Adverbs

In working at creating a simplified view of the acting process the Rehearsal Room recommends the old Stanislavski principle of labeling unconscious character “need” with a verb. The Rehearsal Room list of verbs is short in number, broad in context and effective in outcome. (Check out our simplified verbs list.) However, the way a character goes about pursuing their unconscious “need” can be extremely diverse. In keeping things simple the Rehearsal Room labels this element (the colour of the performance) with an adverb. There is a straight forward logic here. Wherever there is a verb an adverb can describe it. So Rehearsal Room process defines “colour” with an adverb. The aim here is to remove some of the confusions attached to the more conventional Stanislavski labels of "intention", "action" and "objective".

Paul Laverack has put the effort into producing an extensive list of adverbs. In a world where vocabulary is shrinking this is a useful tool. See what you think.

Adverbs List

abashedly abjectly abruptly absently absentmindedly absorbingly absurdly abusively accidentally accusingly actively adamantly admiringly adoringly adroitly affably affectionately affirmatively aggressively agonizingly agreeably alertly allusively altruistically amazedly ambiguously ambitiously amiably amicably amorally amorously amusedly anally angelically angrily annoyingly anxiously apathetically apocryphally apologetically appealingly apprehensively approvingly arbitrarily archaically ardently arrogantly artfully artily artlessly ashamedly assuringly astonishedly audaciously awkwardly balefully barbarously bawdily beggingly believingly belligerently bemusedly benevolently benignly bigheadedly bitterly blandly blankly blatantly bleakly blindly blissfully blithely bloodthirstily bluntly blushingly boastfully boisterously boldly bombastically bossily boyishly brashly brattily bravely brazenly breathlessly brightly broadly brokenly brusquely brutally busily cacophonically caddishly cagily calamitously callously calmly candidly cannily cantankerously capriciously carefully carelessly caringly carnally carnivorously casually cattily caustically cautiously cavalierly ceremoniously challengingly charitably charmingly chastely chattily chauvinistically cheekily cheerfully cheerily cheerlessly childishly chillingly chivalrously chummily churlishly civilly cleverly clinically clowningly cluelessly clumsily coarsely cogently coherently coldly comfortingly commandingly compassionately compellingly competitively complacently composedly compulsively conceitedly concernedly condescendingly confessingly confidentially confidently confusedly conscientiously consciously conservatively considerately conspiratorily constructively contemptuously contentedly contrarily contumaciously conversely convincingly convivially coolly cooperatively cordially courageously courteously covertly cowardly coyly crassly cravingly crisply critically crookedly crossly crudely cruelly cryptically cunningly curiously curtly customarily cutely cynically daintily dangerously daringly darkly dazzlingly decadently deceitfully decently deceptively decisively decliningly defensively defiantly definitely dejectedly deliberately delicately delightedly deliriously demandingly dementedly demonically demoralizingly demurely depressedly derisively despairingly desperately despicably despotically destructively determinedly devilishly deviously devotedly devoutly diabolically diffidently diligently dimly directly dirtily disagreeingly disappointedly disapprovingly disarmingly disbelievingly disconsolately discontently discouragingly discourteously discreetly disdainfully disgustedly dismally disparagingly dispassionately disrespectfully dissolutely distantly distrustfully disturbingly dogmatically dolefully dolorously dominantly dominatingly doubtfully dramatically drastically dreamily drearily drily dryly dubiously dully dumbly dutifully eagerly earnestly easily eccentrically ecstatically efficiently egocentrically egotistically elaborately elegantly eloquently elusively embarrassedly emotionally empathetically emphatically encouragingly endearingly engagingly

enigmatically enthusiastically enticingly enviously equitably equivocally erotically evenly evilly excessively excitedly exhaustingly expansively expectantly extravagantly exuberantly exultantly facetiously falsely falteringly familiarly fatuously favorably fearfully fearlessly feebly feelingly felinely ferociously fervently feverishly fiendishly fiercely firmly flagrantly flamboyantly flatly flippantly flirtatiously fondly foolishly forcefully forcibly forgivingly forlornly frankly frantically fraternally frenetically friendlily frighteningly frightfully frivolously frostily funnily furiously furtively fussily gaily gallantly garrulously generously genially gently genuinely gingerly girlishly gladly gleefully glibly gloomily gloriously good-humoredly goofily gracefully graciously grandly graphically gratefully gratuitously gravely greedily grievously grimly grossly grotesquely grudgingly gruesomely gruffly grumpily gutterally haggardly halfheartedly happily hardheartedly harshly hastily hatefully haughtily heartbrokenly heartily heartwarmingly heatedly heavily heedlessly helpfully helplessly heroically hesitantly histrionically hoarsely hollowly honestly honorably hopefully hopelessly hornily hospitably hostilely hotheadedly hotly humanely humbly humorlessly hungrily hurriedly hysterically icily ignobly ignominiously ignorantly immoderately immodestly immorally impartially impassively impatiently imperceptibly imperiously impersonally impertinently impetuously impishly impolitely importantly improperly impudently impulsively inanely incoherently inconsiderately inconsolably incorrigibly incredulously indecently indecisively indecorously indefatigably indifferently indignantly indulgently inflexibly informally ingenuously inhospitably innocently inquiringly inquisitively insensibly insincerely insistently insolently intellectually intensely interestedly intimately invitingly irately irksomely irritably irritatingly jealously jeeringly jokingly jovially joyfully joyously jubilantly kiddingly kindly laconically languorously lasciviously lastly lazily leniently licentiously lightheartedly lightly lively loftily longingly lopsidedly loutishly lovingly lustfully lustily madly magnanimously majestically malevolently maliciously malignantly malodorously maniacally manically maternally mawkishly meagerly meanly meekly melancholically mellifluously melodically melodiously melodramatically menacingly mendaciously mercifully mercilessly mercurially merrily methodically meticulously militantly militarily mirthfully misanthropically mischievously miserably misogynistically mistrustfully mockingly moderately modestly moodily morbidly morosely mournfully murderously mutinously mysteriously naively nakedly nastily naturally naughtily nefariously negatively nervously neurotically nicely nobly nonchalantly nostalgically numbly obligingly obliviously obnoxiously obnoxiously obscenely obsequiously obstinately odiously offensively officiously openly oppressively opprobriously optimistically ostentatiously painfully painstakingly

passionately passively paternally pathetically patiently patronizingly peaceably peacefully pedantically peevishly pensively perfunctorily perplexedly personably persuasively perversely pervertedly pettily petulantly philosophically piously piteously pitifully placidly plaintively playfully pleasantly pleasingly pleasurably pointedly politely pompously portentously positively possessively pretentiously prettily protectively proudly provocatively purposefully questioningly quibblingly quickly quietly quizzically rapaciously raucously ravenously reasonably reassuringly rebelliously receptively regretfully religiously reluctantly reminiscently reproachfully repugnantly repulsively resentfully reservedly resignedly resistantly resolutely respectably respectfully responsibly responsively restfully restively restlessly restrainedly reticently reverently righteously rightfully roguishly rudely rudely ruefully ruthlessly sadistically sadly sanctimoniously sarcastically sardonically saucily savagely sceptically scornfully searchingly secretively sedately seductively selfishly sensitively sensually sensuously sentimentally seriously servilely shakily shamefacedly shamefully shamelessly sharply sheepishly shrewdly shyly sincerely slavishly sleazily slyly smartly smilingly smoothly smugly snappily sneakily snidely snugly soberly sociably solemnly solicitously somberly soothingly sordidly sorrowfully soulfully sourly spitefully stealthily sternly stingily stoically stonily stormily strictly stubbornly studiously suavely submissively subtly sufferingly suggestively suicidally sulkily sullenly superficially supportively surreptitiously suspiciously suspiciously sweetly sympathetically tacitly tactfully tactlessly tamely tantalizingly tartly tastefully tastelessly tauntingly tearfully teasingly temptingly tenaciously tenderly tensely tentatively tersely testily testingly thoughtfully thoughtlessly threateningly timidly timorously tiredly tiresomely tolerantly toughly tranquilly tremulously triumphantly truculently trustfully trustingly truthfully two-facedly tyrannically unabashedly unaffectedly unattractively unbecomingly unblushingly unceremoniously uncharitably uncomfortably unconcernedly undauntedly underhandedly understandingly uneasily unfairly unfaithfully unfavorably unfeelingly ungracefully ungratefully unhappily unjustly unkindly unknowingly unluckily unnaturally unpleasantly unreasonably unrelentingly unremittingly unreservedly unselfishly unsteadily unwillingly unwittingly urgently vacantly vaguely vainly valiantly vapidly vehemently venally vengefully venomously veraciously vexatiously vicariously viciously victoriously vigilantly vigorously vilely villainously vindictively violently violently virtuously virulently vituperatively vivaciously vociferously voraciously vulgarly wantonly warily warmly warmly warningly watchfully waveringly wearily wearily weirdly whimsically wholeheartedly wickedly wildly wilfully willingly wimpily winsomely wisely wistfully wolfishly wondrously woodenly worryingly wrathfully wryly zealously

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