Bodily Actions: English Vocabulary List

to beat someone or something with a closed fist quickly and forcefully

"The boxer punched his opponent hard."

"The boxer trained every single day to punch harder and faster than his main rival."

to adopt a drooping, slumped, or lazy posture

"Do not slouch while sitting."

"The teacher told the students not to slouch in their chairs because it was bad for their spines."

to support the weight of the body on a knee or both knees

"Kneel down to tie your shoes."

"The knight knelt before the queen as a sign of respect and loyalty to the crown."

to jump very high or over a long distance

"The frog leaped into the pond."

"The brave firefighter did not hesitate and decided to leap from the burning building into the safety net below."

to walk slowly and carefully on one's toes

"Tiptoe past the sleeping baby."

"She had to tiptoe across the old wooden floor so that she would not wake up her sleeping baby brother."

to move slowly with the body near the ground or on the hands and knees

"The baby will crawl soon."

"The baby learned to crawl before she could walk and she explored every corner of the house enthusiastically."

to put one's body in a flat position in order to sleep or rest

"She lies down for a short nap."

"I need to lie down for a few minutes because I am feeling very dizzy and tired after the long walk."

to open and close the eyes quickly and for a brief moment

"She blinks her eyes rapidly."

"The bright light made me blink several times before my eyes could adjust to the sudden brightness in the room."

to look at someone or something without blinking or moving the eyes

"She gazed at the beautiful sunset."

"The young couple sat on the park bench and began to gaze at the stars that were twinkling brightly in the clear night sky."

to look at someone or something without moving the eyes or blinking, usually for a while, and often without showing any expression

"Do not stare at strangers."

"It is considered very impolite to stare at strangers in public because it makes them feel uncomfortable and self conscious about their appearance."

to quickly open and close one eye as a sign of affection or to indicate something is a secret or a joke

"She winked at her friend secretly."

"My grandfather gave me a friendly warm smile and then a quick wink from across the dinner table."

to laugh quietly and with closed lips

"He chuckled at the funny joke."

"My grandfather started to chuckle softly when he remembered a funny story from his youth long ago."

to laugh in a light, silly, or often uncontrollable way as a result of nervousness or embarrassment

"The girls giggled at the secret."

"The young girls giggled quietly among themselves while sharing secrets during the sleepover party."

to give a half-smile, often displaying satisfaction, superiority, or amusement

"She smirks at his silly joke."

"The bully smirked at the smaller boy after pushing him to the ground in front of the other students."

to move one's head up and down as a sign of agreement, understanding, or greeting

"She will nod in agreement."

"The audience members nodded their heads in agreement as the speaker made each important point during his presentation."

to walk back and forth in a small area at a fixed speed, often due to anxiety or being deep in thought

"He paces back and forth nervously."

"The nervous father paced back and forth in the waiting room while his wife was in labor at the hospital."

to make one's fingers V-shaped and put them behind a person's head as a way of joking, particularly when taking a photograph

"The child gave his brother bunny ears."

"The boy gave his friend bunny ears in the photo and everyone laughed when they saw it."

to sit on one's calves and move the chest close to one's knees

"The cat crouched before jumping."

"The hunter had to crouch behind a large bush to avoid being seen by the wild deer nearby."

to become conscious again after sleeping

"Please wake up now."

"The loud noise from the street outside made it difficult for him to wake up peacefully."

to strike someone repeatedly, usually causing physical harm or injury

"Do not beat the drum."

"The aggressive crowd began to beat the man after they wrongly accused him of stealing their belongings."

to strike the palms of one's hands together forcefully, usually to show appreciation or to attract attention

"They clap their hands."

"The audience began to clap enthusiastically after the amazing performance ended."

to pull something with effort along a surface

"He will drag the box."

"The movers had to drag the heavy furniture up the narrow staircase."

to take someone or something suddenly or violently

"Grab that book quickly."

"She quickly grabbed her umbrella as she heard the first drops of rain begin to fall."

to take someone's hand and move it up and down, mainly for greeting

"Let's shake hands."

"The two leaders agreed to a truce and decided to shake hands as a sign of peace."

to move the upper part of the body downward

"Bend your body down."

"You should bend your knees when lifting heavy objects to avoid straining your lower back muscles."

to bend the head or move the upper half of the body forward to show respect or as a way of greeting

"The performer bows after the show."

"The performer bowed deeply to the audience at the end of the show to thank them for their applause."

to bend from a straight position typically to rest the body against something for support

"Lean the ladder against the wall."

"Do not lean out of the window of a moving train because it is extremely dangerous and you could fall out."

to look with eyes half-opened when hit by light, or as a sign of suspicion, etc.

"He squints in the bright sunlight."

"The old man had to squint to read the small print on the medicine bottle because his eyesight was very poor."

to walk firmly with regular steps

"The soldiers march."

"The soldiers will march in perfect formation during the Independence Day parade."

to slip or hit something with the foot accidentally that makes one fall or lose balance momentarily

"He will trip."

"Be careful not to trip over the rug, or you might fall."