Words to describe movement
Verbs and adjectives for how characters and things move.
About this list
Motion and stillness, journeys, speed and slowness, leaping and plunging, and restless agitation. Verbs dominate, since movement is mostly something a character does.
Motion
Nouns
- going
- run
- course
- move
- rate
- step
- movement
- progress
- port
- flow
- journey
- stream
- motion
- evolution
- laws of motion
- pace
- clip
- transit
- mobility
- stir
- motive power
- velocity
- voyage
- carriage
- unrest
- flux
- tread
- stride
- angular velocity
- mobilization
- cadence
- gait
- locomotion
- restlessness
- kinematics
- telekinesis
- footfall
Verbs
- go
- run
- keep going
- move
- walk
- pass
- keep moving
- roll
- roll on
- flow
- stream
- be in motion
- shift
- put in motion
- set in motion
- gang
- change one's place
- slide
- shift one's place
- change one's quarters
- stir
- sweep along
- dodge
- shift one's quarters
- drift
- wander
- glide
- hover about
- hover round
- budge
- mobilize
- propel
- render movable
- hie
- flit
- impel
Adjectives
- moving
- mobile
- in motion
- shifting
- motive
- transitional
- restless
- erratic
- movable
- nomadic
- mercurial
- unquiet
Adverbs
Quiescence
Nouns
- home
- full stop
- rest
- stand still
- goal
- sleep
- dead stop
- peace
- dead stand
- standing still
- fix
- quiet
- calm
- lock
- silence
- dead calm
- dead lock
- haven
- pause
- pillow
- resting place
- not a mouse stirring
- embargo
- stagnation
- lull
- tranquility
- stillness
- repose
- statue-like repose
- immobility
- bivouac
- quiescence
- anticyclone †
- fixity
- stagnancy
- catalepsy
- quietism
Verbs
- stop
- stay
- bring to
- rest
- hold
- stay at home
- stand
- be at a stand
- stop short
- stand still
- let alone
- mark time
- go to bed
- stand like a post
- lie to
- remain
- lie still
- pull up
- draw up
- stick
- lay to
- keep quiet
- stick fast
- take breath
- keep within doors
- hold the breath
- settle
- anchor
- come to an anchor
- pause
- ride at anchor
- cast to an anchor
- halt
- not stir a step
- rest and be thankful
- abide
- dwell
- hush
- not stir a peg
- lay an embargo on
- remain in situ
- lull to sleep
- alight
- quell
- rest on one's oars
- heave to
- repose
- repose on one's laurels
Adjectives
- still
- still as a post
- still as death
- stay-at-home
- stock
- standing still
- fixed
- quiet
- sleeping
- calm
- silent
- still as a mouse
- still as a statue
- at anchor
- stationary
- stagnant
- sedentary
- at a standstill
- undisturbed
- motionless
- vegetative
- immovable
- restful
- unmoved
- quiescent
- unruffled
- becalmed
Adverbs
Journey
Nouns
- course
- turn
- plan
- march
- drive
- walk
- road book
- station
- travel
- feet
- tour
- train
- trip
- ride
- bus
- van
- map
- vehicle
- file
- guide
- plane
- legs
- grand tour
- journey
- road map
- off-road vehicle
- riding
- circuit
- immigration
- railway station
- ride and tie
- transportation guide
- column
- constitutional
- Murray
- traveling
- migration
- dirt bike
- subway
- expedition
- subway map
- trek
- depot
- automobile
- airplane
- handbook
- pins
- campaigning
Verbs
- go to
- get going
- set out
- have a run
- course
- march
- take the air
- board
- drive
- step
- range
- walk
- take a walk
- go out for walk
- hit the road
- travel
- coast
- foot it
- ride
- file on
- take horse
- journey
- go a journey
- take a journey
- take wing
- bowl along
- repair to
- pace
- make one's way
- resort to
- find one's way
- pace up and down
- pick one's way
- slide
- patrol
- thread one's way
- go one's rounds
- trek
- bend one's course
- bundle
- bend one's steps
- get underway
- skate
- wander
- march in procession
- stroll
- tread
- paddle
Adjectives
- traveling
- travel-stained
- locomotive
- migratory
- rambling
- roving
- ambulatory
- itinerant
- vagrant
- discursive
- peripatetic
- monadic
- wayfaring
Adverbs
Velocity
Nouns
- light
- speed
- flight
- wind
- flying
- smart rate
- express train
- rush
- electricity
- log
- log line
- rocket
- round pace
- smart pace
- lightning
- arrow
- eagle
- swift rate
- eagle speed
- Mercury
- dash
- telegraph
- expedition
- cannon ball
- wind speed meter
- air speed gauge
- radar trap
- swift pace
- velocity
- doe
- lively rate
- lively pace
- acceleration
- squirrel
- hare
- camel bird
- wind sock
- radar speed detector
- Ariel †
- dart
- torrent
- haste
- spanking rate
- spanking pace
- Camilla †
- rattling rate
- greyhound
- rattling pace
Verbs
- put on
- keep up with
- post
- shot
- go like a shot
- cut away
- get over the ground
- beat it
- cut along
- speed
- go ahead
- spring
- trip
- move quickly
- march in double time
- march in quick time
- ride hard
- fly
- run like mad
- gain ground
- bowl along
- rush
- bound
- burn up the track
- keep pace with
- tear
- boom
- brush
- wing one's way
- barrel
- barrel along
- hurry
- bolt
- dash on
- dash off
- dash forward
- sweep
- carry sail
- crowd sail
- zoom
- troll
- accelerate
- dart
- make forced marches
- make haste
- make rapid strides
- mend one's pace
- trot
Adjectives
- fast
- quick
- active
- quick as a thought
- electric
- flying
- express
- rapid
- fleet
- quick as lightning
- swift
- swift as an arrow
- light of heel
- speedy
- light-legged
- winged
- agile
- eagle winged
- light footed
- nimble
- galloping
- nimble footed
- mercurial
- expeditious
- telegraphic
Adverbs
- at a great rate
- full drive
- with speed
- at full speed
- in double quick time
- at railway speed
- in seven league boots
- in full sail
- under press of sail
- under press of canvas
- swiftly
- whip and spur
- with haste
- with giant strides
- with rapid strides
- by leaps and bounds
- full gallop
- instantaneously
- on eagle's wing
- apace
- posthaste
Slowness
Nouns
- slow time
- slow back
- slow march
- slow coach
- delay
- snail
- poke
- creeping
- tortoise
- dog trot
- jog trot
- slowness
- slow goer †
- drawl
- mincing steps
- dawdle
- languor
- slackening
- claudication †
Verbs
- job on
- check
- step short
- lose ground
- march in slow time
- flag
- move slowly
- reduce the speed
- hang fire
- trail
- steal along
- take one's time
- drag
- relax
- moderate
- put on the drag
- clip the wings
- take in sail
- rub on
- bundle on
- halt
- strike sail
- apply the brake
- creep
- reef
- curb
- crawl
- lag
- worm one's way
- lumber
- march in funeral procession
- shuffle
- stump along
- limp
- rein in
- linger
- slug
- shorten sail
- mince
- trotter
- falter
- stagger
- slouch
- waddle
- drawl
- hobble
- trudge
- loiter
Adjectives
- easy
- slow
- gentle
- deliberate
- slack
- gradual
- snail-like
- creeping
- slow paced
- glacial
- sluggish
- leisurely
- tardy
- languid
- imperceptible
- insensible
- dilatory
- tardigrade †
Adverbs
- by little and little
- little by little
- bit by bit
- at half speed
- in slow time
- step by step
- slowly
- by degrees
- by slow degrees
- by inches
- piano
- gradually
- inch by inch
- at a funeral pace
- under easy sail
- with clipped wings
- leisurely
- largo
- consecutively
- adagio
- with mincing steps
- at a snail's pace
- at a foots pace
Leap
Nouns
- spring
- jump
- bound
- hop
- goat
- buck
- leap
- buck jump
- hop skip and jump
- vault
- frog
- kangaroo
- flea
- grasshopper
- caper
- wallaby
- chamois
- ance
- jerboa
Verbs
- start
- dance
- spring
- trip
- foot it
- jump about
- jump up
- bob
- bound
- trip the light fantastic
- hop
- jump over the moon
- skip
- dance off one's shoes
- bounce
- buck
- leap
- buck jump
- vault
- ramp
- frisk
- caper
- cut capers
- flounce
Adjectives
Plunge
Nouns
Verbs
Agitation
Nouns
- St
- dance
- heavy sea
- storm
- shock
- shake
- chaos
- fits
- jerk
- stir
- jar
- ground swell
- fuss
- disturbance
- turbulence
- turmoil
- vortex
- epilepsy
- ripple
- racket
- fermentation
- jog
- tempest
- the jerks
- whirlwind
- agitation
- commotion
- flicker
- rout
- flutter
- shuffling
- tremor
- jolt
- whirlpool
- bustle
- ferment
- quiver
- spasm
- restlessness
- trepidation
- tumult
- throb
- perturbation
- hubbub
- disquiet
- staggers
- convulsion
Verbs
- beat
- dance
- jump about
- bob
- shake
- shake up
- shake to its center
- bubble up
- whip
- jerk
- stir
- toss
- toss about
- boil
- boil over
- shake to its foundations
- foam
- hustle
- reel
- sway
- disturb
- flop
- buffet
- flourish
- flap
- shuffle
- quake
- hitch
- stumble
- tumble
- be agitated
- jog
- simmer
- wield
- whisk
- flicker
- churn
- flutter
- shiver
- tremble
- wag
- jolt
- bustle
- ferment
- quiver
- stagger
- flounder
Adjectives
- all of a twitter
- shaking
- restless
- giddy-paced
- convulsive
- desultory
- shambling
- unquiet
- agitated tremulous
Adverbs
Sources and licenses
- Categories and period vocabulary from the 1911 edition of Roget's Thesaurus, in the public domain. A dagger (†) marks a word its editors already called obsolete.
- Words are ordered by how often they appear in modern English, measured with wordfreq.