Movement: English Vocabulary List

to make a sudden, brief, and involuntary movement

"His eye began to twitch nervously."

"The nervous student's eyelid would twitch uncontrollably whenever the teacher asked him a difficult question."

to incline or lean in a particular direction

"Tilt your head slightly to the right."

"You need to tilt the screen slightly to the left if you want to see the image clearly."

to bounce back after hitting a surface

"The ball rebounded off the wall."

"The basketball rebounded off the backboard and the tall player caught it and scored easily."

to rotate around a central point or axis

"Pivot on your foot to turn."

"The dancer had to pivot on one foot gracefully while extending the other leg behind her."

to strategically navigate or direct a vehicle, object, or oneself through a series of planned movements

"He maneuvered the car into a tight space."

"The skilled driver managed to maneuver the large truck into the tight parking space without any difficulty."

to move quickly and lightly from somewhere or something to another

"Butterflies flit from flower to flower."

"The colorful butterfly continued to flit from one flower to another in the warm summer garden without ever resting for more than a few seconds."

to slowly leak or pass through small openings

"Water seeps through the cracks."

"Water began to seep through the crack in the basement wall after the heavy rainstorm flooded the area."

to surpass, exceed, or move faster than someone or something

"The runner will outpace them."

"The young runner managed to outpace all of his competitors and win the gold medal at the championship race."

to slowly leak or pass through small openings

"Pus oozes from the infected wound."

"The thick mud began to ooze through the cracks in the old stone wall after the heavy rain."

to flip or reverse the position or arrangement of something

"Invert the bottle to empty it."

"To empty the bottle completely you need to invert it and let the last drops fall out."

to convey or move people or items back and forth between locations

"Buses shuttle passengers to the airport."

"Buses shuttle passengers between the airport terminal and the long term parking lot every fifteen minutes."

to meet or cross another path, line, etc. at a particular point

"The two lines intersect at point A."

"The two main roads intersect at the large traffic circle near the center of the city."

to move with speed and intensity

"The car hurtled down the highway."

"The speeding car continued to hurtle down the narrow road without any regard for the safety of pedestrians nearby."

to transfer liquid from one container to another using a tube or hose, typically by creating a vacuum or by gravity

"Siphon the gas from the tank."

"The mechanic used a hose to siphon the old gasoline from the tank before refilling it with fresh fuel."

to transport or haul something heavy or cumbersome with effort

"He lugged the heavy suitcase upstairs."

"The tired hiker had to lug his heavy backpack up the steep mountain trail for several miles."

to move or be drawn towards a center of gravity or mass, influenced by gravitational attraction

"People gravitate towards kind individuals."

"The planets in the solar system gravitate towards the sun due to its immense gravitational pull."

to move repeatedly from side to side, often in a rhythmic or playful manner

"The dog wags its tail happily."

"The happy dog wagged its tail vigorously when its owner returned home from a long day at work."

to move in a slow, heavy, and awkward manner, often due to the size or weight of the body or object being carried

"The bear lumbered through the forest."

"The large bear lumbered slowly through the forest looking for berries and insects to eat for its dinner."

to move in a twisting or whirling motion, creating a pattern of circular or spiral motion

"The water swirls down the drain."

"The colorful leaves swirled in the autumn wind before finally landing gently on the ground below."

(of the voice or body) shaking in a slight, fragile manner, often due to nerves, fear, age or illness

"Her voice is tremulous."

"The old man's tremulous hands made it difficult for him to pour his tea and he often spilled it on the table."

the power or ability to move on one's own without any external force

"Animal locomotion is interesting."

"Different animals have unique modes of locomotion that help them survive in their environment."

the act or process of advancing or moving forward in a gradual or orderly manner

"We tracked the progression of the disease."

"The doctor tracked the progression of the disease by measuring the size of the tumor every month to see if the treatment was working."

the amount of energy or particles passing through per unit area per unit time

"Energy flux measured."

"The magnetic flux passing through the coil was measured to determine its properties."

the action or process of driving or propelling an object forward through a medium, typically involving the generation of thrust or force

"Jet propulsion is powerful."

"Modern airplanes use powerful jet propulsion systems to fly at very high speeds across long distances."

a rapid and sudden drop from the sky

"Eagle made fast swoop."

"The hawk's sudden swoop from the high branches surprised the unsuspecting field mouse below."

to move in a rhythmic or repetitive pattern that rises and falls

"Her voice will waver."

"During the emotional speech, her voice began to waver as she struggled to hold back tears."

to make a vehicle, machine or object move more quickly

"The car will accelerate."

"The driver pressed the gas pedal to accelerate onto the highway and merge safely with the fast moving traffic."

to spread or move around among people or places, often in a continuous manner

"News will circulate."

"Rumors began to circulate through the office about the impending company merger."

to move across or through a particular area, often with the intention of reaching a destination or following a specific course

"We track the birds."

"The hikers decided to track the elusive mountain lion through the dense forest."

to gather or travel to a place in large, dense groups

"Bees swarm together."

"Bees will swarm from the hive when the queen bee leaves to start a new colony."

to move swiftly and smoothly across a surface or through the air, often in a broad or wide-ranging motion

"The flag will sweep."

"The artist used a large brush to sweep vibrant colors across the expansive canvas."

to cause something to depart from an established course

"Do not deviate from the plan."

"The pilot was forced to deviate from the planned flight path due to unexpected severe weather conditions."

to move or convey a heavy object with effort

"They carted the goods to market."

"The farmer used a tractor to cart the heavy bales of hay from the field to the barn."

to uproot or relocate someone or something

"Transplant the seedling into a bigger pot."

"Gardeners often transplant young seedlings into larger pots to help them grow stronger before planting outside."

to move apart and continue in another direction

"Paths diverge here."

"The two roads will diverge dramatically in the coming miles, leading to vastly different landscapes."

to control the direction of a moving object, such as a car, ship, etc.

"She steers the car around the corner."

"The captain managed to steer the large ship safely through the narrow channel despite the strong currents."

(of a river, trail, etc.) to follow along a curvy or indirect path

"The river meanders through the valley."

"The small stream meandered slowly through the green valley creating a peaceful and relaxing sound as the water flowed gently over the smooth rocks."

to lower or cause to move downward in position

"Please depress the button."

"The heavy machinery was designed to depress the soil, preparing it for construction."

to move in a loose, uncontrolled, or erratic manner

"The fish flopped on the deck."

"The exhausted swimmer climbed out of the pool and flopped down onto a lounge chair to rest his tired muscles for a while."

to change direction or take a different course

"Divert the water."

"Engineers will divert the river's flow to construct a new hydroelectric power plant downstream."

sudden, quick, and irregular motions characterized by abrupt starts and stops

"His movements are jerky."

"The jerky movements of the robot made it seem uncoordinated and the engineers worked to make its motions smoother."

marked by sudden, involuntary, and jerky muscular contractions or spasms

"The patient was convulsive."

"The sudden onset of convulsive seizures indicated a serious neurological issue requiring immediate medical attention."

moving or turning in the same direction as the hands of a clock

"The arrow shows clockwise direction."

"The instructions clearly stated to turn the dial in a clockwise direction to set the alarm."

the path an object, usually a rocket, follows in air or space

"Rocket follows trajectory."

"Scientists carefully calculated the exact trajectory of the rocket before the important launch."