Verbs That Start With G – List, Meanings & Examples in English

Verbs that start with G add power, energy, and versatility to the English language. From everyday actions like go and give to uplifting words such as grow, glow, and galvanize, these verbs bring precision and vibrancy to both spoken and written communication. Whether you’re looking to expand your vocabulary, enrich your writing, or simply find the perfect word to express action, G-verbs offer a wide range of choices. In this guide, you’ll discover comprehensive lists of action verbs, positive verbs, and impactful examples starting with G.

List of Verbs That Start With G

The letter G introduces a wide range of verbs that capture both simple and complex actions. From basic everyday words like go and give to more expressive choices such as gather, glide, and glorify, verbs beginning with G can enrich your vocabulary and communication. Below is a comprehensive list of G-verbs along with their meanings and examples to help you use them effectively in writing and speech.

Common Verbs Starting With G 

1. Go – to move from one place to another. 
   Example: She will go to the market tomorrow. 
2. Give – to hand something to someone. 
   Example: He will give her a gift. 
3. Get – to receive or obtain. 
   Example: I need to get some rest. 
4. Grow – to increase in size or develop. 
   Example: Plants grow quickly in the summer. 
5. Guess – to form an opinion without certainty. 
   Example: Can you guess the answer? 
6. Gather – to collect together. 
   Example: They gather fruit every morning. 
7. Grab – to seize suddenly. 
   Example: She tried to grab the ball. 
8. Glow – to shine softly. 
   Example: The lamp began to glow in the dark. 
9. Greet – to welcome someone politely. 
   Example: He greeted his friends with a smile. 
10. Guard – to protect from danger. 
    Example: Soldiers guard the border. 
11. Grin – to smile broadly. 
    Example: The child grinned with excitement. 
12. Guide – to lead or show the way. 
    Example: The teacher will guide the students. 
13. Glance – to look quickly. 
    Example: She glanced at her watch. 
14. Grant – to give or allow something officially. 
    Example: The manager granted him permission. 
15. Groan – to make a low sound of pain or displeasure. 
    Example: He groaned after lifting the heavy box.

Positive Verbs Starting With G

Verb	Meaning	Example
Glow	to shine with light or happiness	Her face glowed with joy.
Grow	to develop or improve	He grew more confident over time.
Gratify	to give pleasure or satisfaction	The results gratified the teacher.
Glorify	to praise or honor greatly	The poem glorifies nature.
Give	to offer generously	She loves to give her time to charity.
Greet	to welcome warmly	They greeted the guests cheerfully.
Guide	to lead and support	The mentor guided her students well.
Galvanize	to inspire or excite into action	The speech galvanized the team.
Grant	to allow or bestow kindly	He granted her wish with a smile.
Gladden	to make someone happy	The surprise gladdened her heart.
Generate	to produce or create something good	The plan generated hope among workers.
Gift	to present as a token of love	They gifted books to the children.
Guarantee	to promise or assure positively	The company guarantees satisfaction.
Giggle	to laugh lightly with joy	The kids giggled during the show.
Glisten	to shine brightly with beauty	The morning dew glistened on the grass.

Action Verbs Starting With G

1. Go – to move or travel. 
   Example: They go jogging every morning. 
2. Grab – to take hold of suddenly. 
   Example: He grabbed his coat and left. 
3. Gallop – to run fast (for a horse). 
   Example: The horse galloped across the field. 
4. Gather – to collect things. 
   Example: Children gathered flowers in the garden. 
5. Grind – to crush into smaller pieces. 
   Example: She ground the coffee beans. 
6. Glide – to move smoothly. 
   Example: The skater glided across the ice. 
7. Gulp – to swallow quickly. 
   Example: He gulped down the water. 
8. Gasp – to breathe suddenly in surprise. 
   Example: She gasped at the shocking news. 
9. Grope – to feel with hands in the dark. 
   Example: He groped for the light switch. 
10. Gaze – to look steadily at something. 
    Example: They gazed at the stars. 
11. Gesture – to signal with hand movements. 
    Example: He gestured for her to sit down. 
12. Grapple – to struggle or wrestle. 
    Example: The wrestlers grappled fiercely. 
13. Generate – to create or bring about. 
    Example: The engine generates electricity. 
14. Grumble – to complain in a low voice. 
    Example: He grumbled about the long wait. 
15. Gnaw – to chew continuously. 
    Example: The dog gnawed on a bone.

Regular Verbs That Start With G

Verb	Meaning	Example
Gain	to increase or acquire	She gained valuable experience.
Gallop	to run fast (horse)	The horse galloped across the field.
Gasp	to breathe in suddenly	She gasped at the surprise.
Gather	to collect	They gathered around the fire.
Gaze	to look steadily	He gazed at the painting.
Glance	to look quickly	She glanced at the clock.
Glide	to move smoothly	The bird glided across the sky.
Glow	to shine softly	The candle glowed in the dark.
Greet	to welcome	They greeted the guests warmly.
Grin	to smile widely	He grinned at the joke.
Groan	to make a sound of pain	The patient groaned loudly.
Guard	to protect	The police guarded the entrance.
Guess	to estimate without certainty	Can you guess the answer?
Guide	to show the way	She guided the tourists.
Grumble	to complain softly	He grumbled about the delay.

Irregular Verbs Starting With G

1. Go (went, gone) – to move from one place to another. 
   Example: She went to school early. 
2. Get (got, gotten/got) – to obtain or receive. 
   Example: He got a new job last week. 
3. Give (gave, given) – to present or hand over. 
   Example: They gave her a bouquet. 
4. Grow (grew, grown) – to increase in size or develop. 
   Example: The baby has grown fast. 
5. Grind (ground, ground) – to crush into small pieces. 
   Example: She ground the pepper finely. 
6. Goose (goosed, goosed – informal, sometimes irregular) – to prod playfully. 
   Example: He goosed his friend as a prank. 
7. Gainsay (gainsaid, gainsaid) – to deny or contradict. 
   Example: No one could gainsay the truth. 
8. Gut (gut, gutted – irregular in sense of removing innards) – to remove the inside of. 
   Example: They gutted the fish. 
9. Grip (gripped, gripped / sometimes grip, gript) – to hold tightly. 
   Example: She gripped the rope firmly. 
10. Gaslight (gaslit, gaslit) – to manipulate someone psychologically. 
    Example: He gaslit her into doubting herself. 
11. Ghostwrite (ghostwrote, ghostwritten) – to write for someone else secretly. 
    Example: She ghostwrote the memoir. 
12. Goose-step (goose-stepped, goose-stepped – irregular in origin) – to march stiffly. 
    Example: The soldiers goose-stepped in formation. 
13. Gird (girt/girded, girt/girded) – to prepare or encircle. 
    Example: They girded themselves for battle. 
14. Gild (gilded/gilt, gilded/gilt) – to cover with a thin layer of gold. 
    Example: The craftsman gilt the frame. 
15. Gas (gassed, gassed – but irregular when slang for “gaslit”) – to poison or fuel. 
    Example: The car was gassed up before the trip.

Phrasal Verbs Starting With G

Verb	Meaning	Example
Give up	to quit or stop trying	He gave up smoking.
Give in	to surrender or yield	She finally gave in to his request.
Give away	to donate or reveal	They gave away free books.
Give back	to return something	She gave back the borrowed pen.
Give off	to emit (smell, light, heat)	The flowers give off a sweet fragrance.
Give out	to distribute or stop functioning	The teacher gave out the papers.
Go on	to continue	The show must go on.
Go over	to review carefully	Let’s go over the report again.
Go through	to experience or examine	She went through a tough time.
Go after	to pursue	He went after his dreams.
Go ahead	to proceed	Go ahead with your plan.
Go back	to return	He went back home.
Go up	to increase	Prices went up last year.
Go down	to decrease or descend	The sun went down slowly.
Go out	to leave or extinguish	The fire went out suddenly.

Rare and Unique Verbs Starting With G

1. Gainsay – to deny or contradict. 
   Example: He could not gainsay the evidence. 
2. Gambol – to skip or jump playfully. 
   Example: The lambs gamboled in the meadow. 
3. Gesticulate – to express with gestures. 
   Example: He gesticulated wildly during the debate. 
4. Glower – to glare angrily. 
   Example: She glowered at the rude comment. 
5. Grumble – to complain softly. 
   Example: He grumbled about the rain. 
6. Grovel – to act in a humiliating manner. 
   Example: The servant groveled before the king. 
7. Galumph – to move clumsily. 
   Example: The dog galumphed through the mud. 
8. Gasconade – to boast extravagantly. 
   Example: He gasconaded about his victories. 
9. Gormandize – to eat greedily. 
   Example: They gormandized at the feast. 
10. Guttle – to devour greedily. 
    Example: He guttled the meal without manners. 
11. Gnash – to grind teeth angrily. 
    Example: She gnashed her teeth in frustration. 
12. Glissade – to slide gracefully (dance/ski). 
    Example: The skier glissaded down the slope. 
13. Guttle – to gulp food noisily. 
    Example: The child guttled his dessert. 
14. Gainsay – to oppose or deny. 
    Example: None dared gainsay the leader. 
15. Gesticulate – to use gestures instead of words. 
    Example: He gesticulated to explain directions.

Popular & Impactful Verbs That Start With G

Verb	Meaning	Example
Grow	to increase or develop	Her business grew rapidly.
Give	to offer or donate	They gave their time generously.
Go	to move or proceed	He goes to the gym daily.
Guide	to direct or lead	The teacher guided the class carefully.
Galvanize	to inspire into action	The leader galvanized the crowd.
Generate	to produce or create	The project generated new jobs.
Grant	to allow or bestow	The government granted permission.
Glow	to shine or radiate	Her smile glowed with warmth.
Gather	to collect together	The family gathered for dinner.
Gratify	to satisfy or please	Her success gratified her parents.
Greet	to welcome warmly	They greeted him with applause.
Guard	to protect	The police guard the city.
Ground	to base or establish firmly	Her argument was grounded in facts.
Guarantee	to assure or promise	This warranty guarantees safety.
Glorify	to praise or honor	The song glorifies freedom.

Fun Facts About Words Beginning With G

• One of the Oldest Verbs – The verb “go” is one of the oldest words in the English language, tracing its roots back to Old English gān, and is still one of the most frequently used verbs today. 
• Positive Vibes – Many G-verbs carry uplifting or motivational energy, such as grow, glow, galvanize, and give, which makes them favorites in speeches, self-help writing, and inspirational quotes.
• Double Meanings – Some G-verbs can shift dramatically depending on context. For example, ground can mean “to punish someone by restricting movement” or “to base something on facts.” 
• Animal Influence – Several G-verbs come from animal behavior: gallop (horses), gobble (turkeys), and gnaw (rodents). These verbs bring vivid imagery into everyday language. 
• Rare & Quirky Origins – The playful verb “gambol” (to skip or frolic) comes from the Italian gambata, meaning “a leg kick,” showing how language borrows and transforms across cultures.

Read: Verbs That Start With D Read: Verbs That Start With E

Read: Verbs That Start With F

Conclusion

Verbs that start with G bring power, variety, and positivity to the English language. From simple everyday actions like go and give to more impactful words like grow, glow, and galvanize, these verbs enrich both written and spoken communication. Whether you are a student, writer, or language enthusiast, learning G-verbs expands your vocabulary, makes your expression more precise, and adds depth to conversations. Keep practicing them with examples, and soon these words will become a natural part of your speech and writing.