In this article we are going to explore verbs that start with W. But before we dive into the list of verbs that begin with W, let us share with you some interesting facts about the letter W. Have you ever noticed something odd about the symbol of letter W? If I speak for myself, I always had some peculiar questions regarding letter W.
For example, does letters M and W have the same origin? Is W just the inverted form of M? What was the need of letter W when we already had U. We could have just doubled the letter U to form W. Let us explore the answers of these questions.
W is the twenty-third letter of the modern English and ISO basic Latin alphabets. It usually represents a consonant, but in some languages it represents a vowel. Its name in English is double-u. It has nothing to do with letter M in terms of sound or origin, it is a totally distinct letter.
As the Oxford English Dictionary explains it, the ancient Roman alphabet did not have a letter W. So in the 7th century, when Latin was first used in early Old English writing, it was necessary to invent a symbol to represent that sound. At first, the sound was represented by “UU”—literally a double U. In the 11th century, the old “UU” was joined to form “W”.
So, without any further ado let’s jump into the list of verbs that start with W. Try and learn as many of these action words that start with W as possible. And don’t just stay there. Try and incorporate these verbs that start with W into your daily life talks and writings.
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Verbs That Start with W You Always Use
Verbs create action and drama in a sentence by showing what the subject is doing. Following are some of the verbs that start with W that we always use in our daily lives.
1. Wait
- Definition: stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or event
- Synonyms: stand by, hold back
- Example: I rang the bell and waited.
2. Want
- Definition: to wish for a particular thing or plan of action
- Synonyms: desire, fancy
- Example: I want some chocolate.
3. Work
- Definition: to do a job, especially the job you do to earn money
- Synonyms: toil, labor, service
- Example: He works at the hospital.
4. Worsen
- Definition: make or become worse
- Synonyms: aggravate, exacerbate
- Example: Her condition worsened on the flight.
5. Whip
- Definition: to hit a person or animal with a whip
- Synonyms: flog, scourge, flagellate
- Example: I don’t like the way the drivers whip their horses.
6. Wed
- Definition: to marry someone
- Synonyms: marry, unify, espouse
- Example: The couple eventually wed after an 18-year engagement.
7. Weep
- Definition: to cry tears
- Synonyms: cry, sob
- Example: People in the street wept with joy when peace was announced.
8. Wonder
- Definition: to ask yourself questions or express a wish to know about something
- Synonyms: ponder, think
- Example: He’s starting to wonder whether he did the right thing in accepting this job.
9. Wash
- Definition: to clean something using water
- Synonyms: clean, cleanse, sponge
- Example: Have you washed the dishes yet?
10. Wall
- Definition: enclose an area within walls, especially for protection or privacy
- Synonyms: enclose, bound, encircle
- Example: Parts of the city’s East End had been walled off with concrete barricades.
Verbs That Start with W You Usually Use
A verb is a term that indicates an action, an event, or a state. A sentence may either have a main verb, a helping verb or both. Following are some of the verbs starting with W that we usually use in our daily lives.
1. White
- Definition: paint or turn something white
- Synonyms: pasty, pearly
- Example: Your passion hath whited your face.
2. Whiz
- Definition: move quickly through the air with a whistling or buzzing sound
- Synonyms: speed, race, hurtle
- Example: The missiles whizzed past.
3. Will
- Definition: try to make something happen
- Synonyms: motivate, encourage
- Example: He was watching her fixedly, willing her to look at him.
4. Welcome
- Definition: to meet and speak to someone in a friendly way when they arrive
- Synonyms: greet, salute
- Example: The visitors were warmly welcomed by the head of the department.
5. Whisper
- Definition: to speak very quietly, using the breath but not the voice, so that only the person close to you can hear you
- Synonyms: murmur, mutter, mumble
- Example: She leaned over and whispered something in his ear.
6. Wax
- Definition: cover or treat something with wax or a similar substance, typically to polish or protect it
- Synonyms: dilate, magnify, mount
- Example: I washed and waxed the floor.
7. Wane
- Definition: to decrease in size, extent, or degree
- Synonyms: abate, deescalate, decline
- Example: The scandal caused her popularity to wane.
8. Wrap
- Definition: to cover or surround something with paper, cloth, or other material
- Synonyms: muffle, cloak, enfold
- Example: She wrapped the present and tied it with ribbon.
9. Wire
- Definition: to connect a piece of electrical equipment with wires so that it will work
- Synonyms: thread, anchor, belay
- Example: The stereo wasn’t working because it hadn’t been wired up correctly.
10. War
- Definition: engage in a war
- Synonyms: fight, battle, combat
- Example: Small states warred against each another.
Verbs That Start with W You Often Use
Verbs are an essential part of speech because a sentence cannot exist without them. Within a sentence, they fulfil numerous functions. These are some of the verbs beginning with W that we often use in our daily lives.
1. Wring
- Definition: to twist a cloth or piece of clothing with your hands to remove water from it
- Synonyms: twist, squeeze, screw
- Example: Maria wrung out the shirt and hung it out to dry.
2. Word
- Definition: express something spoken or written in particular words
- Synonyms: phrase, express, put
- Example: He words his request in a particularly ironic way.
3. Wreck
- Definition: destroy or severely damage a structure, or vehicle
- Synonyms: demolish, crash, smash
- Example: The blast wrecked 100 houses.
4. Wage
- Definition: to fight a war or organize a series of activities in order to achieve something
- Synonyms: engage in, carry on, conduct
- Example: They’ve been waging a long campaign to change the law.
5. Whimper
- Definition: make a series of low, feeble sounds expressive of fear, pain, or unhappiness
- Synonyms: whine, cry, sniffle
- Example: A child in a bed nearby began to whimper.
6. Wheel
- Definition: push or pull a vehicle with wheels
- Synonyms: push, trundle, roll
- Example: Luke was wheeling a barrow.
7. Weaken
- Definition: to cause to become less strong, powerful, determined, or effective
- Synonyms: enfeeble, debilitate, incapacitate
- Example: You could see the poor dog weakening daily as the disease spread through its body.
8. Whitewash
- Definition: paint a wall, building, or room with whitewash
- Synonyms: cover up, conceal
- Example: The brick walls have been whitewashed.
9. Weary
- Definition: cause to become tired
- Synonyms: overtire, exhaust, drain
- Example: I was wearied by her persistent cough.
10. Wiredraw
- Definition: draw out metal into wire by passing it through a series of holes of diminishing diameter in a steel plate
- Synonyms: protract, extend
- Example: They knew how to beat tin and how to wiredraw copper.
Verbs That Start with W You Sometimes Use
There are a number of verbs in English language that are not used that often. Following are some of those verbs starting with letter W that are only used sometimes.
1. Weird
- Definition: induce a sense of disbelief or alienation in someone
- Synonyms: alienate, estrange
- Example: Blue eyes weirded him out.
2. Wager
- Definition: to risk money by guessing the result of something
- Synonyms: bet, gamble, lay odds
- Example: More than $2 billion was wagered legally on sports in Nevada in the last 12 months.
3. Wink
- Definition: to close one eye for a short time as a way of greeting someone or showing that you are not serious about something you have said
- Synonyms: blink, flutter, bat
- Example: For a second I thought he was being serious, but then he winked at me.
4. Waive
- Definition: refrain from insisting on or using a right or claim
- Synonyms: relinquish, renounce, give up
- Example: He will waive all rights to the money.
5. Waver
- Definition: move in a quivering way
- Synonyms: quiver, tremble, flicker
- Example: The flame wavered in the draught.
6. Wing
- Definition: to fly; travel on wings or by aircraft
- Synonyms: fly, glide, soar
- Example: George satisfied his keen urge to fly by winging homewards with the Royal Air Force.
7. Wean
- Definition: accustom someone to managing without something which they have become dependent on
- Synonyms: discourage, halt, remove
- Example: The doctor tried to wean her off the sleeping pills.
8. While
- Definition: to cause to pass especially without boredom or in a pleasant manner
- Synonyms: pass, spend, occupy
- Example: Playing basketball was just a diversion to while away the long afternoons.
9. Withhold
- Definition: to refuse to give something or to keep back something
- Synonyms: stop, retain, hold
- Example: Police are withholding the dead woman’s name until her relatives have been informed.
10. Weather
- Definition: wear away or change the appearance or texture of (something) by long exposure to the atmosphere
- Synonyms: erode, wear
- Example: His skin was weathered almost black by his long outdoor life.
Verbs That Start with W You Occasionally Use
Whether in a sentence or on their own, verbs are the primary functional part of the sentence. Following are some of the verb words that start with W that we use on special occasions.
1. Weed
- Definition: to get rid of what is not wanted
- Synonyms: remove, delete
- Example: She’s weeding out the old computer files.
2. Wiggle
- Definition: move or cause to move up and down or from side to side with small rapid movements
- Synonyms: jiggle, wriggle, twitch, flutter
- Example: He is wiggling his toes.
3. Wedge
- Definition: force into a narrow space
- Synonyms: squeeze, cram, jam
- Example: Her shoe came off and got wedged between the bars.
4. Waul
- Definition: give a loud plaintive cry
- Synonyms: bawl, howl, cry
- Example: The cat is wauling.
5. Wham
- Definition: strike something forcefully
- Synonyms: bang, crash, slam, smash, strike
- Example: Trucks whammed into each other.
6. Web
- Definition: cover with or as though with a web
- Synonyms: cover, mask
- Example: She noticed his tanned skin, webbed with fine creases.
7. Wangle
- Definition: manage to obtain something by persuading or cleverly manipulating someone
- Synonyms: contrive, engineer
- Example: If I can think of some excuse to wangle my way out of going tonight I will do!
8. Whirl
- Definition: move or cause to move rapidly round and round
- Synonyms: rotate, turn
- Example: She saw a mass of bodies whirling around on the dance floor.
9. Wriggle
- Definition: twist and turn with quick writhing movements
- Synonyms: squirm, writhe, wiggle
- Example: The puppy wriggled in his arms.
10. Westernize
- Definition: be in the process of adopting or being influenced by the systems of the West
- Synonyms: modify, alter, Orientalize
- Example: The developing nations of the world are rapidly westernizing.
Verbs That Start with W You Seldom Use
Verbs are important because they help people communicate about different events. Following are some of the action verbs starting with W that we seldom make use of.
1. Wreathe
- Definition: cover, surround, or encircle something
- Synonyms: festoon, garland, cover
- Example: The ship was wreathed in smoke.
2. Wig
- Definition: to make or become wildly excited or enthusiastic
- Synonyms: enliven, brighten
- Example: She wigs out over every rock star that comes along.
3. Whir
- Definition: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir
- Synonyms: bumble, burr, buzz, drone
- Example: Our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road.
4. Winkle
- Definition: to pry something out of a place
- Synonyms: extract, obtain, force out
- Example: She always manages to winkle secrets out of people.
5. Wend
- Definition: go in a specified direction, typically slowly or by an indirect route
- Synonyms: move, proceed
- Example: They wended their way across the city.
6. Winter
- Definition: (especially of a bird) spend the winter in a particular place
- Synonyms: stay, remain
- Example: Birds are wintering in the Channel Islands.
7. Warp
- Definition: to bend or twist so that the surface is no longer flat or straight
- Synonyms: buckle, twist, bend
- Example: The heat had warped the boards.
8. Wrench
- Definition: pull or twist suddenly and violently
- Synonyms: tug, pull, jerk
- Example: Casey grabbed the gun and wrenched it from my hand.
9. Waffle
- Definition: speak or write at length in a vague or trivial manner
- Synonyms: prattle, ramble
- Example: He waffled on about his problems.
10. Wile
- Definition: to beguile, entice, or lure
- Synonyms: entice, tempt
- Example: The music wiled him from his study.
Positive Verbs That Start with W
Some verbs have this amazing property of describing positive actions performed by us. The Following list of positive verbs that start with W contains some of those verbs that have that property.
1. Wander
- Definition: to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction
- Synonyms: stroll, amble, saunter
- Example: We spent the morning wandering around the old part of the city.
2. Water
- Definition: to pour water on to plants or the soil that they are growing in
- Synonyms: sprinkle, moisten, dampen
- Example: I’ve asked my neighbor to water the plants while I’m away.
3. Wish
- Definition: to want to do something
- Synonyms: desire, hope, want
- Example: As you wish, Sir. It will be done.
4. Whistle
- Definition: to make a high sound by forcing air through a small hole or passage, especially through the lips, or through a special device held to the lips
- Synonyms: blare, pipe, toot
- Example: The referee whistled and the game was over.
5. Warble
- Definition: to sing, especially in a high voice
- Synonyms: trill, sing, chirp
- Example: Was that you I heard warbling in the bathroom this morning?
6. Woo
- Definition: to try to persuade someone to support you or to use your business
- Synonyms: court, pursue, seek
- Example: The party has been trying to woo the voters with promises of electoral reform.
7. Withstand
- Definition: to be strong enough, or not be changed by something, or to oppose a person or thing successfully
- Synonyms: resist, fight, combat
- Example: Our toys are designed to withstand the rough treatment of the average five-year-old.
8. Warish
- Definition: to cure or heal
- Synonyms: rehabilitate, fix
- Example: My mother shall be warished hastily.
9. Wallow
- Definition: to lie or roll around slowly in deep, wet earth, sand, or water
- Synonyms: slop, paddle, lie around
- Example: He loves to wallow in a hot bath after a game.
10. Whelp
- Definition: (of a female dog) to produce puppies
- Synonyms: bud, produce
- Example: The dog stayed home to whelp and raise her puppy.
Verbs That Start with W to Describe a Person
Verbs have this amazing trait of explaining the state of being of a person. Following are some of the verbs that start with W to describe a person. Go through these W verbs and find out what they tell us about other people and their state of being.
1. Worry
- Definition: to think about problems or unpleasant things that might happen in a way that makes you feel unhappy and frightened
- Synonyms: fret, agonize, brood
- Example: It’s silly worrying about things which are outside your control.
2. Wear
- Definition: to have clothing, jewelry, etc. on your body
- Synonyms: dress, sport, put on
- Example: Tracey is wearing a simple black dress.
3. Wrong
- Definition: to treat someone in an unfair or unacceptable way
- Synonyms: falsify, refute, negate
- Example: James felt that he had been wronged.
4. Wow
- Definition: impress and excite someone greatly
- Synonyms: impress, excite
- Example: They wowed audiences on their recent British tour.
5. Wail
- Definition: utter a wail
- Synonyms: howl, weep, cry
- Example: The women began to wail in mourning.
6. Wound
- Definition: inflict a wound on
- Synonyms: injure, hurt, damage
- Example: The sergeant was seriously wounded.
7. Whine
- Definition: complain or express disappointment or unhappiness repeatedly
- Synonyms: hum, drone, sing
- Example: They come to me to whine about their troubles
8. Warn
- Definition: to make someone realize a possible danger or problem, especially one in the future
- Synonyms: notify, alert, apprise
- Example: We were warned not to eat the fish which might upset our stomachs.
9. Wrinkle
- Definition: make or cause lines or folds in something, especially fabric or the skin
- Synonyms: crease, crinkle, line
- Example: His hands and face were wrinkled by age.
10. Whop
- Definition: hit hard
- Synonyms: bash, catch, clout, hit
- Example: Smith whopped him on the nose.
Verbs That Start with W – Full List (124 Words)
All of the verbs discussed above together with some other useful W verbs are included in the list of verbs that start with W given below. The purpose of listing these verbs here is to make it easier for you to revise them.
- Water
- Wham
- Weal
- Wrangle
- Wrench
- Worship
- Wad
- Weigh
- Waive
- Wash
- Web
- Wag
- Wilt
- Wager
- Waul
- Widen
- Wane
- Waste
- Welcome
- Waggle
- Wage
- Warp
- Wring
- Walk
- Want
- Warble
- Wrap
- Winkle
- Whistle
- Watch
- Wallow
- Wile
- Weet
- Wed
- Witness
- Wiredraw
- Whelp
- Wrestle
- Weaken
- Wake
- Weed
- Wean
- Warrant
- Withdraw
- Withstand
- Wield
- Wave
- White
- Waft
- Whitewash
- Weave
- Wing
- Weary
- Whirl
- Wedge
- Wither
- Wail
- Well
- Waterproof
- Weird
- War
- Whip
- Wall
- Wander
- Wangle
- Wear
- Weep
- Warish
- Whimper
- Wend
- Wedlock
- Whack
- Wink
- Wish
- While
- Wheedle
- Ween
- Wreck
- Whisk
- Wheel
- Woo
- Warm
- Wrinkle
- Worsen
- Win
- Wobble
- Wreathe
- Wet
- Winter
- Wipe
- Weld
- Way
- Wow
- Waltz
- Whine
- Weather
- Wreak
- Work
- Wrong
- Write
- Westernize
- Whiz
- Waken
- Whimsey
- Waffle
- Wilne
- Withhold
- Wriggle
- Wire
- Wait
- Wax
- Warn
- Whet
- Wonder
- Wound
- Wig
- Wiggle
- Worry
- Will
- Waver
- Word
- Whisper
- Whir
- Whop
Final Thoughts on Verbs That Start with W
Thank you for going through this article on verbs that start with W and it is hoped that it would have proved fruitful to you.
Whenever there is a call for some action, straightaway we go for verbs because they denote the action that the subject carries out in the sentence. The verbs that start with W given in this article carry out a variety of different actions. Therefore it is a must that you add them to your vocabulary list.
From this article, you have learned lots of verbs that begin with W. If you know some more verbs starting with W yourself, try and broaden this list by adding them to it.
