A Giant List of Power Verbs For Screenwriters

In the arsenal of any writer, the verb is the most powerful weapon. It is the engine of the sentence, the word that drives the narrative forward and breathes life into characters and scenes.But some words are boring and can take a reader out, or they get really repetitive. By swapping out common verbs like "walk," "say," "make," and "change" for more dynamic alternatives, you can make your writing more precise, engaging, and memorable.So, let's take a look at these words and find some alternatives. Let's dive in. What Are Power Verbs? Power verbs are strong, active verbs that create a more vivid and engaging picture in the reader's mind. They are direct, specific, and full of meaning,They can help you piece together your script and spice up your action lines. A List of Power Verbs Writing is so hard, I want these words to make it easier on you. and I hope that if you scroll through them, snd pick ones to use, they'll help you paint a more vivid picture for the audience. Verbs of Action & MovementThese verbs convey dynamic physical motion and energy. Accelerate Activate Align Ambush Assault Bolt Bound Burst Capaulte Careen Charge Chase Clamber Collide Creep Crash Dart Dash Descend Dive Emerge Escape Erupt Explode Flee Fling Flit Fly Gallop Glide Grapple Hurtle Hustle Hurl Inch Invade Jab Jolt Juke Jump Launch Leap Lunge Lurch March Mobilize Navigate Overtake Pace Pierce Pinch Plummet Plunge Pounce Proceed Propel Prowl Pursue Race Raid Ram Range Retreat Ride Rocket Run Rush Sashay Saunter Scamper Scramble Seize Shoot Shove Sidle Slam Slap Slide Slink Slither Smack Soar Speed Sprint Stagger Stalk Stomp Streak Stride Strike Stroll Struggle Swoop Tackle Thrust Tiptoe Trek Trudge Venture Vault Veer Wade Whirl Yank Zap Zip Verbs of Communication & ExpressionUse these to show how a character speaks, argues, or expresses themselves. Address Admonish Advise Advocate Affirm Allege Announce Argue Articulate Assert Authorize Bargain Bellow Beseech Cajole Challenge Champion Chatter Chide Chirp Cite Clarify Coax Command Communicate Concede Conclude Condemn Confer Confess Confide Confirm Confront Consent Console Contend Contest Convey Convince Counsel Criticize Croak Debate Declare Declaim Decry Define Demand Demonstrate Denote Describe Dictate Direct Disclose Dispute Divulge Draft Emphasize Enunciate Exclaim Explain Explicate Expose Express Extol Gasp Goad Gossip Gripe Groan Grumbled Hiss Holler Impart Imply Implore Incite Inform Inquire Insist Instruct Interpret Interject Interrogate Intimate Invoke Jabber Jest Joke Justify Lecture Lisp Maintain Mention Mourn Mumble Murmur Muse Mutter Nag Narrate Negotiate Notify Opine Order Outline Plead Postulate Preach Predict Proclaim Profess Prohibit Pronounce Propose Publicize Qualify Query Question Ramble Rant Reassure Recite Recommend Recount Reiterate Reject Relay Remark Remonstrate Report Reprimand Reprove Request Resolve Respond Restate Reveal Roar Scold Scoff Scold Scream Shout Shriek Snarl Sneer Sob Solicit Specify Spout State Stress Suggest Summarize Taunt Tease Testify Theorize Threaten Translate Unveil Urge Usurp Utter Vent Verbalize Verify Vocalize Vouch Vow Wail Warn Whimper Whine Whisper Yell Verbs of Creation & BuildingFor describing the act of making, inventing, or developing something. Accomplish Achieve Adapt Assemble Attain Author Build Calculate Carve Catalyze Chart Chisel Codify Compose Conceive Conceptualize Construct Contrive Craft Create Cultivate Curate Customize Deduce Design Develop Devise Discover Engineer Envision Erect Establish Execute Fabricate Fashion Forge Form Formalize Formulate Found Frame Generate Illustrate Implement Improvise Inaugurate Infer Initiate Innovate Institute Invent Knit Manufacture Marshal Master Model Mold Originate Overhaul Patent Perfect Pioneer Plan Plot Prepare Produce Program Prove Raise Realize Rebuild Reconstruct Redefine Redesign Refine Remodel Render Revamp Revitalize Sculpt Shape Solidify Solve Spearhead Standardize Stimulate Structure Synthesize Systematize Theorem Transcribe Transform Weave Verbs of Impact & ChangeTo describe influence, alteration, and powerful effects. Abolish Absorb Alter Annihilate Augment Banish Batter Bend Blast Bleed Blemish Bludgeon Boost Break Bruise Burn Bust Censor Censure Change Collapse Commandeer Compel Condense Confiscate Corrode Corrupt Crumble Crumple Crush Damage Decimate Deconstruct Decrease Deface Defeat Demolish Deplete Depress Derail Destroy Deteriorate Devastate Dilute Diminish Disable Disassemble Disband Discard Dismantle Disperse Disrupt Dissipate Dissolve Distort Dominate Downgrade Drain Dwindle Eclipse Elevate Eliminate Empower Encroach Endorse Enforce Engulf Enhance Enlarge Enrich Eradicate Erode Escalate Evaporate Exacerbate Exaggerate Exceed Excel Expedite Expand Expel Exploit Exterminate Extinguish Extract Flatten Fortify Fracture Fragment Fuel Gash Gouge Gut Hamper Heighten Hinder Ignite Impair Impede Imperil Improve Increase Inflame Inflate Influence Inflict Infringe Inh

Jun 11, 2025 - 05:25

A Giant List of Power Verbs For Screenwriters

In the arsenal of any writer, the verb is the most powerful weapon. It is the engine of the sentence, the word that drives the narrative forward and breathes life into characters and scenes.

But some words are boring and can take a reader out, or they get really repetitive.

By swapping out common verbs like "walk," "say," "make," and "change" for more dynamic alternatives, you can make your writing more precise, engaging, and memorable.

So, let's take a look at these words and find some alternatives.

Let's dive in.

What Are Power Verbs?

Power verbs are strong, active verbs that create a more vivid and engaging picture in the reader's mind. They are direct, specific, and full of meaning,

They can help you piece together your script and spice up your action lines.

A List of Power Verbs

Writing is so hard, I want these words to make it easier on you. and I hope that if you scroll through them, snd pick ones to use, they'll help you paint a more vivid picture for the audience.