Verbs That Start With R – List of Positive, Action, and Common R Verbs

Radiant, refreshing, and remarkably versatile, verbs that start with the letter R bring energy and impact to our language. From words like rejuvenate, revitalize, and revere to everyday actions such as read, reason, and ramble, these verbs embody motion, growth, and positivity. Positioned at the heart of the alphabet, R-verbs stand out for their ability to inspire, empower, and enrich both written and spoken expression. Whether you’re expanding your vocabulary, enhancing your writing, or simply curious about the beauty of words, exploring verbs beginning with R is both fun and rewarding.

List of Verbs That Start With R

The list of verbs that start with R is vast and diverse, covering everything from simple daily actions to powerful, uplifting expressions. These verbs can help you communicate more clearly, add variety to your writing, and infuse your speech with confidence. Whether you’re looking for positive verbs to motivate, action verbs to energize, or unique words to stand out, the R-verb collection offers plenty of options to explore.

Common Verbs Starting With R

• Read – to look at and understand written words.
  Example: I love to read novels before bed. 
• Run – to move quickly on foot.
  Example: She runs every morning to stay fit. 
• Ride – to sit on and control a bicycle, horse, or vehicle.
  Example: He learned how to ride a bike at six. 
• Rise – to move upward or increase.
  Example: The sun rises in the east. 
• Rest – to relax after activity.
  Example: He decided to rest after a long day. 
• Rain – to fall as water drops from the sky.
  Example: It rained heavily last night. 
• Roll – to move by turning over and over.
  Example: The ball rolled down the hill. 
• Reach – to extend your hand toward something.
  Example: She reached for the glass of water. 
• Remember – to bring a past event to mind.
  Example: I remember my first day at school. 
• Return – to go back to a place.
  Example: She returned home after the meeting. 
• Raise – to lift something higher.
  Example: He raised his hand to ask a question. 
• Run into – to meet unexpectedly.
  Example: I ran into an old friend at the mall. 
• Remain – to stay in a place or condition.
  Example: He remained calm during the chaos. 
• Reply – to answer back.
  Example: She replied to his email immediately. 
• Remove – to take away something.
  Example: They removed the broken chair from the room.

Positive Verbs Starting With R

• Rejuvenate – to make someone feel young or fresh again.
  Example: A good vacation rejuvenates the mind and body. 
• Revitalize – to give new life or energy.
  Example: The new project revitalized the community. 
• Respect – to admire or value someone.
  Example: We should respect each other’s opinions. 
• Rejoice – to feel or show great joy.
  Example: They rejoiced at the good news. 
• Reward – to give something in recognition of effort.
  Example: The teacher rewarded the best student. 
• Reassure – to make someone feel less worried.
  Example: He reassured her with kind words. 
• Recognize – to acknowledge or appreciate.
  Example: She was recognized for her hard work. 
• Recommend – to suggest something as good.
  Example: I recommend this book to all history lovers. 
• Refine – to improve something.
  Example: She refined her skills through practice. 
• Reconcile – to restore friendship or peace.
  Example: They reconciled after years of misunderstanding. 
• Respectfully – to treat with politeness.
  Example: He respectfully greeted the elders. 
• Relieve – to reduce pain or stress.
  Example: The medicine relieved her headache. 
• Resolve – to find a solution.
  Example: They resolved the conflict peacefully. 
• Radiate – to emit positivity or energy.
  Example: She radiates confidence wherever she goes. 
• Revere – to deeply admire or honor.
  Example: The students revered their wise teacher.

Action Verbs Starting With R

Verb	Meaning	Example
Run	to move quickly on foot	He runs faster than anyone in his class.
Race	to compete in speed	They raced to the finish line.
Raise	to lift or elevate something	He raised the flag proudly.
Rotate	to turn around a central point	The earth rotates on its axis.
Rescue	to save from danger	The firefighters rescued the cat from the tree.
Ride	to travel on something	She rode her horse across the field.
Remove	to take away	They removed the old wallpaper.
Repair	to fix something broken	He repaired the bicycle chain.
Release	to set free	The organization released the birds into the wild.
Reach	to stretch toward something	She reached for the stars.
Rip	to tear apart	He ripped the paper by mistake.
Roll	to move by turning over	The dice rolled onto the table.
Rotate	to spin around	The wheel rotated smoothly.
Replace	to put something new in place of old	They replaced the broken lamp.
React	to respond to something	She reacted with excitement at the surprise.

Regular Verbs That Start With R

• Rain – rained – water falls from clouds.
  Example: It rained all night. 
• Rest – rested – to relax.
  Example: She rested after work. 
• Raise – raised – to lift.
  Example: He raised his hand. 
• Reach – reached – to stretch toward.
  Example: She reached for her bag. 
• Remember – remembered – to recall.
  Example: I remembered his birthday. 
• Remove – removed – to take away.
  Example: They removed the old table. 
• Repair – repaired – to fix.
  Example: He repaired the watch. 
• Reply – replied – to answer.
  Example: She replied quickly.
• Refuse – refused – to decline.
  Example: He refused the offer. 
• Replace – replaced – to substitute.
  Example: She replaced the broken glass. 
• Remind – reminded – to cause someone to remember.
  Example: She reminded him of the meeting. 
• Rescue – rescued – to save.
  Example: The dog was rescued by the team. 
• Relax – relaxed – to rest or unwind.
  Example: He relaxed on the sofa. 
• Report – reported – to give information.
  Example: She reported the news. 
• Return – returned – to go back.
  Example: He returned the book to the library.

Irregular Verbs Starting With R

• Ride – rode – ridden – to sit on and control (a horse/bike).
  Example: She rode her horse across the field. 
• Ring – rang – rung – to make a bell sound.
  Example: The church bells rang loudly. 
• Rise – rose – risen – to go upward.
  Example: The sun has risen above the mountains. 
• Run – ran – run – to move fast on foot.
  Example: He ran to catch the bus. 
• Rend – rent – rent – to tear apart.
  Example: The cloth was rent into two pieces. 
• Rebind – rebound – rebound – to bind again.
  Example: The old book was rebound with leather. 
• Rewind – rewound – rewound – to wind backward.
  Example: She rewound the tape to the beginning. 
• Retell – retold – retold – to narrate again.
  Example: The story was retold for the children. 
• Retake – retook – retaken – to take again.
  Example: He retook the exam for a better grade. 
• Rebuild – rebuilt – rebuilt – to construct again.
  Example: They rebuilt the house after the storm. 
• Rehang – rehung – rehung – to hang again.
  Example: He rehung the painting properly. 
• Rehear – reheard – reheard – to hear again.
  Example: The case was reheard in court. 
• Retread – retrod – retrodden – to walk again.
  Example: He retrodden the old path. 
• Re-prove – re-proved – re-proven – to prove again.
  Example: He reproven his theory after testing. 
• Retell – retold – retold – to say again.
  Example: She retold the joke to her friends.

Phrasal Verbs Starting With R

Verb	Meaning	Example
Run into	to meet unexpectedly	I ran into my teacher at the market.
Run out of	to have none left	We ran out of sugar yesterday.
Run over	to hit with a vehicle	The car ran over a pothole.
Run after	to chase	The dog ran after the ball.
Run across	to find by chance	She ran across an old photo album.
Run through	to practice or review	Let’s run through the plan again.
Run off	to leave suddenly	He ran off without saying goodbye.
Run on	to continue talking	The professor ran on for two hours.
Run up	to accumulate (a bill)	They ran up a huge debt.
Run away	to escape	The child ran away from home.
Run down	to hit and knock down	The car nearly ran me down.
Run along	to go away (informal)	The kids were told to run along.
Run by	to explain briefly	Let me run this idea by you.
Run about	to move busily	The children ran about in the yard.
Run against	to oppose	He ran against his friend in the election.

Rare and Unique Verbs Starting With R

• Rhapsodize – to speak with great enthusiasm.
  Example: She rhapsodized about her favorite band. 
• Reify – to make something abstract concrete.
  Example: They reified their ideas into actions. 
• Ruminate – to think deeply.
  Example: He ruminated on life’s mysteries. 
• Reciprocate – to return in kind.
  Example: She reciprocated his kindness. 
• Repatriate – to return someone to their own country.
  Example: The refugees were repatriated safely. 
• Recalibrate – to readjust or reset.
  Example: The machine was recalibrated for accuracy. 
• Ransack – to search violently.
  Example: The burglars ransacked the house. 
• Reverberate – to echo back.
  Example: His voice reverberated in the hall. 
• Regale – to entertain lavishly.
  Example: He regaled his guests with stories. 
• Rebuff – to reject abruptly.
  Example: Her request was rebuffed by the manager. 
• Remonstrate – to protest strongly.
  Example: The workers remonstrated against unfair rules. 
• Rekindle – to reignite (emotion or fire).
  Example: They rekindled their friendship after years. 
• Reconstitute – to form again.
  Example: The council was reconstituted after elections. 
• Rehabilitate – to restore health or condition.
  Example: The program rehabilitates injured animals. 
• Revamp – to improve or give a new look.
  Example: The shop was revamped with modern décor.

Popular & Impactful Verbs That Start With R

Verb	Meaning	Example
Rejuvenate	to restore youth or energy	The spa treatment rejuvenated her skin.
Revitalize	to give new life	The festival revitalized the town’s culture.
Respect	to value someone highly	We should respect our elders.
Reform	to improve by change	The government reformed old policies.
Revolutionize	to radically transform	The internet revolutionized communication.
Renew	to restore freshness	They renewed their vows on their anniversary.
Resolve	to decide or settle	He resolved the dispute quickly.
Recognize	to acknowledge or honor	She was recognized for her achievements.
Reward	to give something in appreciation	Hard work is always rewarded.
Reinforce	to strengthen	The teacher reinforced key concepts.
Reconcile	to make peace	They reconciled after a long conflict.
Reimagine	to think about differently	The director reimagined the classic play.
Reach	to achieve or attain	She reached her goals with persistence.
Radiate	to project energy or warmth	He radiates positivity everywhere he goes.
Revere	to honor deeply	The community revered the wise leader.

Fun Facts About Words Beginning With R

• R is one of the most “action-packed” letters in English – Many strong and energetic verbs start with R, like run, race, rise, and rotate. Linguists note that the rolling “R” sound itself often conveys motion or energy, making R-verbs feel more dynamic.
• The letter R is called the “liquid consonant.” – In phonetics, R (along with L) is a liquid sound, meaning it flows smoothly in speech. That’s why R-words like radiate or resonate sound fluid and lyrical when spoken.
• R-verbs often symbolize renewal and transformation – A surprising number of verbs beginning with R like rejuvenate, revitalize, renew, reform, and reimagine, carry meanings related to growth, change, or rebirth.
• R is a global connector – English borrowed many R-verbs from Latin and French. For example, revive (Latin revivere, “to live again”) and reconcile (Latin reconciliare, “to bring together again”). This shows how R-verbs often connect to ideas of restoring relationships or life.
• R-words dominate in repetition – The prefix “re-”, one of the most common in English, starts with R and means “again” or “back.” That’s why so many verbs starting with R (redo, retry, revisit, rebuild) emphasize repetition, resilience, and second chances.

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Conclusion

Verbs that start with R are some of the most powerful and versatile in the English language. From common actions like read and run to uplifting words like rejuvenate and revitalize, R-verbs carry an energy of motion, growth, and positivity. They not only enrich everyday communication but also inspire creativity, making your writing and speech more dynamic and expressive. Whether you’re learning English, improving your vocabulary, or just exploring the beauty of words, mastering R-verbs will give your language a refreshing boost.