The Ultimate 280+ List of Adverbs: From A to Z

Adverbs: what are they? How do they work? How can you use them in a sentence?

Adverbs are an essential part of language. Whether you’re a writer, a student, or learning the English language, it’s crucial that you understand adverbs. To help, I’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to explain what an adverb is, how to use it, and I’ve even included a list of 281 adverbs.

Keep reading to learn everything about the exciting world of adverbs! Once you understand them, you can diversify your language and bring your writing to life.

What Are Adverbs?

What’s an adverb, you ask? The definition of an adverb is that it’s a word that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Importantly, they don’t describe nouns — that’s a job for adjectives.

Adverbs add more information to a sentence to help describe how, where, when, and to what extent something happens.

For example, “Loretta typed an email to her boss” leaves many questions. If you want to know where or how, you can add adverbs. This becomes, “Yesterday, Loretta nervously typed an email to her boss.” See how the adverbs add more detail?

When an adverb describes a verb, it describes how an action is done. The word usually ends in -ly, but not always. For instance, the adjective fast as an adverb is still fast. But in other cases, adverbs can look like: quickly, slowly, badly, or emotionally.

When adverbs describe adjectives, they enrich the descriptive word with more information: “The bride looks quite lovely in her dress” or “The nurses at the hospital were extremely busy.”

When describing another adverb, you’ll usually see two adverbs side by side in a sentence. This can look like this: “My wife is almost always right” or “The neighbors next door are rather too loud”.

Adverbs can also modify an entire sentence. This looks like this: “Thankfully, I had enough money for the tickets” or “Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if you would come”.

Examples of adverbs include inside, outside, up, down, now, then, tomorrow, never, quickly, loudly, peacefully, impatiently, early, here, there, always, and sweetly.

To help you out, I will share a comprehensive list of adverbs in the next part of this article. These adverbs are categorized into different types, including adverbs of degree, evaluation, irregular adverbs, and more.

Adverbs can be tricky to understand, but seeing them broken down like this and used in sentences will definitely help you understand their role in speech and writing.

List of Adverbs

It helps to see a list of adverbs and how they’re used in a sentence. But first, you need to know that there are many types of adverbs that are all used slightly differently.

I’ll walk you through what each type of adverb means, alongside a list of adverbs with their definition, and how to use the adverbs in a sentence.

Let’s get into it!

Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree are used to specify the extent or degree to which an action occurs. Another way to think about it is that it explains the intensity of something.

Often, adverbs of degree come before an adjective, verb, or another adverb. This includes words like very, extremely, and well.

Since these words often describe a comparison, you might find them in sentences that also include the word ‘than’ or ‘as…as’. An example would be, “Betty worked harder than her classmates.” Or “We live as farapart as two football fields.”

Here are 50 examples of degree adverbs in simple sentences, alongside a definition:

• Absolutely: To do something in an absolute or perfect manner.
• Almost: Very nearly, but not exactly.
• Awfully: Extremely disagreeable or great.
• Badly: Done in a bad manner.
• Barely: In a scarce manner.
• Completely: In every possible way.
• Decidedly: Unquestionable or free from doubt.
• Deeply: Going far from the surface or difficult to comprehend.
• Entirely: To the full extent.
• Enormously: To a very great extent.
• Extremely: In a manner or high degree or very advanced.
• Fairly: In a handsome, gentle, or legal manner.
• Far: At a considerable distance or to a great extent.
• Fully: In a full degree.
• Greatly: To a large or remarkable degree.
• Harder: With utmost energy or in a difficult manner.
• Hardly: Emphasizes a narrow amount or degree.
• Highly: In or to a high place or to a high degree.
• How: In what manner or way, to what degree, or in what state.
• Incredibly: In a great or extreme manner.
• Indeed: Without question or in reality.
• Intensely: To an extreme or strong degree.
• Just: Exactly, precisely, or barely.
• Least: Of lowest important or smallest in size.
• Less: Of a limited number or amount or of the lowest degree.
• Little: In a small amount; slightly.
• Lots: Much; of great amount or many in number.
• Most: Greatest or highest degree.
• Much: To a great or considerable degree, or approximately.
• Nearly: Of a close manner; almost but not quite.
• Quite: Wholly or completely; to a considerable extent.
• Perfectly: Done flawlessly; to a complete extent.
• Positively: To a positive or formal degree.
• Practically: In a non-theoretically manner; almost or nearly.
• Pretty: To some degree; moderately; in a graceful manner.
• Rather: With good reason; more willingly; on the contrary.
• Really: In reality; truly; emphasizes an assertion.
• Scarcely: By a narrow margin; certainly not.
• Simply: Done without ambiguity; solely or merely.
• So: In a manner suggested; indicates a suggested degree.
• Somewhat: In some degree or measure; slightly.
• Strongly: Done in an intense or powerful monster; to an emphatic extent.
• Thoroughly: In a complete manner.
• Terribly: To an extreme degree; in a bad manner; a lot.
• Too: Besides; also; to an excessive degree.
• Totally: In a complete manner.
• Utterly: To an extreme degree; to the full extent.
• Very: To a high degree; as true fact.
• Virtually: Almost entirely; done through a computer or virtual location.
• Well: In a good or proper manner; in a friendly manner; carefully.

How To Use in a Sentence

Here are three examples of how to use adverbs of degree in a sentence:

1. Auntie Pauline thinks deeply about every book she reads.
2. His hands were shaking a little while he gave his speech.
3. I’m pretty close to my sister, Rebecca.

Adverbs of Evaluation

Adverbs of evaluation are used to pass comment on an entire phrase or sentence. They usually come at the beginning of a phrase, clause, or sentence and are separated by a comma.

We use them to express a subjective view, degree of certainty, judgment, or a positive or negative attitude. As a speaker, you’ll use them often in conversation to express your perception about something.

For example, you might say: “Obviously, my dog came first in the race.” This implies the speaker’s confidence in their dog’s racing abilities, even though it wasn’t a fact before it happened.

Another example is: “I was seriously considering taking a career break.” The word seriously implies the speaker’s attitude towards their decision-making process.

Finally, you can use adverbs of evaluation to indicate judgment. Here’s an example: “John rightly grounded his daughter after she missed curfew.” The speaker is making their judgment about a situation, even if somebody else might disagree with John’s punishment.

Overall, adverbs of evaluation give more information about the speaker’s opinion on a situation in the clause or sentence.

Here are 30 examples and the adverb’s meaning:

• Apparently: Describes something that appears true.
• Astonishingly: Extremely surprisingly.
• Bravely: Showing mental or moral strength in the face of danger or difficulty.
• Carelessly: Free from care.
• Clearly: Done in a transparent or easily heard manner.
• Definitely: In a manner free from uncertainty.
• Doubtlessly: Probably; done without question.
• Fairly: In a handsome, gentle, or legal manner.
• Foolishly: Lacking sense or judgment; absurd or ridiculous.
• Fortunately: In a good or lucky manner.
• Frankly: In truth; in a manner or forthright expression.
• Generously: Giving liberally or kindly.
• Honestly: In a truthful manner.
• Hopefully: In a manner that expresses desire.
• Interestingly: As a matter of interest; in a manner that holds attention.
• Kindly: Sympathetically or graciously; readily.
• Luckily: In a fortunate manner.
• Obviously: In an evident manner; plainly evident.
• Presumably: By reasonable assumption.
• Probably: So far, seeming reasonably true or without doubt.
• Rightly: Aligning with fair or just conduct; according to truth or fact.
• Sadly: In an unhappy manner; unfortunately.
• Seriously: In an earnest manner; extremely; severely.
• Spitefully: Filled with malice.
• Stupidly: With slow mind; dulled sensation; senselessly.
• Unbelievably: Too unlikely to believe.
• Unfairly: In an unjust manner.
• Unfortunately: Of being unfortunate or regrettable.
• Wisely: In the manner of being smart or clever.
• Wrongly: Incorrectly; without regard for what’s right.

How To Use in a Sentence

Here are three examples of evaluative adverbs in a sentence:

1. Apparently, Josh thinks he’ll pass his driving test the first time.
2. Presumably, Harriet went ahead with the marriage despite the rumors.
3. I foolishly forgot to water my plants before leaving for vacation.

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency describe how often an activity happens. It gives more information about the number of times something happens within a specific period of time. Usually, the adverb is placed after the sentence’s subject but before a verb.

For example, always, never, daily, seldom, and usually are all adverbs of frequency. It can look like this in a sentence: “Jim never washes his black shoes” or “I normally drink tea with milk, but today, I’m taking it black.”

Here are 40 common adverbs of frequency, alongside their definition:

• Almost never: Hardly ever.
• Always: Forever; at all times.
• Annually: Once a year.
• Constantly: Without change; with regular occurrence; always.
• Continually: Without stopping or interruption; on repeat.
• Daily: Every day.
• Eventually: In the end; at an unspecified later point in time.
• Ever: Always; at any time.
• Every day: Daily.
• Every two hours: Once every couple of hours.
• Frequently: At short intervals.
• Generally: In a usual manner; usually.
• Hardly ever: Almost never; seldom.
• Hourly: Once per hour.
• Infrequently: Rarely happens; occurs at wide intervals of time.
• Intermittently: Not continuous; appears seasonally.
• Later: At a subsequent time.
• Loosely: In a relaxed or unattached manner.
• Monthly: Once a month.
• Never: Not ever; not in any degree.
• Nightly: One per night.
• Normally: In a typical manner; on a regular pattern.
• Now and then: From time to time; occasionally.
• Occasionally: Sometimes; now and then.
• Often: Many times; frequently.
• Once a week: Weekly; once every seven days.
• Periodically: At regular time intervals; frequently.
• Quarterly: At 3-month intervals.
• Rarely: Not often.
• Regularly: At scheduled or recurring times or intervals.
• Repeatedly: Again and again.
• Scarcely: Almost not; probably not.
• Seldom: Rarely; infrequently.
• Sometimes: At times; occasionally.
• Still: Always; continually.
• Suddenly: Happening unexpectedly.
• Unexpectedly: Not expected; unforeseen.
• Usually: Most often, as a rule; done during the ordinary course or routine.
• Weekly: Once a week.
• Yearly: Once a year.

How To Use in a Sentence

Let’s see these adverbs of frequency in a sentence! Here are three examples.

1. Alisdair frequently gets phone calls about work.
2. I’ve often considered writing a book about my life.
3. Did you know Frank is still in the hospital?

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner provide insight into the way an action is performed. These adverbs can modify verbs by conveying how something happens or how someone carries out an action.

While adverbs of manner encompass a broad range, the focus often gravitates toward those with a clear positive or negative connotation, so I’ll delve into these.

For instance, “Greta loudly announced her opinion,” or “I took the photographs happily”. As you’ll see, the adverb of manner is usually placed before or after the verb or at the end of the clause after the object.

It also matters where you place your adverb of manner when you have multiple verbs in the sentence because it can change the meaning of the sentence. If you wrote, “Tim quickly agreed to collect the groceries”, then you imply Tim’s agreement was quick. But if you wrote, “Tim agreed to collect the groceries quickly”, then you imply his collection was quick.

Positive adverbs imply that the action was done in a positive or good manner; negative adverbs imply the verb was done in a poor or negative manner. I’ll give you a list of both, so you can see the difference.

Positive Adverbs

Here are 30 positive adverbs with a definition:

• Accurately: Without errors.
• Artistically: Relating to arts or imaginative skill.
• Beautifully: In an excellent manner; in a way that ignites aesthetic pleasure.
• Boldly: In a fearless or assured manner.
• Cheerfully: In a merry manner.
• Cleverly: In a skillful or witty manner.
• Delicately: In a pleasant manner; gently; in an easily damaged way.
• Ethically: Relating to moral principles.
• Faithfully: In a steadfast or loyal manner.
• Gladly: With gratitude; happily.
• Hard: With utmost energy; in a manner that causes difficulty; tightly.
• Honestly: In a genuine or truthful manner.
• Incredibly: Extremely; in an amazing manner.
• Joyfully: In a happy manner.
• Kindly: In a warm-hearted or gentle manner.
• Loudly: In a way that is of intense sound; noisily.
• Madly: To an extreme degree.
• Neatly: In a tidy manner; without dilution.
• Neighbourly: Friendly; relating to nice neighbors.
• Obediently: Willing to submit or follow directions.
• Patiently: In a calm manner; without hurry.
• Quietly: In a soft, noiseless manner.
• Really: Actually; truly; very; emphasizes assertion.
• Skillfully: Expertly; in an accomplished way.
• Speedily: In a swift manner.
• Totally: To a complete degree; entirely.
• Uniquely: Of being the only one, unusually.
• Vibrantly: Full of vigor; brightly.
• Warmly: In a manner that radiates heat; friendly.
• Zestfully: Full of relish or enjoyment.

How To Use in a Sentence

Here are three sentences that use a positive adverb of manner.

1. Amanda gladly accepted Jake’s proposal.
2. He loudly voiced his opinion with confidence.
3. I am madly in love with you because you are really beautiful and artistically gifted.

Negative Adverbs

• Angrily: In an angry manner.
• Awkwardly: In a graceless manner; lacking skill.
• Badly: In a poor or low-quality manner.
• Busily: In a busy or bustling manner.
• Carelessly: Without careful thought or attention.
• Cruelly: In a way to inflict pain.
• Defiantly: In a manner that resists or fights against something.
• Extremely: To a great extent.
• Frantically: In a nervous and hurried manner; panic-stricken.
• Greedily: In a selfish way; eagerly.
• Hastily: In a hurried way.
• Hopelessly: In a despaired way; used as an intensifier.
• Irritably: In an exasperated manner.
• Jealously: Hostile towards a rival; vigilantly guarding something.
• Lazily: Not energetic; slowly; not upright.
• Mortally: In a deadly manner; to an extreme degree.
• Nervously: In a timid or apprehensive manner.
• Noisily: Loudly.
• Obnoxiously: In an offensive way.
• Poorly: In a bad or inferior manner.
• Questionably: Invites inquiry; uncertainly.
• Rarely: Not often.
• Recklessly: Carelessly; irresponsibly.
• Rudely: Crudely; lacking delicacy; abruptly.
• Sadly: In an unhappy manner; in a way that causes disappointment; unfortunately.
• Stupidly: In an obtuse manner.
• Tensely: In a nervous or suspenseful manner.
• Uselessly: Having no use; ineffectually.
• Violently: In a physically destructive way; unnaturally; notably furious.
• Weakly: In a feeble manner.

How To Use in a Sentence

Here are three ways you can use negative adverbs of manner in a sentence.

1. Annie ate her birthday cake greedily, leaving behind no crumbs.
2. I rarely hear from Alice anymore; I’m not sure she wants to be friends.
3. “Clean up your mess,” Greg said irritably.

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of place — sometimes called spatial adverbs — answer the question, “Where?”

They explain the location of where the verb is being carried out. For instance, “The house is situated north of the hill.” In this sentence, north is the adverb of place because it answers the question, “Where?”

Adverbs of place typically come after the sentence’s object or the main verb. In the sentence above, it comes after the verb situated.

There are all kinds of adverbs of place. They can indicate direction — forward, upward — refer to distances — nearby, miles apart — or an object’s positional relation to another object — through, underneath.

Below are 41 adverbs of place and a definition:

• About: Close to; almost; all around; nearby.
• Above: Overhead; in a higher place; besides.
• Abroad: In another country; widely; in wide circulation.
• Across: Reaching from one side to another; on the opposite side; as something understandable.
• Afterward: At a later time.
• Anywhere: At or to any place; at all.
• Away: On the way; from this place; out of existence; from one’s ownership.
• Back: Towards the rear; toward a place where a person came from.
• Backward: Towards the rear; in a reverse way.
• Behind: In the place where the person departed from; in a secondary position.
• Below: In a lower place or floor; under the surface.
• Down: In a lower position; in the direction opposite ‘up’.
• Downstairs: Descending to a lower floor.
• East: In the direction of the east.
• Elsewhere: In another place.
• Far: At a considerable distance; much.
• Forward: Towards the front.
• Here: In this place; at this point; to this place.
• Homeward: Towards home.
• In: Towards the inside; within a space.
• Indoors: Inside a building.
• Inside: On the inner side; on the interior.
• Miles apart: Separated by many miles.
• Near/Nearby: Within a short distance or time; almost; closely.
• North: In the direction of the north.
• Off: From a place or position; to be divided.
• On: In contact with a surface; forward to an advanced space in succession.
• Out: In the direction away from the middle; displaced from its usual space; in the open.
• Outside: In the outdoors.
• Over: Across a barrier or interrupting space; beyond a limit; above.
• Round: Around; circle something; move in a circular way.
• South: Towards the south.
• There: In another or that place; at that stage; in that matter.
• Through: From one side to another; from beginning to end; completely; out.
• Under: In a position below something; underneath a limit; to death; covered.
• Underneath: Directly beneath.
• Up: In a higher position or level; with great intensity.
• Upstairs: Towards a higher floor; intellectually.
• Upward: Going from lower to higher; towards a better level or later years.
• West: In the direction of the sunset; on the left-hand side if someone is facing north. .
• Where: At, in, or to what place; here; there.

How To Use in a Sentence

Let’s look at how we can use adverbs of place in a sentence.

1. She rolled the ball round in her hand until it fell down.
2. Head south on the highway until you reach traffic lights.
3. “I left fresh bread in the kitchen for you,” Mom said.

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time answer the question, “When?”

In a sentence, they can explain when the action occurs — tomorrow, today, last year. But they can also explain for how long — all day, two years, since 2005. Finally, they can tell us how often — regularly, never, seldom.

Does that last example sound familiar? That’s right! Adverbs of time also include adverbs of frequency.

Usually, adverbs of time come last in the sentence, but you can move them around to create emphasis. For example, you can say: “I graduated high school in 2013.” Or you can say, “In 2013, I graduated high school.”

You can also put a few adverbs of time together. This would look like this: “I visited London for three days (how long) last week (when).”

We use these kinds of adverbs extremely often in speech and writing. Here are 53 examples of adverbs of time. Remember, this also includes some adverbs of frequency:

• Already: Before a specified time; by this time.
• Always: At all times; forever.
• Annually: Once per year, each year.
• Before: In advance; at an earlier time.
• Constantly: Without variation; always; regularly.
• Currently: At the moment.
• Daily: Every day.
• Earlier/Early: Near the start; before the expected time.
• Eventually: In the end.
• Ever: Always; at any time; in any way.
• Finally: After a long period of time; eventually; in conclusion; in a final manner.
• First: Before all others; before another time.
• For [insert amount of days, months, years]: During a specified amount of time.
• Formerly: Previously; just before.
• Fortnightly: Every two weeks.
• Frequently: At short intervals.
• Generally: About an overall situation; usually.
• Hourly: During every hour.
• In [insert year]: During the specified year.
• Infrequently: Rarely; at wide intervals.
• Just: Exactly; very recently; barely; simply.
• Last: After all others; lately; or at the specified date (i.e., last month).
• Late: After the proper time; recently.
• Lately: Of late; recently.
• Later: At a time afterward.
• Momentarily: For a moment; instantly; soon.
• Monthly: Once a month.
• Never: At no time; not under any condition.
• Next: In the time, place or order nearest; on the first occasion.
• Nightly: Happening every night.
• Normally: Typically; usually; occurring naturally.
• Now: At the present moment; sometimes.
• Occasionally: Now and then.
• Often: Many times; frequently.
• Previously: Prior to; before.
• Quarterly: Every three months.
• Rarely: Not often; in an extreme manner.
• Recently: Lately; at a recent time.
• Regularly: In a normal or expected manner; at regular intervals.
• Seldom: Rarely.
• Since: Between a specified time and now; subsequently.
• Sometimes: Now and then; occasionally.
• Soon: Before long; quickly; willingly.
• Still: Without movement; always; nevertheless.
• Then: At that time; soon after; in that case.
• Today: On this day.
• Tomorrow: On the day after today.
• Tonight: On this night.
• Usually: Customarily; ordinary; most often.
• Weekly: Every week.
• Yearly: Occurring once a year.
• Yesterday: On the day before today.
• Yet: Besides; on top of everything else; up to now; at a future time.

How To Use in a Sentence

How can you use adverbs of time in a sentence? Here are three examples.

1. Make sure you take a break hourly to avoid burnout.
2. Leena handed in her test already.
3. Veronica arrived first, so the doctor saw her before the others.

Irregular Adverbs

To understand irregular adverbs, you first need to understand regular adverbs. A regular adverb is created by simply adding -ly on the end. For example, the adjective cheery becomes the adverb cheerily. Angry becomes angrily.

But irregular adverbs don’t follow this standard rule. Unfortunately, there is no trick to irregular adverbs; you simply have to memorize them.

This includes words like well, fast, wrong, and straight. Many don’t even change the spelling from their adjective counterpart.

There are also words in the English language that end in -ly, but they aren’t adverbs. This includes words like timely or friendly.

Even though they end in -ly, they aren’t adverbs. They’re adjectives! So it can be quite confusing, but the more you read, write and use these words, the better you’ll understand them.

Below is a list of 10 irregular adverbs:

• Daily: Every day.
• Early: Near the beginning; before the expected time.
• Far: At a considerable distance; to a great extent.
• Fast: In a fixed manner; quickly.
• Hard: With great effort; fiercely; to the full extent; to the point of solidness.
• Late: After the usual time; recently.
• Lively: Vigorously; actively; brilliantly.
• Straight: In a linear fashion or movement.
• Well: In a good manner; in a kind manner; with skill.
• Wrong/Wrongly: Inaccurately; without regard for what’s right; in the wrong direction; in a false light.

How To Use in a Sentence

Here are three sentences using irregular adverbs.

1. Sean guessed the answers wrong.
2. Dad drove fast down the highway.
3. I work out daily with my friend, Olivia.

Linking Adverbs

Linking adverbs, or conjunctive adverbs, link together two clauses or sentences. Typically, the linking adverbs can change or influence the second sentence or clause’s meaning.

For example, “Brian is allergic to cats but still visits the cat cafe.” Notice how the word but links the contrasting ideas together.

You can also use linking verbs to balance ideas or contrasting points. This looks like this: “I prefer using the tumble drier, whereas my wife likes hanging clothes outside to dry.” The word whereas balances the different opinions and acts as the linking adverb.

You can also use linking adverbs to connect two separate sentences. “I woke up late this morning. However, I managed to get to work on time.” In this case, ‘however’ acts as a conjunctive adverb, connecting two sentences together to emphasize the contrast.

Here are some more examples of linking adverbs:

• Accordingly: In accordance; consequently.
• Additionally: In addition; furthermore.
• Also: Likewise; in addition.
• As a result: Because of something.
• As well: In addition; as much.
• Besides: Also; moreover.
• But: Only; on the contrary.
• Consequently: As a result; accordingly.
• Conversely: In contrast.
• Finally: After a long period of time; eventually.
• Furthermore: In addition; besides.
• Hence: From this place; therefore.
• However: In whatever way; on the other hand.
• In contrast: When compared to another.
• Indeed: Without question; in reality.
• In fact: Truthfully; as truth.
• Instead: As a substitute; rather.
• In the same way: Similarly; alike in substance.
• Likewise: Similarly; in addition.
• Meanwhile: During the same time.
• Moreover: In addition to; besides.
• Nevertheless: In spite of that; however.
• Next: Immediately after; on the soonest occasion.
• Nonetheless: In spite of that; nevertheless.
• Now: At the present moment.
• On the other hand: As a contrasting point; as a differing view.
• Otherwise: In a different manner; under different circumstances; if not.
• Similarly: Strictly comparable; correspondingly.
• Still: Continually; always; nevertheless; yet.
• Subsequently: At a later time.
• Then: At that time; soon after; as a consequence.
• Thereby: By that; connected with.
• Therefore: For that reason; to that end.
• Thus: In this manner; so; hence; as an example.
• Too: Besides; excessively; very; so.
• Unlike: In a differeng way.
• Whereas: Although; since.
• While: During the time that; as long as; although.
• Yet: Besides; even; on top of everything else; so far.

How To Use in a Sentence

Want to know how to use linking adverbs in a sentence? Here are three examples.

1. James was busy brushing his teeth. Meanwhile, the dog was chewing toilet rolls behind his back.
2. Today wasn’t a good day, but tomorrow will be better.
3. I can’t eat meat anymore. Besides, I never liked it much anyway.

Sentence Adverbs

Finally, we have sentence adverbs! Regular adverbs add more information to single words in a sentence, such as another adverb, an adjective, or a verb. But sentence adverbs add more information to an entire sentence or clause.

They are used to express the writer or speaker’s attitude in the context of the sentence. They pass comments on a situation, thought, or sentence rather than modifying a single word.

Also known as a disjunct, they can look like this: “Strangely, the neighbor hadn’t returned home that night.” In this sentence, the adverb strangely passes a comment on the situation. It implies that the speaker is suspicious of the neighbor’s activities.

Remember that these adverbs can be used as regular adverbs, too. That’s why they usually go at the beginning of a sentence to imply that they are sentence adverbs in this situation. To remind you, you can also use the word strangely as a regular adverb, like, “The neighbor was acting strangely.”

Here are 34 sentence adverb examples:

• Actually: In fact; really.
• Apparently: It seems true.
• Basically: At a fundamental level; for the most part; simply.
• Briefly: In a short way; for a short time.
• Certainly: In a confident or true manner; assuredly.
• Clearly: In an obvious or well-spoken manner; it is obvious.
• Confidently: Certainly.
• Conceivably: In a possible manner.
• Curiously: In a skeptical manner; in a nosy way.
• Evidently: Clearly; obviously; based on the evidence available.
• Fortunately: In a lucky or unexpectedly good manner.
• Frankly: In a forthright manner; indeed.
• Hopefully: In a manner that expresses desire.
• Ideally: Perfectly; for best results; in imagination.
• Incidentally: In a non-intentional way; by the way.
• Indeed: Without question; in reality.
• Interestingly: As a matter of interest; in a manner that holds attention.
• Ironically: Curiously or surprisingly.
• Naturally: By nature; as expected; realistically.
• Normally: In a typical manner; on a regular pattern.
• Predictably: In an expected way.
• Presumably: By reasonable assumption.
• Regrettably: In a manner of being sorry.
• Sadly: In an unhappy manner; in a way that causes disappointment; unfortunately.
• Seriously: In an earnest manner; extremely; severely.
• Strangely: In an odd or unusual way.
• Surely: In a confident manner; with assurance; really.
• Surprisingly: In an unexpected manner.
• Thankfully: In a grateful manner.
• Theoretically: According to assumed facts; in theory.
• Truly: Sincerely; in agreement; in a suitable manner.
• Truthfully: In an honest manner.
• Ultimately: In the end; eventually.
• Wisely: In a manner of wisdom.

How To Use in a Sentence

Here are three examples of sentence adverbs in action.

1. Interestingly, Martha decided to quit her job and move across the country.
2. “Ideally, she would come home,” said Dad. “I miss her a lot.”
3. It would indeed be perilous to go on the transatlantic trip.

Adverb List A-Z

I’ve compiled a list of all the adverbs in alphabetical order:

• About
• Above
• Abroad
• Absolutely
• Accordingly
• Accurately
• Across
• Actually
• Additionally
• Afterward
• Almost
• Almost never
• Already
• Also
• Always
• Annually
• Angrily
• Anywhere
• Apparently
• Artistically
• As a result
• As well
• Away
• Awfully
• Awkwardly
• Back
• Backward
• Badly
• Barely
• Basically
• Beautifully
• Before
• Below
• Besides
• Boldly
• Bravely
• Briefly
• Busily
• But
• Carelessly
• Certainly
• Cheerfully
• Clearly
• Cleverly
• Completely
• Conceivably
• Consequently
• Constantly
• Continually
• Conversely
• Cruelly
• Curiously
• Currently
• Daily
• Decidedly
• Deeply
• Defiantly
• Definitely
• Delicately
• Doubtlessly
• Down
• Downstairs
• Earlier/Early
• East
• Elsewhere
• Entirely
• Enormously
• Ethically
• Eventually
• Ever
• Every day
• Every two hours
• Evidently
• Extremely
• Fairly
• Faithfully
• Far
• Finally
• First
• Foolishly
• For (length of time)
• Formerly
• Fortnightly
• Fortunately
• Forward
• Frequently
• Frankly
• Frantically
• Fully
• Furthermore
• Generally
• Generously
• Gladly
• Greedily
• Greatly
• Hard
• Harder
• Hardly
• Hardly ever
• Hastily
• Hence
• Here
• Highly
• Homeward
• Honestly
• Hopefully
• Hopelessly
• Hourly
• How
• However
• Ideally
• In
• In (insert year)
• Incidentally
• In contrast
• Incredibly
• Indeed
• Infrequently
• Inside
• Intensely
• Interestingly
• Intermittently
• In the same way
• Ironically
• Irritably
• Jealously
• Joyfully
• Just
• Kindly
• Last (insert month, year, day)
• Late
• Lately
• Later
• Lazily
• Least
• Less
• Likewise
• Little
• Lively
• Loosely
• Lots
• Loudly
• Luckily
• Madly
• Meanwhile
• Miles apart
• Momentarily
• Monthly
• Moreover
• Mortally
• Most
• Much
• Naturally
• Near/Nearby
• Nearly
• Neatly
• Neighborly
• Nervously
• Never
• Nevertheless
• Next
• Nightly
• Noisily
• Nonetheless
• Normally
• North
• Now
• Now and then
• Obediently
• Obnoxiously
• Obviously
• Occasionally
• Off
• Often
• On
• Once a week
• On the other hand
• Otherwise
• Out
• Outside
• Over
• Quite
• Patiently
• Perfectly
• Periodically
• Poorly
• Positively
• Practically
• Predictably
• Presumably
• Pretty
• Previously
• Probably
• Quarterly
• Questionably
• Quietly
• Rarely
• Rather
• Really
• Recently
• Recklessly
• Regrettably
• Regularly
• Repeatedly
• Rightly
• Round
• Rudely
• Sadly
• Scarcely
• Seldom
• Seriously
• Similarly
• Simply
• Since
• Skillfully
• So
• Sometimes
• Somewhat
• Soon
• South
• Speedily
• Spitefully
• Still
• Straight
• Strangely
• Strongly
• Stupidly
• Subsequently
• Suddenly
• Surely
• Surprisingly
• Tensely
• Terribly
• Thankfully
• Then
• Theoretically
• There
• Therefore
• Thoroughly
• Through
• Thus
• Today
• Tomorrow
• Tonight
• Too
• Totally
• Truly
• Truthfully
• Ultimately
• Unbelievably
• Unexpectedly
• Under
• Underneath
• Unfairly
• Unfortunately
• Uniquely
• Unlike
• Up
• Upstairs
• Upward
• Uselessly
• Usually
• Utterly
• Very
• Vibrantly
• Violently
• Virtually
• Warmly
• Weakly
• Weekly
• Well
• West
• Where
• Whereas
• While
• Wisely
• Wrong/Wrongly
• Yearly
• Yesterday
• Yet
• Zestfully

FAQs About Adverbs

Why Do We Use Adverbs?

We use adverbs to tell us more about other words in a sentence. They answer questions such as how, how often, in what manner, where, and when? Ultimately, adverbs add more information to a sentence.

Specifically, they describe an adjective, verb, or another adverb. But as explained above, they can also modify a clause or entire sentence.

What Is an Adjective vs Adverb?

An adjective describes a noun: a person, place, or thing.

An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

Below is a paragraph containing both adjectives (in italics) and adverbs (in bold) so you can see the difference.

“A scary witch stood behind me for a minute, waiting patiently before I crumbled. She was wearing a tall hat and holding a purple orb. I turned around before she put her pale hand forward and began to cast a spell over me. I ran away quickly, avoiding her petrifying curse.”

How Do You Tell if a Word Is an Adverb?

The easiest way to decide if a word is an adverb is to determine whether it answers the questions of to which degree, how often, how, where, or when?

You can also see if the word describes a verb, adjective, or often another adverb. In the sentence above about the witch, the word patiently (adverb) describes the word waiting (verb).

But it also answers the question of “how?” The witch was waiting. But how was she waiting? Patiently.

Adverbs can also describe an entire sentence, adding a subjective view or attitude. This includes words like frankly or hopefully.

Finally, you also have linking adverbs that link sentences or clauses together. This includes words such as moreover or therefore.

There are lots of different kinds of adverbs, which can make this part of speech confusing. But the more you study them, read, and write, the more familiar you will become with adverbs.

The Reverb on Adverbs

Let’s recap what we’ve learned about adverbs! We’ve discussed an adverb’s meaning: a word that adds more information to a verb, adjective, another adverb, or an entire sentence.

We’ve also walked through all kinds of adverbs, including adverbs of manner and frequency. I’ve listed over 280 adverbs for you to reflect on, including irregular adverbs, which you must memorize since they don’t follow a pattern.

Adverbs are a totally and completely (see what I did there?) an essential part of the language.

Finally, I’ve included a printable PDF so you can download the list — or even the entire article — so you have a tangible item to help you study.