Saying that something happened is one thing, but saying how it happened is another. This is where adverbs come in.

But what is an adverb, and why do you need them?

Adverbs provide flair and color to both speech and writing. They allow you to describe occurrences or situations in greater detail. An adverb can provide a key detail in a sentence. 

For example, take the sentence “I slept last night.” In most situations, this is enough information. But what if you want to talk about the quality of your sleep, or how long you slept? To explain this, you could say, “I slept fitfully last night,” or “I slept a long time last night.”

See? By using adverbs, you can give the exact amount of detail people need to read between the lines. If you slept fitfully, it might explain why you’re sleepy or grouchy that day. If you slept a long time, it might explain why you’re so energized and happy.

In this article, you’ll learn all about adverbs in English and how to use them. You can even start practicing right away by using words from our adverbs lists! Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. What is an Adverb?
2. Adverbs List: The 100+ Most Used Adverbs in English
3. Use of Adverbs in English Sentences
4. Finally…

1. What is an Adverb?

1- Adverb Definition

An adverb is used to describe the manner in which something happened, or the state of a situation/condition. It can add vital information to an otherwise ambiguous sentence. 

Adverbs don’t modify parts of speech, but sometimes sentences are arranged to sound better based on the other words in the sentence. For example, the sentence “I ran quickly” sounds a little better than “I quickly ran,” though both are technically correct.

2- Spotting an Adverb

Adverbs are sometimes called the “-ly” words, because many of them end with the letters “-ly.” However, it’s important to note that not all adverbs have this ending. Also note that adjectives sometimes end with “-ly” as well (grisly, bristly, etc.), so this isn’t a catch-all distinction.

Perhaps the best way to spot an adverb in a sentence is by process of elimination. For example, if you already know what the subject, verb, object, and adjective are, you can see if there are extra words that add detail about how something was done. 

3- How to Make Adverbs in English

Adverbs are usually formed by adding the suffix “-ly” to an adjective. However, there are some exceptions. 

The Basics

1) If the adjective ends with “y,” you must take off the “y” and replace it with “ily.” [Heavy > Heavily; Perky > Perkily; Happy > Happily]

2) For adjectives that end with -able, -ible, or -le, you must remove the “e” and put a “y” in its place. [Understandable > Understandably; Probable > Probably; Believable > Believably]

3) For adjectives ending with “-ic,” simply add “-ally” to the end. [Academic > Academically; Prolific > Prolifically; Basic > Basically] The exception is the word “public,” which simply ends with “-ly.”

2. Adverbs List: The 100+ Most Used Adverbs in English

Now that you know a little bit about adverbs, have a look at our English adverbs list with examples.

1- English Adverbs of Time

1

“Today”	I’m trying a new recipe today.
Meaning: The current day.

2

“Yesterday”	They took a long walk yesterday.
Meaning: The previous day.

3

“Tomorrow”	I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.
Meaning: The following day.

4

“Last [year / month / week]”	Last year / month / week, Tom took a vacation.
Meaning: The previous year, month, or week.

5

“Soon”	Natalie will buy a house soon.
Meaning: In the near future.

6

“Later”	Later, I will read my book.
Meaning: In the future, after an unspecified period of time.

7

“First”	Rick said he got there first.
Meaning: Before anyone/anything else.

8

“Last”	I got there last.
Meaning: After everyone/everything else.

9

“Before”	Kyle kissed his wife before he left.
Meaning: Prior to an action.

10

“After”	After shopping, Spencer ate lunch.
Meaning: Following an action.

11

“Now”	Now, will you tell me what’s bothering you?
Meaning: This moment.

12

“Previously”	Gina had previously gone to the museum.
Meaning: Before; prior to.

13

“Currently”	It’s currently raining outside.
Meaning: Now; at the moment.

14

“Earlier”	She put away her laundry earlier.
Meaning: Before/prior to an action or period of time.

15

“Instantly”	Instantly, Erin knew what happened.
Meaning: Right away; without delay.

16

“Gradually”	He gradually got around to doing his chores.
Meaning: Happening over time, in gradations.

2- English Adverbs of Frequency

17

“Never”	Jack never thought it would happen.
Meaning: Not ever.

18

“Rarely”	Jacqueline rarely stays up late.
Meaning: Almost never.

19

“Seldomly”	Joana seldomly drinks soda.
Meaning: Happening sometimes but not often.

20

“Occasionally”	Liz occasionally makes chocolate cream pie.
Meaning: Not very often.

21

“Sometimes”	Sometimes life is hard.
Meaning: Happening some of the time.

22

“From time to time”	From time to time, she prepares steak.
Meaning: This phrase means the same thing as “sometimes” or “occasionally.”

23

“Now and then”	I like a glass of milk now and then.
Meaning: This phrase means the same thing as “sometimes” or “occasionally.”

24

“Often”	Lily often gets upset with herself.
Meaning: Happening frequently.

25

“Usually”	Michael usually doesn’t like going out.
Meaning: This word describes something that consistently happens the same way.

26

“Normally”	That normally doesn’t happen.
Meaning: This word means the same thing as “usually.”

27

“Always”	I always drink coffee in the morning.
Meaning: This word describes something that happens consistently, without fail, at all times. Additional Note: People sometimes use this word when exaggerating something. For example, “She always nags me!” It’s probably not accurate to say that she always nags. In reality, she probably nags sometimes.

28

“All the time”	Why does he talk about himself all the time?
Meaning: This phrase means the same thing as “always.” It’s used even more frequently than always when exaggerating.

29

“Annually”	Most holidays occur annually.
Meaning: Happening once a year.

30

“Monthly”	We set some money aside monthly.
Meaning: Happening once a month.

31

“Weekly”	Quinten works out weekly.
Meaning: Happening once a week.

32

“Daily”	Al, however, works out daily.
Meaning: Happening every day.

33

“Hourly”	Many people are paid hourly.
Meaning: Happening every hour or by the hour.

34

“By the minute”	They’re selling books by the minute.
Meaning: Happening every minute.

3- English Adverbs of Place

35

“Here”	What do we have here?
Meaning: A demonstrative adverb for something nearby.

36

“There”	He’s all the way over there!
Meaning: A demonstrative adverb for something farther away.

37

“Everywhere”	Everywhere you go, there you are.
Meaning: Literally, “every single place.”

38

“Somewhere”	I want to live somewhere quiet.
Meaning: A place that’s not specific.

39

“Anywhere”	She would follow him anywhere.
Meaning: A place that’s not specific, with no place excluded.

40

“Nowhere”	I can’t find it; it’s nowhere to be found!
Meaning: Not at/in any place.

41

“Inside”	It’s time to go inside.
Meaning: The interior of something.

42

“Outside”	It’s gloomy outside.
Meaning: The exterior of something.

43

“Up”	Hurry, look up!
Meaning: Vertical direction toward the sky.

44

“Down”	Now, look down!
Meaning: Vertical direction toward the ground.

45

“Upstairs”	Can you go upstairs and get something?
Meaning: Higher floor; top of a staircase.

46

“Downstairs”	Mary walked downstairs.
Meaning: Lower floor; bottom of a staircase.

47

“Abroad”	I would love to travel abroad.
Meaning: Covering a lot of area; far from home.

48

“Away”	Please just go away.
Meaning: Covering a lot of area; far from home.

49

“Around”	1) I’ll be around if you need me. 2) Let’s go around.
Meaning:  1) Nearby 2) To curve about something

50

“Home”	Ellen wants to go home.
Meaning: One’s house or place of living. Additional Note: You may be wondering why we’re calling this word an adverb. This is because “home” adds information to the verb “go.” In the example, Ellen doesn’t just want to go (leave)—she wants to go home, specifically.

51

“Nearby”	I hope there’s a restaurant nearby!
Meaning: Close; within the vicinity of the speaker or a specific place/area.

52

“Across”	We must go across.
Meaning: Over or past something.

53

“Next”	Who’s next?
Meaning: Coming immediately after something in sequence.

54

“Above”	I’ll go above, and you stay here.
Meaning: Upward; on top of something.

55

“Underneath”	Let’s take a look underneath.
Meaning: Downward; under something.

56

“North”	Go north.
Meaning: A cardinal direction.

57

“South”	Go south.
Meaning: A cardinal direction.

58

“East”	Go east.
Meaning: A cardinal direction.

59

“West”	Go west.
Meaning: A cardinal direction.

4- English Adverbs of Manner

60

“Slowly”	She slowly got out of bed.
Meaning: In a slow manner; not fast.

61

“Quickly”	Valerie drove quickly.
Meaning: In a fast or hurried manner; not slow.

62

“Carefully”	Pick up the book carefully.
Meaning: Done with caution and care.

63

“Quietly”	Wendy entered the room quietly.
Meaning: In a silent manner; not loud.

64

“Happily”	They happily ate ice cream together.
Meaning: In a happy or joyful manner.

65

“Sadly”	Sadly, Hannah waved her best friend goodbye.
Meaning: In a sad or mournful manner.

66

“Angrily”	Angrily, she threw the bottle across the room.
Meaning: In an angry manner.

67

“Grudgingly”	She grudgingly took the dog for a walk.
Meaning: In a grudging manner. This usually indicates that you don’t want to be doing something, but you are anyway.

70

“Sleepily”	Sleepily, she sat down at her desk.
Meaning: In a sleepy or tired manner.

71

“Easily”	Randy boasted that he could finish the project easily.
Meaning: With ease; with no difficulty.

72

“Really”	1) I really look forward to dinner. 2) I can’t believe he really did that.
Meaning:  1) To a great extent. 2) Actually.

73

“Literally”	I literally can’t do this.
Meaning: Happening in a literal sense; realistically.

74

“Figuratively”	He figuratively compared the two objects.
Meaning: Happening in a figurative sense; not to be taken at face value.

For more information on the differences between “literally” and “figuratively,” check out this useful resource.

75

“Simply”	Bridget simply turned him away.
Meaning: With ease; in an uncomplicated manner.

76

“Badly”	1) My first attempt at badminton went badly. 2) She badly wanted to see him again.
Meaning:  1) Done in a poor manner. 2) To a great extent.

77

“Nicely”	John performed nicely in the play.
Meaning: In a satisfactory manner.

78

“Well”	Linda thought he did well.
Meaning: Good; in a satisfactory manner.

79

“Appropriately”	It’s important to act appropriately in all situations.
Meaning: In a manner that matches the situation or expectations.

80

“Timely”	He made timely work of his model airplane.
Meaning: Without wasting time; quickly.

81

“Wonderfully”	She could dance wonderfully.
Meaning: In a pleasing or exceptional manner.

82

“Beautifully”	Mel painted beautifully.
Meaning: In a lovely or exceptional manner.

83

“Masterfully”	That novel was masterfully put together.
Meaning: With great skill or talent; in an experienced manner.

84

“Dutifully”	Dutifully, he protected the others.
Meaning: In a manner that denotes responsibility.

85

“Bravely”	Karen bravely killed the spider.
Meaning: In a courageous manner.

86

“Stubbornly”	Stubbornly, the child refused to go to sleep.
Meaning: In a manner that indicates an unwillingness to change one’s actions or opinions.

87

“Relentlessly”	She searched for the ingredient relentlessly.
Meaning: Without stopping or giving up; in a constant, determined manner.

5- English Adverbs of Degree

88

“Very”	I’m very excited for the holidays.
Meaning: To a great extent.

89

“Rather”	He acted rather rude.
Meaning: To a great extent; more than expected or desired.

90

“Quite”	She was quite pleased with how it turned out.
Meaning: To a great extent.

91

“So”	Carol was so relieved when he came home.
Meaning: To a great extent. Additional Note: This adverb is often used informally to express something in an exaggerated manner.

92

“Too”	1) Jill got too carried away with the project. 2) I want to go to the beach, too!
Meaning:  1) To a great extent, especially when it’s more than expected or desired.  2) Also; as well; in addition.

93

“Pretty”	Paul was pretty upset.
Meaning: Quite; very.  Additional Note: This is not to be confused with the adjective “pretty,” which means “beautiful” or “lovely.” As an adverb, it’s used to express that something is done (or felt) to a great extent.

94

“Extremely”	Be careful, the plate is extremely hot.
Meaning: Very; quite; to a great extent.

95

“Terribly”	1) She missed him terribly. 2) Joe did terribly on his math test.
Meaning:  1) A lot; very much. 2) In a very poor manner.

96

“Awfully”	I can be awfully shy.
Meaning: To a great extent, especially in a way that’s not desired.

97

“Tremendously”	Nelson was tremendously cautious.
Meaning: To a very great extent.

The following three adverbs are similar to each other and mean the same thing. They’re used interchangeably, and the one you hear most often will depend on where you are in the United States! 

98

“A bit”	He was feeling a bit sick.
Meaning: Not much.

99

“A little”	I’ll have a little dessert.
Meaning: Not much.

100

“A tad“	He was a tad worried.
Meaning: Not much.

Keep in mind that you may also hear combinations of the three adverbs above: “a little bit” and “a tad bit.” These mean the same thing and are also used interchangeably.

101

“Relatively”	The room is relatively dark.
Meaning: To some extent; when compared with something related.  Additional Note: This adverb can be a little difficult to understand. In the example sentence, the room can be considered dark when compared to other rooms nearby that may be lighter.

102

“Slightly”	The measurements are slightly off.
Meaning: Not much; a little.

103

“Somewhat”	She’s somewhat comfortable in her new job.
Meaning: To some extent; not completely.

3. Use of Adverbs in English Sentences

1- Rules

Here’s a basic breakdown of how to use adverbs in English, in terms of placement in a sentence.

• In general, adverbs go at the end of a sentence, after the subject and verb (S + V + A).

• Sometimes, they can go in the middle of a sentence (S + A + V).

• In an imperative sentence, adverbs can occasionally be placed at the beginning of a sentence (A + V) or (A + S).

• On rare occasions, the adverb may be the only word in a sentence, as the context will make it a complete thought (A). This is usually done when using commands or directions.

2- Sample Sentences

1) Bob talks softly. [S + V + A]

2) Paula really loves her job. [S + A + V]

3) Quickly, escape! OR Quickly, Sarah! [A + V or A + S]

4) Carefully! [A]

4. Finally…

You just went over more than 100 adverbs in English. Some of them actually have the same basic meaning! Adverbs really aren’t too difficult to pick up with enough practice and consistent study. Be sure to refer to this adverbs list as often as you need. And try using some of these English adverbs in your next conversation or written assignment! 

If you want to dig into some more adverbs, EnglishClass101.com has a separate vocabulary list on the topic, with relevant images and audio pronunciations! Further, to continue learning about the different parts of speech in English, be sure to check out our other articles:

• What is a Conjunction in English Grammar?
• Learn the Top 100+ Adjectives in the English Language!
• Learn Nouns in English: 100+ Must-know English Nouns
• Pronouns in English: The Ultimate Pronoun List & Guide
• Top 100+ Verbs in U.S. English: Ultimate Verb List & Guide

We know that English grammar and vocabulary can be a lot to take in! But know that your hard work and determination will pay off, and EnglishClass101 will be here with constant support and all the learning tools you’ll ever need. Create a free lifetime account today, and learn English like never before!