Advertisement
Advertisement
intransitive verb
noun
- a verb that indicates a complete action without being accompanied by a direct object, as sit or lie, and, in English, that does not form a passive.
intransitive verb
- A verb that does not need a direct object to complete its meaning. Run , sleep , travel , wonder , and die are all intransitive verbs. ( Compare transitive verb .)
Discover More
Notes
Some verbs can be intransitive in one sentence and transitive in another. Boiled is intransitive in “My blood boiled” but transitive in “I boiled some water.”
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of intransitive verb1
First recorded in 1605–15
Discover More
Compare Meanings
How does intransitive verb compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Discover More
Example Sentences
What looks at first, therefore, like a copula turns out to be merely an impersonal intransitive verb.
From Project Gutenberg
Men have tried to turn "revolutionise" from a transitive to an intransitive verb.
From Project Gutenberg
The same is the case with the future passive participle of the intransitive verb.
From Project Gutenberg
Run is an intransitive verb, for the action mentioned is confined to the agent; he runs.
From Project Gutenberg
An intransitive verb is one which is complete in itself, or which is completed by other words without requiring an object.
From Project Gutenberg
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse