adverb

adverb — noun

1. in grammar, a word that shows how, when, where, or how much something happens, o

1.nounA2
Definition

in grammar, a word that shows how, when, where, or how much something happens, or that adds force to a quality or another describing word. Words like quickly, yesterday, here, and very are adverbs.

Example

Ms. Chen wrote "quietly" beside "sing" to show an adverb.

adverb used with a verb

In "She arrived yesterday," the word "yesterday" is an adverb.

adverb showing time

Common collocations
  • adverb of time
  • adverb of place
  • adverb of manner
  • adverb of degree
  • sentence adverb
Synonyms
  • modifier

    broader grammar term that also includes adjectives, phrases, and clauses

  • adverbial

    more technical term for something that functions like an adverb, not only a single word

  • describing word

    informal classroom label, but it is less exact than the grammar term adverb

Grammar Patterns

adverb + verb (run quickly)

adverb + adjective (very cold)

adverb + adverb (too slowly)

Usage Note

Often appears in teaching phrases such as 'find the adverb', 'use an adverb', and 'put the adverb after the verb'. Adverbs are commonly grouped by job, for example adverbs of time, place, manner, and degree; some also comment on the whole sentence, as in 'Fortunately, nobody was hurt.'

Common Mistakes

Quick is the adverb in "He runs quick.
Quickly" is the adverb in "He runs quickly.
in standard English, the adverb form is usually needed when a word modifies a verb.
Every adverb ends in -ly.
Words like "here," "soon," and "very" are also adverbs.
many common adverbs do not use the -ly ending.

Word family

  • adverbial
    adjectiveC1
  • adverbially
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These terms overlap, but they are not equally exact. 'Adverb' is the standard grammar name for a word like 'slowly', 'here', or 'very'. 'Modifier' is much broader: it can mean an adverb, an adjective, a phrase, or even a clause if it adds information to another part of the sentence. 'Adverbial' is more technical and often means a function rather than a single word, so a phrase like 'in the morning' can be adverbial even though it is not one adverb. 'Describing word' is a child-friendly classroom label, but it can confuse adverbs with adjectives. Remember: in 'The train moved slowly', 'slowly' is an adverb; in 'the slowly moving train', the whole phrase acts as a modifier.

adverb ↗modifieradverbialdescribing word

Common collocations

Nouns

  • adverb form
  • adverb position
  • adverb phrase
  • adverb clause

Phrases

  • use an adverb
  • find the adverb
  • adverb of time
  • adverb of manner

Prepositions

  • adverb in
  • adverb before
  • adverb after

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The grammar term comes from Latin 'adverbium', literally 'a word added to a verb'. It is built from 'ad-' meaning 'to' and 'verbum' meaning 'word' or 'verb'. The term passed through French before entering English in the Middle Ages. Even though the name points to verbs, English adverbs can also modify adjectives, other adverbs, and whole clauses.