This list brings together 35 verbs, starting with “Keep” and ending with “Knock down.” Most of these words describe everyday physical actions, like kicking, kissing, or kneeling, though a few cover more specialized ground, from typography to naval punishment. You’ll come across them often in conversation, writing, and storytelling, since they cover motion, communication, and basic human behavior.
Verbs are words that express an action, occurrence, or state of being, and they form the backbone of every sentence. Without a verb, a sentence can’t really function, since it’s the verb that tells you what’s happening or what condition something is in. One interesting quirk here is “kayo,” which comes straight from the boxing abbreviation “K.O.,” showing how slang can turn into a full verb over time.
Below you’ll find the table with the word, tense forms, definition, example usage, and description for each entry.
Word: the verb itself, shown in its base form so you can quickly scan the list and find the one you’re looking for.
Tense Forms (Past, Past Participle): the past tense and past participle forms, useful when you’re conjugating the verb correctly in your own writing.
Definition: a short, clear explanation of what the verb means, giving you the core sense of the action or state it describes.
Example Usage: a sample sentence showing the verb in context, helping you see how it fits naturally into everyday speech or writing.
Description: a deeper look at the verb’s meaning and use, including alternate senses or figurative meanings you might not expect.
Verbs
| Word | Tense Forms (Past, Past Participle) | Definition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep | kept, kept | To have or retain possession of something | She kept the letter for years. |
| Kick | kicked, kicked | To strike with the foot | He kicked the ball across the field. |
| Kill | killed, killed | To cause the death of a person, animal, or other living thing | The frost killed most of the plants. |
| Kiss | kissed, kissed | To touch with the lips as a sign of affection or greeting | She kissed her son goodnight. |
| Knit | knit/knitted, knit/knitted | To make fabric or garments by looping yarn with needles | My grandmother knit me a sweater. |
| Knock | knocked, knocked | To strike a surface, especially a door, to attract attention | He knocked on the door twice. |
| Know | knew, known | To be aware of or have information about something | I know the answer to that question. |
| Kneel | knelt/kneeled, knelt/kneeled | To go down on one or both knees | He knelt beside the injured dog. |
| Knead | kneaded, kneaded | To work dough or clay with the hands | She kneaded the bread dough for ten minutes. |
| Kidnap | kidnapped, kidnapped | To take someone away illegally by force, typically for ransom | The gang kidnapped the businessman’s daughter. |
| Kindle | kindled, kindled | To start a fire burning; to arouse an emotion | They kindled a fire to keep warm. |
| Kayak | kayaked, kayaked | To travel by kayak | We kayaked down the river all afternoon. |
| Key | keyed, keyed | To enter data using a keyboard; to align something closely with another element | She keyed the numbers into the spreadsheet. |
| Kid | kidded, kidded | To tease or joke with someone | Don’t worry, I was just kidding. |
| Kite | kited, kited | To fly through the air like a kite; to write fraudulent checks | The paper kited across the yard in the wind. |
| Knife | knifed, knifed | To cut or stab with a knife | The mugger knifed the victim in the arm. |
| Knot | knotted, knotted | To tie into a knot | He knotted the rope securely to the post. |
| Knuckle | knuckled, knuckled | To apply oneself with determination, as in “knuckle down” | She knuckled down and finished the report. |
| Kowtow | kowtowed, kowtowed | To act in an excessively subservient manner | He refused to kowtow to his boss’s unreasonable demands. |
| Kibitz | kibitzed, kibitzed | To offer unwanted advice or comments | My uncle likes to kibitz while we play cards. |
| Kip | kipped, kipped | To sleep, especially briefly (British informal) | I’m going to kip on the sofa for an hour. |
| Knee | kneed, kneed | To hit with the knee | The fighter kneed his opponent in the ribs. |
| Keelhaul | keelhauled, keelhauled | To punish severely, historically by dragging under a ship’s keel | The captain threatened to keelhaul any deserter. |
| Keel | keeled, keeled | To fall over suddenly, especially in a faint | He keeled over from the heat. |
| Kickstart | kickstarted, kickstarted | To start something quickly and energetically | The grant helped kickstart the new business. |
| Knap | knapped, knapped | To shape flint or stone by striking it | The archaeologist demonstrated how early humans knapped flint tools. |
| Knight | knighted, knighted | To confer the rank of knight upon someone | The queen knighted him for his charity work. |
| Kern | kerned, kerned | To adjust the spacing between letters in printed text | The designer kerned the headline so the letters sat closer together. |
| Kvetch | kvetched, kvetched | To complain persistently | He’s always kvetching about the weather. |
| Ken | kenned/kent, kenned/kent | To know or recognize (archaic, chiefly Scottish) | Do ye ken what I mean? |
| Kayo | kayoed, kayoed | To knock out (informal, from “K.O.”) | The champion kayoed his rival in round two. |
| Kick off | kicked off, kicked off | To begin an event or activity | The festival kicks off this Friday evening. |
| Kick out | kicked out, kicked out | To force someone to leave | They kicked him out of the club for fighting. |
| Knock out | knocked out, knocked out | To make someone unconscious with a blow | The punch knocked out the challenger in seconds. |
| Knock down | knocked down, knocked down | To cause something to fall by hitting it | The storm knocked down several trees. |
Descriptions
Keep
To keep something means to hold onto it or maintain it in a particular state, rather than giving it away or letting it end.
Kick
To strike or hit something forcefully with the foot, often used literally in sports or figuratively for ending a habit.
Kill
To end the life of a living being, or more broadly, to stop, destroy, or bring something to a complete halt.
Kiss
A gesture of touching someone with the lips, typically expressing love, affection, respect, or greeting.
Knit
To create fabric or clothing by interlocking loops of yarn with needles, or figuratively to join things closely together.
Knock
To rap sharply on a surface, typically a door, to get someone’s attention, or to strike something with a quick blow.
Know
To have knowledge, understanding, or awareness of a fact, person, place, or skill through learning or experience.
Kneel
To lower the body so the knees rest on the ground, often as a sign of respect, prayer, or to reach something low.
Knead
To press, fold, and stretch a soft substance such as dough or clay repeatedly with the hands until it becomes smooth.
Kidnap
To unlawfully seize and hold a person against their will, often demanding money or something else for their release.
Kindle
To light a fire, or figuratively to arouse or stir up a feeling such as interest, hope, or passion.
Kayak
To paddle or travel in a kayak, a narrow, lightweight boat propelled with a double-bladed paddle.
Key
To type or input information using a keyboard, or to design something so it corresponds closely with another element.
Kid
To tease someone playfully or say something in jest rather than seriously, usually without any harmful intent.
Kite
To move or float buoyantly like a kite, or in finance, to use bad checks fraudulently to gain funds temporarily.
Knife
To cut, stab, or wound someone or something using a knife, or to move swiftly and sharply through something.
Knot
To tie a piece of string, rope, or fabric into a knot, or to become tangled or tightly twisted.
Knuckle
Most often used in the phrase “knuckle down,” meaning to start working hard and seriously on a task.
Kowtow
To show excessive deference toward someone in authority, originally referring to a deep bow touching the forehead to the ground.
Kibitz
To offer unsolicited advice or commentary, especially to someone engaged in a game or task, often in a meddling way.
Kip
An informal British term meaning to sleep or nap, often in a makeshift or temporary place.
Knee
To strike someone or something forcefully with the knee, a move often seen in combat sports.
Keelhaul
Originally a brutal naval punishment of dragging someone under a ship’s hull; today used figuratively to mean scolding harshly.
Keel
To collapse, tip over, or fall down suddenly, often used for a person fainting or a boat capsizing.
Kickstart
To start an engine, project, or process quickly, often by giving it an initial burst of energy or investment.
Knap
To shape a piece of stone, especially flint, into a tool by striking off flakes, a technique used since prehistoric times.
Knight
To formally grant someone the title of knight, historically with a ceremonial sword tap, as an honor for service or achievement.
Kern
In typography, to adjust the space between individual letters so text looks visually balanced and easier to read.
Kvetch
An informal term, from Yiddish, meaning to complain or grumble habitually, often about small or trivial matters.
Ken
An old or dialectal, chiefly Scottish, word meaning to know, understand, or recognize something.
Kayo
An informal term meaning to knock someone unconscious, especially in boxing, derived from the abbreviation “K.O.”
Kick off
To start or begin something, originally referring to the opening kick of a football or soccer match.
Kick out
To forcibly expel or remove someone from a place, group, or position.
Knock out
To strike someone hard enough to render them unconscious, or figuratively to eliminate a competitor from a contest.
Knock down
To strike or force something to the ground, or to demolish a structure such as a building or wall.