the word class that serves as the predicate of a sentence
"In the phrase "she runs," the word "runs" functions as a verb because it acts as the predicate of the sentence."
a content word that denotes an action, occurrence, or state of existence
"The verb in that phrase describes the action of running quickly across the field."
A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being.
"The verb in this sentence is "runs," which describes the action of moving quickly on foot."
In plain English: A verb is an action word that tells you what someone does, happens to them, or exists.
"The teacher asked us to identify every verb in that paragraph."
Usage: As a noun referring to the grammatical category for actions and states, "verb" should be distinguished from its related meaning describing the act of using non-verbs as verbs in creative writing contexts. Writers often confuse this technical definition with informal usage where nouns are turned into action words without changing their form.
To use any word that is not, or had not been a verb (especially a noun) as if it were a verb.
"The poet decided to verbnize several common nouns in his latest collection of haikus."
In plain English: A verb is an action word that tells you what someone does, happens to them, or how they feel.
"The teacher asked us to turn in our homework before class ended, so we had better act now and finish writing that essay on time."
The word "verb" entered English in the Middle Ages from the Latin verbum, which originally meant "word." It was later reinforced by Old French usage before becoming a standard term for the part of speech that expresses action or state of being.