avoid or escape

email

to send a digital message via an electronic mail account

embark

to begin something that will occur over a period of time

embarrass

to cause someone to feel self-conscious

embed

to plant something deeply or firmly

embellish

to make something fancier by decorating it

embezzle

to steal or appropriate money or assets through fraud

embody

to represent in bodily form

embrace

to wrap one's arms around someone and hold them close

emerge

to come into view

emit

to discharge or let off

employ

to hire someone to do work for pay; to put into use

empower

to enable or give authority to someone

emulate

to copy or imitate

enable

to make something possible

enact

to put something into law

enchant

to delight or captivate someone

enclose

to close in or confine

encounter

to unexpectedly be in the presence of someone

encrypt

to encode something in a way that will keep it secret

end

to bring to a conclusion

endanger

to expose someone to peril

endear

to cause someone to be well-liked, beloved or admired

endure

to put up with or to undergo

energize

to give energy to or invigorate

enfold

to wrap in folds or envelop

engage

to participate fully in something

enjoy

to experience pleasure

enthrall

to completely capture someone’s attention

erase

to wipe out something

escape

to get away from a place, situation or person

evict

to force someone to leave a place or property

excite

to cause a strong emotional response

Advertisement

Exploring Different Types of Verbs

The "e" verbs listed above are examples of action verbs. They are not the only kind of verb you may encounter in spoken communication or writing. There are actually several types of verbs in the English language.

Action Verbs That Start With E

The English language has many action verbs that start with "e." Makes sense, right? After all, action verbs are the most common type of verb. These verbs, which are also sometimes referred to as dynamic verbs, express the action of a sentence. “Katie enchanted the audience with her performance.” There are quite a few examples of action verbs beginning with every letter of the alphabet.

  • Most action verbs are regular verbs, which change from present tense to past tense with the simple addition of -ed at the end. For example, “He couldn’t embark on the trip to Scotland, so he embarked on a trip to Wales instead.”
  • Some action verbs are irregular verbs. There isn't a specific rule for how their past tense is formed, other than that it's not by adding -ed to the end. For the verb "eat," the past tense is not "eated," which is not a word at all. Instead, this term changes to "ate" in the past tense. For example, “She did not eat the cannoli; she ate the apple pie” represents correct usage.
  • The best way to familiarize yourself with irregular verbs is to memorize them. Review this list of irregular verbs to learn which verbs are irregular. Commit some of the most popular ones, or at least the ones you use the most, to memory.
Advertisement

More Verb Types to Consider

Action verbs and their regular or irregular forms don't represent the full story when it comes to different types of verbs. There are also linking verbs and helping verbs. Though none begin with "e," they can be paired with other "e" words.

  • Linking verbs link subjects to more information about them, as in "Ellen is ecstatic." Ellen is the subject, "is" is the linking verb and "ecstatic" is an adjective that describes Ellen's state of mind.
  • Helping verbs are paired with main (action verbs) to extend their meaning, as in "Ethel is eating eggs." The word "is" is a helping verb and "eating "is the main verb.

For even more information about the various types and forms that verbs can take, explore basic English verb usage tips.

Advertisement

10 Example Sentences of E-Verbs

Verbs do a lot of heavy lifting in the English language. Whether they’re taking on the role of an action verb or a linking verb, they like to join our sentences together. Explore 10 sample sentences where "e" verbs are flexing their muscles.

  • His presence will eclipse everyone else when he walks into the room.
  • It’s time to educate ourselves on all things poetry.
  • We must elevate one another with our thoughts, words, and actions.
  • The seamstress should elongate the train on your dress.
  • He loves to embellish a simple encounter.
  • We will emerge from this catastrophe victorious.
  • She could enchant him with a smile.
  • Let’s just hope we never encounter a grizzly bear.
  • Morning meditation will energize your soul.
  • It was her job to erase the board at the end of the school day.
Advertisement

Elaborate Your Education

The more you read, the more you know and the stronger your vocabulary will be. Now that you have a head start on mastering "e" verbs, are you ready to explore that letter even more? Explore a list of adjectives that start with "e" to build your descriptive language vocabulary. For even more examples, review this extensive list of words that start with "e" on WordFinder by YourDictionary. You never know when you’ll want to add an eccentric character to your next story, whose status you could easily elevate with random acts of empowerment. When you're ready to go beyond "e," ease into the rest of the alphabet to find a selection of verbs that start with "f."