Intransitive Verbs List:100+ Useful Intransitive Verbs with Example Sentences

Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not require a direct object to complete their meaning. The action or state they describe ends with the subject and doesn’t pass on to anyone or anything else. For example, in the sentence The audience clapped enthusiastically, the verb clapped is complete on its own—there’s no object being acted upon.

This guide includes a list of 100+ intransitive verbs, each paired with a natural sentence example. Whether you’re learning, teaching, or reviewing English grammar, this resource will help you understand how these verbs work in real context.

List of Useful Intransitive Verbs in English

Important Note on Verb Usage

Many English verbs can be used in more than one way. Some verbs in this list are ambitransitive, meaning they can function as either transitive or intransitive depending on the sentence.

However, in this article, we focus on their intransitive usage only—that is, how they appear in sentences without a direct object. Every example in the sections below shows the verb working as intransitive, even if it can act differently in other contexts.

This approach helps you understand how these verbs behave when they do not transfer action to an object.

Intransitive Verbs with Examples by Category

In the examples below, you’ll sometimes see phrases like “to the station” or “in the morning” following the verb. These are not direct objects. They are prepositional phrases or adverbial modifiers that add detail, but they do not receive the action of the verb.

Remember:

• A direct object answers “what?” or “whom?” right after the verb.
• Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object.

This guide focuses only on true intransitive uses, even if modifiers are present.

Verbs of Movement or Motion

These verbs describe physical actions or changes in location. They don’t transfer action to an object but often appear with adverbs or phrases indicating direction or manner.

• arrive – The guests arrived around noon.
• go – He goes jogging every weekend.
• fall – Several apples fell from the tree.
• run – She ran across the field without stopping.
• travel – They traveled by train through Europe.
• jump – The dog jumped over the puddle.
• depart – The bus departed ten minutes early.
• walk – We walked to the station in silence.
• slide – The book slid off the table.
• crawl – The baby crawled under the couch.

Verbs of Reaction and Expression

These intransitive verbs describe emotional responses, physical reactions, or expressions. They often appear with adverbs or time phrases, but they do not take a direct object.

• gasp – She gasped when she saw the total.
• sigh – He sighed deeply and leaned back.
• shout – They shouted during the match.
• smile – Julia smiled at the compliment.
• cry – The baby cried for hours.
• tremble – His hands trembled before the speech.
• laugh – Everyone laughed at the joke.
• blush – She blushed unexpectedly.
• frown – He frowned, unsure what to say.
• shiver – The boy shivered in the cold wind.
• snore – Dad snored through the whole movie.
• hiccup – She hiccuped uncontrollably.
• grin – The student grinned with pride.
• greet – They greeted politely (intransitive in informal or elliptical constructions).
• murmur – He murmured softly in his sleep.
• protest – They protested outside the building.
• respond – She responded quickly.
• react – He reacted without thinking.
• agree – We all agreed in the end.
• hesitate – He hesitated before answering.
• cheer – The crowd cheered after the final goal.
• panic – She panicked when she saw the error.
• scream – The children screamed with joy.
• sneeze – I sneezed twice this morning.
• yawn – The baby yawned during the story.

Verbs of Change or Process

These intransitive verbs describe natural developments, internal changes, or gradual processes. They show that something is happening or shifting, but not to an object.

• grow – The plant grew quickly in the sun.
• change – His mood changed during the conversation.
• improve – Her health improved steadily.
• decline – Attendance declined last semester.
• fade – The sound faded into silence.
• shrink – My jeans shrank in the wash.
• melt – The snow melted by afternoon.
• wane – Interest waned after the second session.
• develop – The situation developed slowly.
• increase – Prices increased overnight.
• decrease – The noise level decreased over time.
• evolve – Their approach evolved with experience.
• fluctuate – Temperatures fluctuate during spring.
• progress – Construction progressed without delay.
• emerge – New leaders emerged after the vote.
• vanish – The mist vanished by morning.
• exist – That species no longer exists.
• appear – She appeared suddenly at the door.
• occur – A mistake occurred during processing.
• happen – What happened while I was out?
• arise – A problem arose unexpectedly.
• linger – The smell lingered for days.
• settle – The dust settled on the windowsill.
• dissolve – The tablet dissolved in water.
• sink – The boat sank near the shore.

Verbs of State or Existence

These intransitive verbs describe conditions, states of being, or situations where the subject simply exists or remains in a certain way.

• be – She is at home today.
• stay – Please stay until the end.
• remain – He remained silent throughout the meeting.
• live – They live in the countryside.
• sleep – The baby sleeps peacefully.
• rest – You should rest after the long flight.
• wait – We waited outside the office.
• stand – The monument stands at the center of town.
• lie – He lay on the grass for hours.
• exist – The problem still exists.
• sit – They sat near the window.
• reside – She resides in the U.K.
• retire – He retired last year.
• work – She works from home now.
• function – The machine no longer functions properly.
• occur – No error occurred during the test.
• belong – This coat belongs to Marcus.
• depend – It depends on the weather.
• consist – The recipe consists of basic ingredients.
• meditate – He meditates before sunrise.
• nap – The dog napped on the sofa.
• dream – I dream almost every night.
• relax – We relaxed by the fire.
• doze – He dozed off during the lecture.
• suffocate – Several fish suffocated due to a lack of oxygen. (used in passive-like form but intransitive in meaning)

How to Use Intransitive Verbs Effectively

Intransitive verbs work best when you want to describe an action or state that stays with the subject. Since they don’t require a direct object, they often appear with adverbs, prepositional phrases, or time expressions that add detail without changing the verb’s function.

For example:

• The audience clapped loudly. (adverb)
• She lives in London. (prepositional phrase)
• He arrived late. (time-related detail)

When using intransitive verbs, the focus is on how, when, or where the subject acts or exists, not what the subject acts upon. This makes them especially useful in narrative writing, conversation, and descriptive text, where actions don’t need objects to feel complete.

Avoid mistaking modifiers like to the park or in the morning for objects—they simply support the verb with additional information.