Verbing: When Nouns Become Verbs

A fixed grammar lets us communicate with a clear, ordered structure we can all understand. Functioning as a GPS for directing our thoughts and ideas, it provides accurate markers and routes for moving our mind’s content into intelligible expressions.

While language is organized to unify understanding, it also can bend and flex to expand intentions of meaning, as well as adjust to the new ways we describe what is familiar.

One such bend and flex is verbing, the use of a noun as a verb. This exchange seems to be only increasing in modern American English, as in the following examples:

That channel now platforms McFarley’s opinions on growing red tomatoes.

I’m really glad that we met. Why don’t you friend me on Facebook?

If Masterson doesn’t readily know the answer, he should just Google it.

In each sentence, an established noun (platform, friend, Google) is conveying an action. Even the word verbing is an example of verbing:

Did they just say I should laptop my article notes? Are they really verbing that?

This tendency to convert speech parts follows natural language evolution. Verbing is a way of keeping English fresh, particularly among younger people. We are especially apt at verbing words that involve current technology and services:

They want to Zoom for the meeting.

Melissa told Adelina to YouTube the discussion.

I can’t talk now, but let’s FaceTime later!

My car’s in the shop. I say we Uber it tonight.

Verbing: It’s Nothing New

Verbing has been built into English for more than 1,000 years. Our modern use has simply made the practice increasingly inventive and obvious.

Signs of verbing appeared in Old English (app. 500–1100 A.D.). It also could be seen in Middle English (1100–1500), when, for example, the noun dark expanded into the verb to darken and the noun rain became a verb to describe the action, to rain.

By the era of William Shakespeare (late 1500s–early 1600s), verbing was thriving:

“Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncles.” — Richard II

“He words me.” — Hamlet

While some might argue that verbing lessens the distinction of English, we can’t escape that verbing is here to stay and will remain as long as its meanings are clear.

Some linguists estimate that more than 20% of English verbs originate from noun-to-verb conversion. The following words all began as strictly nouns before veering into our vernacular as well-understood verbs.

access	email	party
audition	hammer	pressure
author	highlight	privilege
bottle	impact	snow
contact	mastermind	thunder
critique	microwave	workshop
debut	oil	xerox

Verbing: More About Why

People turn nouns into verbs for different reasons, some of which we’ve already alluded to. We verbify nouns for:

efficiency and simplicity. Turning a noun into a verb can tighten expressions and make them more direct. Compare let’s iPad our notes with let’s make our notes in our iPads.

flexible expression. Verbing is one of the easiest ways to create new words through common use. Think of the presence of verbs such as Google, Zoom, and message in our daily lives.

adapting with culture and technology. As new tools, trends, apps, and platforms emerge, we can expect more verbing in the future. This is especially true of actions that become indistinct from their brands: “Venmo me,” “We should DoorDash dinner tonight.” 

greater creativity of expression. Verbing lets us be creative and playful with our everyday speech: “I’m done adulting for today,” “I think Lizette is going to ghost me,” “Jack and Jill said they’re going to Netflix and chill tonight.”

While verbing adds breadth and versatility to American English, we also want to be careful about context. Verbing is casual, colloquial usage that may not always be proper in formal communication. As with any other message we share, we should consider our audience.

Similarly, verbing often arises from cultural trends and references, many of which tend to fade as times change. Too much verbing can make new colloquialisms grating and stale and hasten their demise.

Verbing: Ways to Verb a Noun

Nouns have a few different means of morphing into verbs.

Direct Conversion (Zero Derivation): No change in spelling or form

email > I’ll email you the details.

chair > She chaired the meeting.

butter > Can you butter the bread?

Affixation: Adding verb suffixes such as -ize, -ify, or -en

apology  > apologize (He apologized for losing her Taylor Swift tickets.)

beauty > beautify (Sara beautified Stan’s originally garish outfit.)

strength > strengthen (The sales manager believes we can strengthen the numbers.)

Back-Formation: Removing suffixes from nouns

babysitter > babysit (Raj babysat the Abassis’ six greyhound dogs.)

editor > edit (Someone needs to edit Uri’s résumé.)

option > opt (Fans are now opting not to pay $18 for a beer at concerts.)

Functional Shift: Slight change of meaning from noun to verb

book > Have you booked the vacation cruise yet?

ship (vessel) > The delivery was supposed to have been shipped last week.

text > Please advise Enrique not to text about our plans to unload our company stock.

Metaphorical Extension: Shifting of nouns to verbs through figurative meaning

bridge > We need to bridge the gap between the quality of your guitar and mine.

shoulder > Hank shouldered the burden of having to weed the yard.

host > Chenda is hosting the neighborhood block party this year.

You’ll also often notice that simply adding the suffix -d or -ed will change many nouns into verbs.

Noun	Verb with -d or -ed
download	downloaded
gift	gifted
paint	painted
phone	phoned
table	tabled
Skype	Skyped
task	tasked

Pop Quiz

Use verbing to complete the following sentences by changing the noun into an action word.

1. Bart said that it’s time for the business to [liquid] its assets.

2. The two leaders plan to [conversation] in June.

3. How long have you been [game] online?

4. The consultant will suggest better ways for us to [utility] our resources.

5. The hanging of the championship banner will [glory] the team for at least several more years.

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1. Bart said that it’s time for the business to liquidate its assets.

2. The two leaders plan to converse (or conversate) in June.

3. How long have you been gaming online?

4. The consultant will suggest better ways for us to utilize our resources.

5. The hanging of the championship banner will glorify the team for at least several more years.

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