40 Verbs That Start With N | Definitions & Examples
There are relatively few verbs that start with N in English. Here are 40 of the most useful verbs beginning with the letter N for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to improve their vocabulary.
They’re grouped into a list of everyday words like “narrate,” “navigate,” and “notice” and a list of more advanced verbs like “nationalize,” “naysay,” and “nullify.”
Start with a prompt like: “Create a list of intransitive verbs that start with N.”
20 common verbs that start with N
The list below contains 20 commonly used verbs that start with the letter N, including definitions.
- Nag: Keep telling someone to do something in an annoying way
- Nail: Fasten something in place with a nail
- Name: Give a person or thing a name
- Nap: Sleep for a short time during the day
- Narrate: Tell a story or explain events in words
- Navigate: Find the way from one place to another
- Need: Want something because it is important or required
- Neglect: Fail to give care, time, or attention
- Negotiate: Talk with others to reach an agreement
- Nest: Build or live in a safe place for eggs or young
- Network: Connect with people to share help or information
- Nod: Move the head up and down to show yes or understanding
- Nominate: Choose someone for a role, job, or award
- Note: Write down or point out something important
- Notice: See or become aware of something
- Notify: Tell someone about something important
- Number: Give things numbers or count them
- Nudge: Push lightly to get attention or cause movement
- Nurse: Care for someone who is sick or hurt
- Nurture: Help someone or something grow and develop
- Gerunds vs. infinitives (e.g., “I enjoy networking” vs. “I need to network more”)
- Transitive verbs vs. intransitive verbs (e.g., “I didn’t notice it” vs. “I didn’t notice at first”)
- Passive voice vs. active voice (e.g., “I was notified by the school” vs. “The school notified me”)
- Verb tense (e.g., “We are negotiating” vs. “We were negotiating” vs. “We had been negotiating)
Her teacher said she’s been neglecting her homework recently.
I got a new haircut, and nobody noticed.
20 advanced verbs that start with N
Here are 20 more advanced verbs that start with N—the kind of verbs that might appear in reading passages and vocabulary questions on advanced language proficiency tests, standardized tests, or college entrance exams.
- Nab: Grab something quickly, often in a sneaky way
- Nationalize: Bring a private company or industry under government ownership or control
- Naturalize: Give someone legal citizenship in a country through an official process
- Naysay: Reject an idea by repeatedly saying no or raising objections
- Nebulize: Turn a liquid into a fine spray
- Necessitate: Make something required because the situation demands it
- Needle: Provoke or annoy someone with repeated teasing remarks
- Negate: Cancel out an effect, or make a statement no longer true
- Nestle: Settle closely and comfortably into a snug position
- Neuter: Remove someone’s power or effectiveness
- Neutralize: Make something harmless or ineffective; counterbalance its impact
- Nip: Bite or pinch quickly and sharply
- Nitpick: Focus on tiny faults or details in an unfair way
- Normalize: Treat it as normal
- Notarize: Officially certify a signature or document
- Notate: Record something using notes, symbols, or a formal system
- Nourish: Provide what is needed to grow, stay healthy, or develop
- Nucleate: Begin forming around a central point
- Nullify: Cancel something so it no longer has force or effect
- Nuzzle: Rub the nose and face gently against someone or something affectionately
The reason that she got annoyed was because you wouldn’t stop needling her about her grades.
Teachers play an important role in nourishing students’ confidence.
Frequently asked questions about verbs that start with N
- What are some irregular verbs that start with N?
-
There aren’t any commonly used irregular verbs that start with N.
A commonly used irregular verb that starts with an N sound is “know,” with the past tense form “knew” and the past participle form “known.”
QuillBot’s free AI Chat can create lists of verbs starting with a specific letter.
- What are some long verbs that start with N?
-
Some long verbs that start with N include
- Nationalize
- Naturalize
- Neutralize
QuillBot’s free AI Chat can create lists of long verbs starting with any letter.
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Challenger, T. (2026, January 22). 40 Verbs That Start With N | Definitions & Examples. Quillbot. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://quillbot.com/blog/word-finder/verbs-that-start-with-n/
