What is an Adverb? Definitions, Examples, and Comprehensive List

An adverb is a part of speech (POS), and parts of speech are incredibly important in writing. Each part of speech fulfills a purpose in a sentence, and not all parts of speech are created equal. Some parts of speech make our writing stronger while others make it weaker. So we must be careful using them.  

In this blog post, we will discuss the definition of an adverb, provide examples, and list them so that you can start using them in your own writing.

So, what exactly is an interjection? Let's find out!

Adverbs Definition

An adverb is a part of speech that can modify a verb, adjective, or other adverbs. Adverbs answer the questions how, when, where, how often, and to what extent.

For example:

• How did she sing? Beautifully.
• When will they arrive? Soon.
• Where is he going? Nowhere.
• To what extent is it cold? Very.

Most adverbs are derived from adjectives by adding the suffix -ly, but this is not always the case—good and well are two examples.

If a sentence is a story, the noun is the character and the verb the action, but sometimes the action does not speak for itself. Namely, we require more information about the action. That's where the adverb comes in handy.

Because they modify verbs, adverbs add weight to sentences, and in many cases, they are unnecessary. The reality is that the English language counts enough, quality verbs that convey the right information to readers, which makes adverbs unnecessary.

However, in some cases adverbs are necessary, and they can be extremely useful in conveying important information. There are different types of adverbs, and we associate them with the information they provide:

• adverbs of time — WHEN
• adverbs of manner — HOW
• adverbs of degree — WHEN
• adverbs of place — WHERE
• adverbs of frequency — HOW OFTEN

What Are Adverbs of Time?

Adverbs of time tell us when something happened, happens, or will happen. In other words, it adds temporal information to the verb, which can be critical in a sentence. 

For example:

• I have always wanted to visit Spain.
• Are you coming home soon?
• Yesterday, we went out for lunch.

What Are Adverbs of Manner?

Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens. In other words, it adds additional information to the verb to enrich the story of the sentence. 

For example:

• He ran quickly to catch the bus.
• They are working hard on their project.
• Speak slowly so I can understand you.

What Are Averbs of Degree?

Adverbs of degree tell us the intensity or degree of an action. In other words, it gives us additional information about the verb, which we cannot get from the verb itself.

For example:

• I am really cold.
• She is quite bored with her job.
• He is almost finished his exams.

What Are Adverbs of Place?

Adverbs of place tell us where something happens. In other words, it tells us the location of the verb or the action in the story of the sentence. 

For example:

• The cat is under the table.
• The temperature was below zero.
• I have already told you I am not interested.

What Are Adverbs of Frequency?

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens.

For example:

• I always brush my teeth before bed.
• We rarely go out for dinner.
• He never watches TV.

Why Are Adverbs Important to Understand?

Adverbs matter because they can change the meaning of a sentence. Not every verb contains all the meaning necessary to tell the story the way it needs to be told. In such cases, we need to add an adverb. 

For example, the adverb slowly changes the meaning of the verb walk:

• He walked quickly to school. (He walked fast.)
• He walked slowly to school. (He didn’t walk fast.)

There is a significant difference between saying that a boy walked to school and saying he walked quickly or slowly to school. If he simply walked, there is nothing more to think about. But if he walked quickly, he may have been followed. And if he walked slowly, he may dread an encounter with a bully.

It's also important to understand that adverbs change in meaning depending on where they are placed in a sentence. Remember that an adverb modifies the word following them. 

For example:

• He almost bought 30 houses. (He bought zero houses.)
• He bought almost 30 houses. (He bought less than 30 houses.)

If you place the adverb in the wrong location, you may confuse your reader or say something entirely different than what you intended. 

Last but not least, the presence or absence of adverbs in a sentence or paragraph makes a large difference. Adverbs make the writing heavier, so using them a lot creates a "heavy" style, while not using them creates a "light" style. Not that it is almost impossible to avoid adverbs completely.

Adverbs List (400+)

• Abnormally
• Abroad
• Abruptly
• Absently
• Absentmindedly 
• Accidentally
• Accidentally 
• Accusingly
• Actually
• Actually 
• Adventurously
• Adversely
• Afterward 
• Almost
• Almost Never
• Along
• Already
• Always
• Amazingly
• Angrily
• Annually
• Anxiously
• Anxiously 
• Anywhere
• Apparently
• Arrogantly 
• Away
• Awkwardly 
• Back
• Backward
• Badly
• Bashfully 
• Beautifully 
• Before
• Behind
• Below
• Bitterly 
• Bleakly 
• Blindly
• Blindly 
• Blissfully 
• Boastfully 
• Boldly
• Speedily
• Bravely
• Briefly
• Briefly
• Sternly
• Brightly 
• Briskly 
• Broadly 
• Busily
• Busily 
• Calmly
• Carefully 
• Carelessly 
• Cautiously
• Certainly 
• Cheerfully 
• Clearly
• Cleverly
• Closely
• Coaxingly 
• Colorfully 
• Commonly 
• Constantly
• Continually 
• Coolly
• Correctly 
• Courageously 
• Crossly 
• Cruelly 
• Curiously 
• Daily 
• Daintily 
• Daringly
• Dearly 
• Deceivingly 
• Deeply 
• Defiantly 
• Deliberately 
• Delightfully 
• Desperately
• Determinedly
• Diligently
• Dimly 
• Doubtfully
• Down
• Downstairs
• Dreamily 
• Eagerly
• Earlier
• Early
• Easily
• Easily 
• East
• Elegantly
• Elegantly 
• Elsewhere
• Energetically 
• Enormously
• Enormously 
• Enough
• Enthusiastically 
• Equally 
• Especially 
• Even 
• Evenly 
• Eventually 
• Ever
• Every Day
• Every Two Hours
• Exactly 
• Excitedly 
• Extremely 
• Fairly 
• Famously 
• Far 
• Fast 
• Fatally 
• Ferociously 
• Fervently 
• Fiercely 
• Finally
• First
• Fondly
• Fondly 
• Foolishly 
• Formerly
• Fortnightly
• Fortunately 
• Frankly 
• Frantically 
• Freely 
• Frenetically 
• Frequently
• Frightfully 
• Fully 
• Furiously 
• Generally 
• Generously 
• Gently 
• Gladly 
• Gleefully 
• Gracefully 
• Gratefully 
• Greatly 
• Greedily 
• Happily
• Hard
• Hardly
• Ever
• Harshly
• Hastily
• Hastily 
• Healthily 
• Heartily
• Heavily 
• Helpfully 
• Helplessly
• Here
• Highly 
• Honestly 
• Hopelessly
• Hopelessly 
• Hourly 
• Hungrily 
• Hurriedly
• Immediately 
• Inadequately
• Increasingly
• Indoors
• Infrequently
• Innocently 
• Inquisitively 
• Inside
• Instantly 
• Intensely
• Intensely 
• Intently 
• Interestingly 
• Intermittently
• Inwardly 
• Irritably 
• Jealously 
• Jovially 
• Joyfully 
• Joyously
• Jubilantly
• Jubilantly 
• Judgmentally 
• Just
• Justly 
• Keenly 
• Kiddingly
• Kindheartedly 
• Kindly 
• Knavishly 
• Knowingly 
• Knowledgeably 
• Kookily 
• Last
• Late
• Lately
• Later
• Lazily 
• Les 
• Less
• Lightly 
• Likely
• Likely 
• Limply 
• Lively 
• Loftily 
• Longingly 
• Loosely 
• Loudly
• Happily 
• Lovingly 
• Loyally 
• Luckily
• Madly
• Majestically 
• Meaningfully 
• Mechanically 
• Merrily
• Miserably
• Mockingly
• Monthly
• More
• Mortally
• Mostly
• Mysteriously
• Naturally
• Near
• Nearby
• Nearly
• Neatly
• Nervously 
• Never 
• Next
• Next Door
• Nicely 
• Noisily
• Normally
• Normally
• Generally
• Not
• Not Until
• Now
• Now And Then
• Obediently
• Obnoxiously 
• Occasionally
• Oddly
• Oddly 
• Off
• Offensively 
• Officially 
• Often 
• Often
• Frequently
• On Occasion
• Occasionally
• Once A Week
• Only
• Only 
• Openly 
• Optimistically
• Out
• Outside
• Over
• Overconfidently 
• Overseas
• Painfully 
• Partially 
• Patiently 
• Perfectly 
• Periodically
• Physically 
• Playfully
• Politely
• Poorly
• Positively 
• Potentially
• Powerfully
• Presumably
• Previously
• Probably
• Promptly
• Properly
• Proudly
• Punctually
• Quaintly
• Quarterly
• Queasily 
• Queerly
• Questionalby
• Quickly
• Quietly
• Quietly 
• Quirkily
• Quite
• Quizzically
• Randomly
• Rapidly
• Rapidly 
• Rarely
• Ravenously
• Readily 
• Really
• Really 
• Reassuringly
• Recently
• Recklessly 
• Regularly
• Regularly 
• Reluctantly
• Repeatedly 
• Reproachfully 
• Restfully
• Right
• Righteously
• Rightfully
• Rightly
• Rigidly Doubtfully 
• Roughly
• Rudely
• Sadly
• Safely
• Scarcely
• Scarily 
• Searchingly 
• Sedately 
• Seemingly
• Seldom
• Hardly Ever
• Selfishly
• Separately
• Seriously
• Shakily
• Sharply
• Sheepishly
• Shrilly
• Shyly
• Silently
• Since
• Sleepily
• Slowly
• Smoothly
• Softly
• Solemnly
• Solidly
• Sometimes
• Somewhere
• Soon
• Speedily
• Stealthily
• Sternly
• Still
• Straight
• Strictly
• Stubbornly
• Stupidly
• Successfully
• Suddenly
• Surprisingly
• Suspiciously
• Sweetly
• Swiftly
• Sympathetically
• Tenderly
• Tensely
• Terribly
• Thankfully
• Then
• There
• Thoroughly
• Thoughtfully
• Tightly
• Today
• Tomorrow
• Tonight
• Too
• Towards
• Tremendously
• Triumphantly
• Truly
• Truthfully
• Truthfully 
• Ultimately
• Unabashedly
• Unaccountably
• Unbearably
• Unbelievably, Etc.
• Under
• Underground
• Understandingly
• Unethically
• Unexpectedly
• Unfortunately
• Unhappily
• Unimpressively
• Unnaturally
• Unnecessarily
• Unwillingly
• Up
• Upbeat
• Upright
• Upside-Down
• Upstairs
• Upward
• Urgently
• Usefully
• Uselessly
• Usually
• Utterly
• Vacantly
• Vaguely
• Vainly
• Valiantly
• Vastly
• Verbally
• Very
• Viciously
• Victoriously
• Violently
• Vivaciously
• Voluntarily
• Warmly
• Weakly
• Wearily
• Weekly
• Well
• Wetly
• Wholly
• Wildly
• Willfully
• Wisely
• Woefully
• Wonderfully
• Worriedly
• Wrongly
• Yawningly
• Yearly
• Yearningly
• Yesterday
• Yieldingly
• Youthfully
• Zealously
• Zestfully
• Zestily