List of action and motion words

Ways of moving around and things you can do with your body. Many of these overlap with the verbs category.

Subcategories: Fitness (16)

Showing 61-80 of 97

S is for Skid

You skid when you slide along the ground, with no rotation. Cars can skid along the road when there is ice on the road or they go too fast and lose control.

S is for Slap

You slap someone when you hit them with the back or front of your open hand.

S is for Sleepwalk

Sleepwalking means to walk around or do things while you are still asleep. A person who sleepwalks may seem awake but is not really aware of what is happening.

S is for Slouch

You slouch when you stand with a slightly drooping posture, with your shoulders forward and your stomach sticking out.

S is for Snap

Snap means to make a sharp noise using your fingers. People often snap to hurry someone.

It might also mean to break something long and thin, like snapping a twig.

S is for Sneeze

A sneeze is a sudden explosion of air from your nose and mouth. You usually sneeze if something tickles the inside of your nose, or if you have a cold.
It is a good idea to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze, like the man in the picture. A lot of mucous can come out when you sneeze and can travel a long way. If you are sick, you can make other people sick by sneezing near them.

S is for Somersault

You do a somersault when you sit or squat on the ground and roll over forwards. Some people can do somersaults in mid air, without touching the ground.

S is for Spin

Something is spinning if it is moving around and around a central point. Windmills spin, so do spinning tops. If you throw a ball the right way, it will spin as it flies. Skaters and ballerinas sometimes spin while they are performing.
Spinning is also a way to turn raw materials like sheep's wool and cotton into fibers suitable for making into cloth.

S is for Sport

Sport is a physical activity that requires some skill. Sport might be a solo activity like hunting or fishing, or it might be a team sport like baseball.
Sports are usually competitive, and have rules. The aim of most sports is to win.

S is for Squat

Squatting is a way of sitting, with your legs folded up close to your body and your bottom just above the ground.
A very similar word to squat is crouch.
Something can be described as squat if it is short, but broad.

S is for Stab

You stab something when you quickly thrust something sharp into something else. The man in the picture is stabbing a cake with a knife.

S is for Stance

Stance is another word for position, the way your body is posed when moving a particular way. The dog in the picture is in a playful stance.
You stand up when you have only your feet touching the ground, and you are upright and vertical.

S is for Steal

Steal means to take something that doesn't belong to you, especially property that clearly belongs to someone else.

The man in the picture has just had his French fry stolen by a seagull.

S is for Step

A step is when you take one leg and move it in front of the other one while you are walking or running.
A step might also be one of a set of stairs.

S is for Stroll

A stroll is a slow, leisurely walk. The people in the picture are taking a stroll through a park.

S is for Strum

Strumming is a way of playing a stringed musical instrument, particularly a guitar. You strum a guitar by moving your fingers or a pick across the strings. You usually strum a guitar in a kind of rhythm.

S is for Suck

Suction is a way of moving liquids by pulling them into an area of lower pressure. When you suck through a straw you make the inside of your mouth a low pressure zone. Water pumps move water around by the same principle.

S is for Surf

Surfing is a sport where people ride a breaking wave near the beach, standing on a surfboard. It is more difficult than it looks to surf without falling off. People sometimes surf lying down on a board, in a small boat or without a board at all.