185 Verbs That Start With C | Definitions, Examples & Study Tips

Verbs that start with C range from commonplace verbs like “call,” “count,” and “cut” to more advanced vocabulary like “capitalize” and “castigate.”

This article goes through 185 verbs starting with C, organized by common verbs for everyday conversations and advanced verbs that will boost your vocabulary for academic writing, business communication, and language exams.

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65 common verbs that start with C

Below are 65 common verbs that start with the letter C. Some of these verbs have more than one definition (e.g., “can”), in which case the definitions are separated by a semicolon.

• Call: Speak to someone by phone; say something loudly
• Can: Be able to do something; have permission to do something
• Cancel: Decide not to proceed
• Capture: Take control; record
• Care: Feel concern or interest
• Carry: Hold or transport something
• Catch: Stop and hold something moving through the air
• Cause: Make something happen
• Celebrate: Honor or mark a positive event
• Center: Place something in the middle; focus attention on something
• Change: Make or become different
• Charge: Ask for payment; accuse formally
• Chat: Talk in a friendly or informal way
• Cheat: Act dishonestly or break rules to gain an advantage
• Check: Examine or verify
• Choose: Select from options
• Claim: State something as true; demand ownership
• Clap: Strike the palms of your hands together, often to show approval or excitement
• Clarify: Make something clearer
• Clean: Remove dirt or unwanted material
• Clear: Remove obstacles or clutter; make understandable
• Close: Shut or finalize
• Collapse: Fall down or fail suddenly
• Collect: Gather items together
• Color: Change the appearance of something with paint, dye, etc.
• Combine: Join together
• Come: Move toward a place or person
• Comfort: Give physical or emotional support and reassurance
• Command: Give an authoritative order
• Commit: Dedicate oneself; carry out an act
• Communicate: Share information
• Compare: Examine similarities or differences
• Compete: Try to win or outperform others
• Complain: Express dissatisfaction
• Complete: Finish
• Comply: Act according to rules or requests
• Concern: Relate to or affect
• Conclude: Bring to an end; decide
• Conduct: Carry out; manage
• Confirm: Verify as true
• Confuse: Make something unclear
• Connect: Join or link
• Consider: Think about carefully
• Construct: Build or form
• Consult: Seek advice or information
• Consume: Use up; eat or drink
• Contact: Communicate with someone
• Contain: Hold; include
• Continue: Keep going
• Control: Manage or direct
• Convert: Change form or function
• Convince: Persuade someone
• Cook: Prepare food using heat
• Copy: Duplicate; reproduce, often illicitly
• Correct: Fix an error
• Cost: Be worth a value
• Count: Calculate the number of items
• Cover: Place something over; include
• Crawl: Move slowly on hands and knees or close to the ground
• Create: Bring something into existence
• Criticize: Express disapproval
• Cross: Go from one side to another
• Customize: Adapt for specific needs
• Cut: Slice with a sharp tool; reduce or remove
• Cycle: Ride a bicycle; move repeatedly through stages

120 advanced verbs that start with C

These 120 advanced verbs that start with C include long words, words with more nuanced meanings, and even some rare, weird words you might not see in day-to-day language. You might come across these verbs starting with C in literature, reading passages, vocabulary questions on exams, or word games.

Verbs that start with CA–CE

Try to remember the meaning of “cachinnate” and “calumniate” as you move through this section.

• Cachinnate: Laugh loudly or uncontrollably
• Cadge: Beg or ask for something, often persistently (chiefly British English)
• Cajole: Persuade someone with flattery or gentle urging
• Calculate: Compute or determine using math or reasoning
• Calibrate: Adjust precisely for accuracy
• Calumniate: Make false and malicious statements about someone (formal)
• Camouflage: Hide or disguise to blend in
• Canonize: Officially declare someone a saint; exalt publicly
• Canvass: Solicit votes; discuss or debate
• Capitalize: Take advantage of an opportunity
• Captivate: Attract and hold interest
• Capsize: Overturn or tip over, especially a boat
• Careen: Lean or tip to one side while in motion
• Caress: Touch gently and affectionately
• Carouse: Engage in noisy, lively drinking or partying
• Carve: Shape or cut carefully; make a sharp turn (skiing or surfing term)
• Casefy: Make or become like cheese
• Castigate: Criticize or punish severely (formal)
• Catastrophize: Assume the worst-case scenario
• Categorize: Classify or arrange systematically
• Catenate: Link together in a series or chain
• Cauterize: Burn tissue to stop bleeding
• Cavil: Raise trivial or unnecessary objections
• Censor: Suppress or remove content considered unacceptable
• Certify: Officially confirm or attest

Verbs that start with CH–CI

This section includes some long verbs like “circumambulate” and rare verbs like “chaffer.”

• Chaffer: Bargain or negotiate over the terms of a sale
• Challenge: Invite to a competition; make something difficult for someone; dispute
• Champion: Support or defend vigorously
• Channel: Direct or guide something into a particular course; embody
• Chant: Sing or speak in a repeated rhythmic pattern
• Char: Partially burn or sear, especially food
• Characterize: Describe distinctive traits
• Charm: Attract or delight someone through personality or behavior
• Chart: Map, plan, or record systematically
• Chassé: Move sideways, sliding one foot after the other (dance term)
• Chastise: Reprimand or punish
• Chauffeur: Drive someone, typically as a paid, professional driver
• Cherish: Hold something or someone dear and value highly
• Chide: Scold mildly
• Choreograph: Plan or design the movements in a dance or performance
• Chouse: Trick or cheat someone
• Chronicle: Record events in order
• Chronologize: Arrange events in chronological order
• Chuckle: Laugh quietly or to oneself
• Circumambulate: Walk all the way around something, often ceremonially (formal)
• Circumnavigate: Travel all the way around something, usually the globe
• Circumscribe: Limit or restrict
• Circumvent: Find a way around
• Cite: Quote or refer to
• Civilize: Bring a society or people to a state of cultural development

Verbs that start with CL–COM

Do you know the meaning of the verbs “coalesce” and “commove”? Keep reading to see if you’re right.

• Classify: Group according to type or category
• Cleanse: Purify or remove impurities
• Cleave: Split or adhere closely
• Clinch: Secure decisively
• Cling: Hold on tightly; stick closely
• Coagulate: Thicken or clot
• Coalesce: Come together to form one whole
• Coax: Gently persuade or encourage
• Codify: Arrange laws, rules, or principles into a systematic code
• Coerce: Compel by force or threats
• Cogitate: Think deeply (formal)
• Coil: Wind into loops
• Coin: Create a new term or phrase
• Collaborate: Work together
• Collate: Arrange in order; collect and combine information, data, or texts
• Collateralize: Use assets as security for a loan or obligation
• Collectivize: Organize ownership or control as a group rather than as individuals
• Commemorate: Honor or remember a person or event publicly
• Commence: Begin formally
• Comment: Provide an explanation or opinion
• Commercialize: Exploit to make a profit
• Commission: Authorize or assign a task; bring something into working condition
• Commove: Disturb or agitate emotionally
• Compartmentalize: Separate into distinct sections or categories
• Compel: Force or oblige
• Compensate: Make up for loss; pay someone for work performed
• Compile: Assemble information or items
• Complement: Complete; enhance
• Complicate: Make more intricate or difficult to understand
• Compliment: Politely praise or congratulate
• Comprehend: Understand fully
• Compress: Press together; condense
• Comprise: Consist of; be made up of

Verbs that start with CON

Many of these words start with the Latin prefix “con-,” which means “with,” “together,” or “completely.” For example, the origin of “conceal” comes from “con-,” (meaning “completely”) and the Latin word celare (hide).

• Conceal: Hide from view
• Concede: Admit reluctantly
• Concentrate: Focus attention or effort
• Conceptualize: Form an idea or concept
• Condemn: Express strong disapproval
• Condition: Influence or determine; prepare something for use
• Confess: Admit wrongdoing
• Confide: Share private information while trusting the other person not to repeat it
• Confiscate: Seize by authority
• Conform: Comply with standards or rules
• Confound: Confuse or perplex
• Confront: Face boldly
• Confute: Prove a statement or argument to be false
• Conquer: Overcome; defeat
• Consent: Give permission for something to happen
• Consolidate: Strengthen; combine things into a more effective whole
• Constitute: Form; compose
• Contemplate: Think deeply about
• Contract: Shrink; formally agree to something
• Contradict: Assert the opposite
• Contrast: Show differences
• Contribute: Give or add
• Convalesce: Recover gradually from illness or weakness
• Converse: Engage in conversation
• Convey: Communicate or transport
• Coordinate: Organize effectively
• Correlate: Show relationship
• Corrode: Gradually destroy by chemical action
• Coruscate: Sparkle, flash, or gleam (literary)
• Counteract: Act against to neutralize
• Crease: Make a line or wrinkle by folding or pressing
• Critique: Evaluate critically, often based on predetermined criteria
• Cross-check: Verify using another source; check with stick (hockey term)
• Crystallize: Form or cause to form crystals; become clear or definite in form or idea
• Cue: Signal or prompt someone to act or speak
• Culminate: Reach the highest point or climax
• Cultivate: Grow crops; develop or nurture

Frequently asked questions about verbs that start with C

What are some action verbs that start with C?

Some action verbs that start with C are:

• Call
• Carry
• Catch
• Chase
• Clean
• Climb
• Close
• Cook
• Crawl
• Create
• Cut

QuillBot’s AI Chat can generate a longer list of action verbs that start with C or a more general list of verbs that start with C.

What are some positive verbs that start with C?

Some positive verbs that start with C are:

• Care
• Celebrate
• Coach
• Collaborate
• Comfort
• Commit
• Compliment
• Connect
• Contribute
• Create
• Cultivate

These verbs generally convey helpful, constructive, cooperative, or growth-oriented actions and carry positive connotations.

For a longer list of positive verbs that start with C, ask QuillBot’s AI Chat.

What are some Spanish verbs that start with C?

Some Spanish verbs that start with C are:

• Caminar (walk)
• Cambiar (change)
• Cantar (sing)
• Cerrar (close)
• Cocinar (cook)
• Comer (eat)
• Comprar (buy)
• Contar (count)
• Crecer (grow)
• Creer (believe)

Learn more Spanish words that start with C with help from QuillBot’s free AI Chat.