Adverbs of Manner: English Vocabulary List

in a manner that lacks accuracy or exactness

"He spoke imprecisely and confused everyone."

"He spoke imprecisely and confused everyone because his instructions were vague and lacked any clear direction."

in a way that involves physical brutality or causes great bodily harm

"The dog bit viciously at the stranger."

"The dog bit viciously at the stranger who had entered the yard without permission from the owner."

in a cheerful, friendly, and good-humored manner

"He laughed jovially with his friends."

"He laughed jovially with his friends and told funny stories about their shared adventures from college."

in a delicate, controlled, or refined manner

"She ate daintily like a princess."

"She ate daintily like a princess taking small bites and wiping her mouth carefully with a napkin after each one."

in a strong and forceful way that can cause damage

"The lion roared fiercely at us."

"The lion roared fiercely at us and we quickly backed away from the fence surrounding its enclosure at the zoo."

in a quiet, careful, and deliberate manner intended to avoid detection or observation

"The cat moved stealthily toward the bird."

"The cat moved stealthily toward the bird hoping to catch it before it could fly away to safety."

in a way that involves steady, careful effort and persistent attention to a task or duty

"She worked diligently on her homework."

"She worked diligently on her homework and finished it well before the deadline so she could relax for the rest of the evening."

in a manner that is characterized by elegance, smoothness, or a pleasing aesthetic

"The dancer moved gracefully across the stage."

"The dancer moved gracefully across the stage as if she were floating on air and the audience applauded loudly at the end."

in a quick and energetic manner

"She walked briskly to keep warm."

"She walked briskly to keep warm in the cold winter air while waiting for the bus to arrive at the station."

in a gradual and even way

"He steadily climbed the ladder."

"He steadily climbed the ladder despite his fear of heights because he needed to clean the gutters before the rain started."

in a manner that is unpredictable or irregular

"The car drove erratically on the highway."

"The car drove erratically on the highway swerving between lanes and forcing other drivers to honk their horns loudly."

in a way that shows close focus, deep concentration, or eager attention to something

"The student listened intently to the teacher."

"The student listened intently to the teacher and took detailed notes on every important point that was discussed during the lecture."

in a strong, definite, and forceful way

"She emphatically said no to his proposal."

"She emphatically said no to his proposal and made it clear that she would never change her mind about the issue."

in a manner that occurs beneath or beyond conscious awareness

"He subconsciously avoided the topic."

"He subconsciously avoided the topic because it brought back painful memories that he did not want to relive."

in a manner that lacks vigilance or careful consideration

"He unwarily stepped into the puddle."

"He unwarily stepped into the puddle and soaked his new shoes completely much to his annoyance and frustration."

in a manner lacking attention, awareness, or careful consideration

"She unmindfully left her bag on the train."

"She unmindfully left her bag on the train and only realized her mistake when she arrived home and could not find it."

with hesitation or lack of eagerness

"He reluctantly agreed to help."

"He reluctantly agreed to help his neighbor move the heavy furniture even though he had plans to go out with his friends."

in an unplanned or impulsive manner

"The crowd spontaneously began to sing."

"The crowd spontaneously began to sing the national anthem after the team won the championship for the first time."