Adverbs of Speed, Adverbs of Coincidence, Adverbs of Safety and Danger and 6 More Topics · Adverbs: Manner Things

with little energy, speed, or enthusiasm

"The economy grew sluggishly."

"The old computer ran sluggishly and it took several minutes to load even the simplest programs."

in a quick or immediate way

"The river flows swiftly."

"The river flows swiftly after the heavy rains so it is not safe to go swimming or kayaking right now."

with a high degree of speed

"The work was completed speedily."

"The emergency services responded speedily to the accident and the injured passengers were taken to the hospital within minutes."

in a way that is quick and unexpected

"Suddenly the lights went out."

"Suddenly the lights went out and we were left in complete darkness not knowing what had happened."

in a quick and rushed manner, often done with little time for careful consideration

"She hastily packed her bags."

"She hastily packed her bags and left the house because she did not want to miss her flight to Paris."

in a rushed or quick manner

"He packed hurriedly."

"The student hurriedly finished his exam in the last five minutes and he did not have time to check his answers for mistakes."

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 quick and efficient manner

"The request was handled expeditiously."

"The lawyer expeditiously handled the case and the client was pleased that the matter was resolved within just two weeks."

with changes or occurrences happening continuously and rapidly

"The situation is getting worse by the minute."

"The situation is getting worse by the minute and we need to act quickly before it is too late."

in a quick and graceful manner

"The deer ran fleetly."

"The deer ran fleetly through the forest and the hunter could not catch up to the fast and agile animal."

with quick and urgent movement

"He ran hotfoot to the door."

"The child ran hotfoot to tell his mother that he had won the spelling bee and he could barely contain his excitement."

with speed and urgency

"He left post-haste."

"The messenger left post-haste to deliver the urgent news to the king and he rode through the night without stopping to rest."

at a speed that is not fast

"He walked slow."

"The internet connection is slow so I cannot watch the video properly."

in a manner that is fast and takes little time

"She ran quick."

"She was quick to understand the problem and offered an excellent solution immediately."

having a high speed when doing something, especially moving

"The car is fast."

"The fast runner crossed the finish line in record time breaking the previous record that had stood for ten years."

by chance and without a specific pattern, order, or purpose

"The numbers were chosen randomly."

"The numbers were chosen randomly by the computer so that every participant would have a fair chance of winning."

in a manner that happens by chance or accident

"We met coincidentally."

"We met coincidentally at the airport and we discovered that we were both flying to the same city for the same conference."

without a specific reason, pattern, or method, often based on personal preference or chance

"The rules were arbitrarily enforced."

"The rules were arbitrarily enforced and some students were punished for minor infractions while others received no consequences for the same behavior."

without a specific order, plan, or pattern

"The numbers were chosen at random."

"The teacher selected students at random to answer questions and everyone had to be prepared because nobody knew who would be called on next."

by chance or luck, often resulting in a positive outcome

"We arrived fortuitously early."

"We arrived fortuitously early and we were able to get good seats before the concert hall filled up with other eager fans."

in a way that is unexpected and fortunate

"We found the caf� serendipitously."

"The couple serendipitously discovered a beautiful beach while driving along the coast and they decided to stop and enjoy the sunset."

in a way that cannot be anticipated or foreseen

"The weather changed unpredictably."

"The weather changed unpredictably and the sunny morning turned into a rainy afternoon without any warning from the forecasters."

in a way that is not anticipated or foreseen

"She unexpectedly showed up at the party."

"She unexpectedly showed up at the party without telling anyone and everyone was surprised and happy to see her."

in a random or unselective way, without planning, care, or concern for consequences

"He fired indiscriminately."

"The soldier fired indiscriminately into the crowd and many innocent people were killed or injured in the senseless attack."

against common sense or what one would expect based on intuition

"Counterintuitively slowing down helped."

"Counterintuitively slowing down actually helped him finish the race faster because he conserved energy for the final sprint."

in a way that can be anticipated or expected with a high degree of certainty

"Predictably the team lost the game."

"Predictably the team lost the game because they had not practiced enough during the week and their best player was injured."

in a way that is not surprising or unexpected

"Unsurprisingly he won the race."

"Unsurprisingly the favorite team won the championship and their fans celebrated late into the night after the victory."

with regard to future possibilities or actions

"The data was collected prospectively."

"The data was collected prospectively over five years and the researchers followed the participants to track how their health changed over time."

without prior preparation or practice

"He spoke extempore."

"The professor spoke extempore without any notes and his students were impressed by his deep knowledge of the subject."

without deliberate intention

"We met by chance."

"We met by chance at the coffee shop and we decided to have lunch together since we had not seen each other in years."

without prior planning or preparation

"He gave an impromptu speech."

"The singer gave an impromptu performance in the park and the crowd gathered around to listen to her beautiful voice."

in a way that avoids harm or danger

"They arrived safely home."

"We arrived home safely after a long and tiring journey and immediately went to bed to get some rest."

in a way that is uncertain, insecure, or lacking stability

"The cup balanced precariously."

"The vase balanced precariously on the edge of the table and a small bump would have caused it to fall and shatter on the floor."

in a manner that is firm and strong

"The bridge was solidly built."

"The bridge was solidly built and it had withstood countless storms and floods without showing any signs of weakness."

in a way that is firmly fixed or securely positioned, without wobbling, shaking, or moving easily

"The currency remained stably priced."

"The currency remained stably priced and the lack of inflation helped the economy grow at a steady and predictable rate."

in a way that is secure and firm

"He slept soundly."

"The baby slept soundly through the night and his parents were relieved that they finally had a full night of rest."

in a manner that is held or positioned firmly and reliably

"The door was securely locked."

"The door was securely locked and the family felt safe inside their home even though the neighborhood had experienced several recent burglaries."

in a calm and harmonious manner

"The baby slept peacefully."

"The old man died peacefully in his sleep and his family was comforted by the knowledge that he had not suffered at the end."

in a manner that does not cause harm or danger

"The snake lay harmlessly in the grass."

"The snake lay harmlessly in the grass and was not poisonous so we simply walked around it and continued on our hike."

in a manner that is capable of harming or injuring a person or destroying or damaging a thing

"He drove dangerously fast."

"The car was dangerously close to the edge of the cliff and everyone held their breath as it passed slowly."

in a way that is full of danger or risk

"The climber hung perilously."

"The climber hung perilously from the cliff edge and his friends quickly pulled him up before he could fall to his death."

in a manner that poses a risk or danger; without adequate protection or precautions

"He drove unsafely."

"The driver drove unsafely and he caused a serious accident that injured two people and damaged several cars."

in a manner that involves potential danger or uncertainty

"He invested riskily."

"The investor riskily put all of his money into a single volatile stock and he lost everything when the company went bankrupt."

in a manner that involves risks or dangers

"The waste was disposed hazardously."

"The waste was disposed hazardously and the toxic chemicals leaked into the groundwater causing serious health problems for the local residents."

in a highly dangerous or risky manner

"The path wound treacherously."

"The path wound treacherously along the cliff and one wrong step could send a hiker falling hundreds of feet into the rocky river below."

in a manner that lacks caution or care

"He drove recklessly."

"The teenager recklessly sped down the street and he nearly hit a child who was crossing the road to get to the school bus."

in a manner that is not tightly or firmly held or attached

"The rope was tied loosely."

"The rope was tied loosely so the boat could move with the waves instead of being pulled tight against the dock."

in a manner that is firmly held, fastened, or closely fitted

"Hold it tight."

"The mountaineer gripped the rope tight, ensuring his safety on the treacherous ascent."

in a strong or secure manner

"She firmly closed the door."

"She firmly closed the door and locked it to make sure that no one could enter the room while she was away."

in a manner that is kept hidden from others

"She secretly ate the last cookie."

"She secretly ate the last cookie while no one was watching and then pretended that she had no idea what had happened to it."

in a manner that is away from public view or knowledge

"They met in secret."

"The lovers met in secret because their families disapproved of their relationship and they feared being discovered by the angry parents."

in a manner that maintains trust and protect sensitive details

"The information was shared confidentially."

"The information was shared confidentially and the employee was fired for leaking the secret documents to the press."

in a secretive manner to avoid drawing attention

"He glanced surreptitiously."

"The spy glanced surreptitiously at the documents and he memorized the codes before anyone noticed what he was doing."

without revealing one's identity or name

"The donation was made anonymously."

"The donation was made anonymously and the grateful charity had no way of thanking the generous person who had given the money."

in a secretive, sly, or sneaky manner

"He looked furtively."

"The thief looked furtively around the store and he slipped the expensive watch into his pocket when the security guard was not watching."

with an intention to avoid detection or attention

"The meeting was held clandestinely."

"The meeting was held clandestinely in an abandoned warehouse and the spies exchanged secret information under the cover of darkness."

with the intention of keeping actions, plans, or operations secret

"The operation was conducted covertly."

"The operation was conducted covertly and the government denied any involvement in the mission even when evidence of their participation emerged."

in a manner that is not open to the public or others

"They spoke in private."

"The manager spoke to the employee in private and he gently explained that her performance needed to improve without embarrassing her in front of her coworkers."

in a secret way involving only a particular person or group and no others

"They spoke privately in the corner."

"They spoke privately in the corner so that no one else could hear what they were discussing."

with the intention of avoiding notice or preserving privacy

"He left discreetly."

"The guest discreetly left the party early and nobody noticed his departure because he said goodbye only to the host."

in a way that is secretive and sly

"He sneakily took a cookie."

"The child sneakily took a cookie from the jar and he ate it behind the sofa so that his mother would not see him."

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 is visible or easily noticed

"He overtly challenged the rules."

"The politician overtly challenged his opponent during the debate and he accused the other candidate of lying directly to the public."

in a way that is visible or accessible to the general public

"He publicly apologized for his mistake."

"He publicly apologized for his mistake and promised to do better in the future to regain everyone trust."

in a way that is honest or direct

"He openly criticized the government."

"He openly criticized the government and his comments were published in several newspapers around the country."

in a concise and clear manner without unnecessary details

"He explained succinctly."

"The professor succinctly explained the complex theory and the students understood the difficult concept within just a few minutes."

in a brief and clear manner, without unnecessary elaboration

"He wrote concisely."

"The witness concisely described what he had seen and the jury appreciated his clear and straightforward testimony without any unnecessary details."

with a few words and a direct and straightforward style

"He responded tersely."

"The busy manager tersely responded to the question and his short answer made it clear that he did not want to discuss the topic further."

in a way that efficiently captures essential details without unnecessary elaboration

"In short he failed."

"In short the experiment failed and the scientists must redesign their approach before they can try again."

in a concise and impactful manner

"He commented pithily."

"The columnist pithily summarized the political situation in just a few words and readers appreciated his clever and witty commentary."

briefly mentioning a topic, idea, or something similar without providing extensive attention or elaboration

"He mentioned it in passing."

"The professor mentioned the important theory only in passing and the students realized that they needed to study it on their own because it would be on the exam."

in a concise and straightforward manner

"He replied laconically."

"The cowboy laconically replied with a single word and his brief response told the whole story without any unnecessary explanation."

in an overly simple or naive manner, often lacking a thorough understanding of the subject

"He argued simplistically."

"The journalist simplistically explained the economic crisis and his article ignored many of the complex factors that had contributed to the problem."

in a way that includes many details, intricate elements, or thorough explanations

"The cake was elaborately decorated."

"The cake was elaborately decorated with intricate icing flowers and the beautiful dessert was almost too pretty to eat."

in great detail or for a long time

"He spoke at length."

"The professor spoke at length about the history of the Roman Empire and the lecture lasted for nearly three hours without a break."

in a careful and gentle manner while paying attention to details

"She placed it delicately."

"She handled the glass delicately because it was very old and valuable and could break easily if she dropped it."

in a detailed and complex manner

"The design was intricately carved."

"The wooden box was intricately carved with tiny flowers and leaves and the artisan had spent hundreds of hours creating the beautiful design."

a wordy, lengthy, or excessively detailed manner

"He explained verbosely."

"The politician verbosely answered the simple question and his long winded response frustrated the reporters who just wanted a straight yes or no."

in a lengthy, wordy, and extensively detailed manner

"He spoke long-windedly."

"The old man long-windedly told the story of his childhood and the children grew bored long before he reached the end."

in a manner that uses more words than necessary to convey a message

"He answered wordily."

"The author wordily described the scenery and the excessive adjectives made the novel difficult to read."

in a thorough and complete manner, providing a comprehensive examination or explanation of a subject

"He explained it in detail."

"The detective explained the crime scene in detail and the jury could visualize exactly what had happened on the night of the murder."

in a way that is very clear and leaves no room for confusion or doubt

"He stated unambiguously."

"The contract stated unambiguously that the tenant must pay the rent on the first day of every month without exception."

in a direct and explicit manner, often expressing something clearly and with emphasis

"She looked pointedly at him."

"The teacher looked pointedly at the student who was talking and the silent warning was enough to make the boy stop his disruptive behavior."

in a clear, honest, and uncomplicated manner

"He answered straightforwardly."

"The mechanic straightforwardly told the customer that the car needed expensive repairs and he did not try to hide the bad news."

in a clear and explicit manner, leaving no room for misunderstanding or confusion

"The rule was expressly stated in the handbook."

"The rule was expressly stated in the employee handbook so no one can claim that they did not know about it."

in a manner that is direct and clear

"The teacher explicitly told us not to run."

"The teacher explicitly told us not to run in the hallway but some students still disobeyed and got into trouble."

in a way that is unclear, open to multiple interpretations, or lacking definite meaning

"He answered ambiguously."

"The politician ambiguously answered the question and his vague response left everyone unsure of where he actually stood on the important issue."

without using explicit verbal communication

"They tacitly agreed."

"The two rivals tacitly agreed to stop fighting and they called a truce without ever discussing the terms of their agreement."

in a way that is understood or suggested without being directly stated

"He trusted implicitly."

"The employee implicitly trusted his manager and he followed every instruction without ever questioning whether the orders were fair or ethical."

in a manner that is not direct or straightforward

"He referred obliquely."

"The witness obliquely referred to the crime without directly accusing anyone and the lawyer had to ask follow up questions to get a clear answer."

in a manner that indirectly expresses or implies something

"He looked meaningfully at her."

"The speaker looked meaningfully at the audience and his powerful gaze conveyed the importance of his message without any words."

in a straightforward manner

"Just simply turn left."

"You can simply turn off the lights when you leave the room to save energy."

in a straightforward and honest manner

"He spoke directly."

"The manager addressed the team directly, clarifying expectations for the upcoming project."

used when expressing an honest opinion, even though that might upset someone

"Frankly, I disagree."

"Frankly, I found the movie to be rather disappointing despite its critical acclaim."

without holding back, concealing thoughts, or showing any reservation

"She agreed unreservedly."

"The witness offered her testimony unreservedly, providing every detail she could recall."

in a way that is easily observed or recognized

"She was noticeably nervous."

"The student was noticeably nervous before the presentation and his hands were shaking as he picked up his notes from the podium."

in a way that can be easily identified or distinguished

"His voice was recognizably different."

"The actor's voice was recognizably different after years of smoking and his fans immediately knew who was speaking even before he appeared on screen."

in a manner that attracts attention, often because of being unusual or striking

"He was conspicuously absent."

"The wealthy woman was conspicuously absent from the charity event and many people wondered why she had not attended the important fundraiser."

in a way that is easily noticeable, highlighting a clear and obvious contrast

"The two opinions contrasted starkly."

"The mountains stood starkly against the bright blue sky and the contrast was absolutely breathtaking to see."

in a clear, obvious, or unmistakable manner

"The plan is manifestly flawed."

"The plan is manifestly flawed and anyone with basic common sense can see that it will never work."

in a way that can be perceived or recognized

"The sound grew discernibly louder."

"The sound of the approaching train grew discernibly louder and the passengers stepped back from the edge of the platform for safety."

in a way that is easily noticeable or distinct

"His health improved markedly."

"The patient's health improved markedly after the surgery and the doctors were surprised by how quickly he recovered from the serious operation."

in a way that is easily recognizable

"She dressed distinctively."

"The singer distinctively styled her hair in bright colors and her unique look made her stand out from other performers in the music industry."

in a way that conveys a significant message

"He paused tellingly."

"The politician paused tellingly before answering the question and the reporter knew that he was hiding something important."

in a way that is easily noticeable or evident

"She spoke plainly."

"The teacher plainly explained the rules to the students and everyone understood exactly what was expected of them."

in a way that is notably distinctive or unusually remarkable

"He was singularly focused."

"The scientist was singularly focused on his research and he ignored all distractions including his family and his health."

in a way that is not clear or easily perceived

"He spoke indistinctly."

"The witness indistinctly remembered the events of the night and his fuzzy memory made it difficult for the police to trust his testimony."

in a way that is barely perceptible

"She smiled faintly."

"The old woman smiled faintly at her grandson and her weak expression showed that she did not have much energy left."

in a way that is impossible or extremely difficult to perceive or notice

"The color changed imperceptibly."

"The color of the leaves changed imperceptibly over the weeks and the green slowly turned to yellow before anyone noticed."

in a way that is subtle and not likely to attract attention

"He slipped away unobtrusively."

"The security guard unobtrusively watched the shoppers from a distance and the customers did not even realize that they were being monitored."

in a way that shows an easily distinguishable quality

"I distinctly remember meeting you before."

"I distinctly remember meeting you before but I cannot remember your name or where we met."

in an extremely bright or intense manner

"The light was blindingly bright."

"The light was blindingly bright and the driver could not see the road for a few terrifying seconds."

in a way that is extremely bright, harsh, or unpleasant to the eyes

"The error was glaringly obvious."

"The error in the report was glaringly obvious and the manager could not understand how the accountant had missed such a big mistake."

in a manner that emits a strong or intense light

"The sun shone brightly."

"The stars shone brightly in the clear night sky and the campers lay on the grass counting the constellations above them."

in an intensely bright manner

"The diamond sparkled dazzlingly."

"The diamond ring sparkled dazzlingly under the lights and the groom was nervous as he waited for his bride to see the beautiful gift."

in a manner that emits a radiant and glowing light

"The watch glowed luminously."

"The watch glowed luminously in the dark and the soldier could read the time without turning on a light during his mission."

with a faint or soft light

"The room was dimly lit."

"The room was dimly lit by a single candle and the old photographs on the wall looked ghostly in the flickering light."

in a way that is dim or gloomy

"The water flowed murkily."

"The river flowed murkily after the heavy rain and the brown water made it impossible to see the rocks beneath the surface."

in a dim or slightly dark manner

"The sky glowed duskily."

"The sky glowed duskily as the sun set behind the mountains and the stars slowly began to appear one by one."

in a way that lacks brightness or shine

"The metal shone dully."

"The once vibrant paint on the old house now looked dully faded after years of exposure to the harsh sun."

with very little or no light

"The room was darkly lit."

"The alleyway was darkly shadowed, making it difficult to see who or what might be lurking there."

in a manner that emits a strong and vivid light

"The light was bright."

"The stage lights shone brightly, illuminating the performers with intense radiance."

in a way that is similar or equivalent when compared to something else

"The products are comparably priced."

"The two products are comparably priced and the customer chose the cheaper one because the quality was similar."

in a way that is equal in value, significance, or effect

"The terms are equivalently defined."

"The two mathematical expressions are equivalently defined and the student could use either one to solve the equation."

in a way that is comparable or similar

"It is like that."

"The situation in the workplace is analogously similar to the problems that the team faced last year and the manager can use the same solution again."

in a way that is exactly the same

"The twins dressed identically."

"The twins dressed identically and their classmates could not tell them apart until they started talking."

in a similar manner

"She responded in kind."

"When he criticized her work, she responded in kind with equally harsh feedback."

in a consistent or identical manner

"The paint was uniformly applied."

"The paint was uniformly applied and the smooth even coat made the wall look professionally finished."

in a manner that is not the same

"They see it differently."

"They think differently than us because they grew up in a different culture with different values and beliefs."

in a way that is varied

"The group was diversely composed."

"The student body is diversely composed and people from over fifty different countries study at the university."

in different ways

"The word is variously defined."

"The word is variously defined in different dictionaries and students should check multiple sources to understand its full meaning."

in a manner that deviates or differs significantly from a given path, course, or viewpoint

"Their paths diverged."

"The two research teams approached the problem divergently, leading to very different conclusions."

in a way that is not similar or alike

"They acted dissimilarly."

"The twins, despite their identical appearance, behaved dissimilarly in social situations."

in a way that is almost the same

"Similarly her sister has blue eyes."

"Similarly her sister also has blue eyes and curly hair just like her mother."

in a way that is similar

"They looked alike."

"The identical twins, dressed in similar clothing, looked remarkably alike to onlookers."