transitive and intransitive verbs

English verbs are split into two major categories depending on how they function in a sentence: transitive and intransitive. Transitive verbs take one or more objects in a sentence, while intransitive verbs take no objects in a sentence.

Put simply, a transitive verb describes an action that is happening to something or someone, which is known as the verb’s direct object.

An intransitive verb, on the other hand, describes an action that does not happen to something or someone.

in·tran·si·tive

(ĭn-trăn′sĭ-tĭv, -zĭ-)

adj. Abbr. intr. or int. or i.

Designating a verb or verb construction that does not require or cannot take a direct object, as snow or sleep.

An intransitive verb.

in·tran′si·tive·ly adv.

in·tran′si·tive·ness, in·tran′si·tiv′i·ty n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

intransitive

(ɪnˈtrænsɪtɪv)

adj

1. (Grammar)

a. denoting a verb when it does not require a direct object

b. denoting a verb that customarily does not require a direct object: "to faint" is an intransitive verb.

c. (as noun) a verb in either of these categories

2. (Grammar) denoting an adjective or noun that does not require any particular noun phrase as a referent

3. (Logic) logic maths (of a relation) having the property that if it holds between one argument and a second, and between the second and a third, it must fail to hold between the first and the third: "being the mother of" is an intransitive relation.

inˈtransitively adv

inˌtransiˈtivity, inˈtransitiveness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•tran•si•tive

(ɪnˈtræn sɪ tɪv)
adj.

1. of or being a verb that indicates a complete action without being accompanied by a direct object, as sit or lie, and that in English does not form a passive.

2. an intransitive verb.

[1605–15; < Late Latin]

in•tran′si•tive•ly, adv.

in•tran′si•tive•ness, in•tran`si•tiv′i•ty, n.

intransitive

Used to describe a verb that does not have a direct object. Compare transitive.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	intransitive - a verb (or verb construction) that does not take an object intransitive verb, intransitive verb form verb - the word class that serves as the predicate of a sentence
Adj.	1.	intransitive - designating a verb that does not require or cannot take a direct object grammar - the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics) transitive - designating a verb that requires a direct object to complete the meaning

Translations

فِعْل لازِم

nepřechodný

intransitiv

intransitiivinen

tárgyatlan

áhrifslaus

intransitivo

intranzityviaiintranzityvusnegalininkinis

nepārejošs

intransitief onovergankelijk

intransitiv

nieprzechodni

intransitivo

intransitiv

neprechodný

geçişsiznesnesiz

不及物的

intransitive

[ɪnˈtrænsɪtɪv] ADJ (Ling) → intransitivo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

intransitive

[ɪnˈtrænsɪtɪv] adj → intransitif/ive intransitive verbintransitive verb n → verbe m intransitifintra-uterine device n → stérilet m, dispositif m intra-utérin

intransitive

adj verb → intransitiv

n → Intransitiv nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

intransitive

[ɪnˈtrænsɪtɪv] adj (Gram) → intransitivo/a

intransitive

(inˈtrӕnsitiv) adjective

(of a verb) that does not have an object. The baby lay on the floor and kicked; Go and fetch the book!

inˈtransitively adverb