Sometimes, verbs of being are necessary. But a lot of the time, “is,” “are,” “was” and “were” are B-O-R-I-N-G, boring. We challenge you to run through your story and highlight every single verb of being. Then, think about which ones you can replace—try to replace as many as you can. Here are 30 fabulous verbs to get you started.

Ache, or suffer from continuous, dull pain

Bawl, or to weep loudly

Bellow, or to let out a deep, loud roar, typically in anger

Cajole, or to persuade someone to do something by using flattery

Chomp, or to chew vigorously (or fret impatiently)

Decipher, or to convert into a normal language

Dupe, or to deceive

Enchant, or to charm

Equivocate, or to use ambiguous language to conceal the truth

Falter, or to start to lose strength

Foretell, or to predict

Grumble, or to bad-temperedly complain about something in a quiet way

Hijack, or to illegally seize a vehicle in transit and force it in another direction, or use it for your own purposes

Hiss, or to make a sharp, sibilant “s” sound

Infuse, or to soak in liquid to extract the flavor or healing properties

Jabber, or to talk excitedly and quickly but make little sense

Jeer, or to make rude and mocking remarks

Knit, or to unite

Mine, or to dig or burrow in

Molt, or to shed feathers, hair or skin to make way for new growth

Ogle, or to state at in a lecherous manner

Peep, or to look quickly and furtively at someone

Pine, or to miss or long for the return of (someone)

Radiate, or to spread from a central point

Rave, or to talk wildly or incoherently

Savor, or to taste and enjoy completely

Scoot, or to go quickly

Snicker, or to give a smothered laugh

Thaw, or to melt or unfreeze

Vanquish, or to defeat thoroughly

What’s your favorite word, #inklings? Tell us in the comments!

by Brittany Taylor | 2/1/2016