Verbs That Start With I

Updated August 16, 2021
Verbs That Start With I
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    Verbs That Start With I
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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."

VerbDefinition

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

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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.

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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.
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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.