Verbs Starting with “O”

Full List

Obey: to follow the commands, restrictions, or instructions given by someone or something.

• The children obeyed the teacher and lined up quietly.

Object: to express disapproval of or opposition to something. To raise a formal or procedural complaint.

• Many residents objected to the proposed development.
• The attorney objected to the prosecutor’s question.

Oblige: to do a favor for someone or help them by doing what they ask. To compel or require as a result of law, duty, or circumstance.

• Could you oblige me by signing this form?
• Company rules oblige employees to wear ID badges.

Observe: to watch carefully and attentively. To comply with or keep a rule, law, or custom.

• Scientists observe the behavior of the animals for several months.
• We observe a moment of silence every year on Memorial Day.

Obstruct: to block or prevent movement or progress. To interfere with or hinder something.

• Fallen trees obstructed the road after the storm.
• The witness was accused of trying to obstruct the investigation.

Obtain: to get or gain possession of something. To be in force or prevail.

• She obtained a copy of the report from the office.
• Those arrangements obtain only in exceptional cases.

Occupy: to fill or take up space, time, or attention. To live in, take possession of, or control a place.

• The sofa occupies most of the living room.
• The troops occupied the town overnight.

Occur: to happen or take place. To come to mind.

• An accident occurred at the intersection this morning.
• The solution occurred to her while she was on the bus.

Offend: to cause someone to feel upset, hurt, or angry. To violate or transgress a law, rule, or moral code.

• His offhand comment offended several people at the meeting.
• He was charged after offending several traffic regulations.

Offer: to present or propose something for acceptance or rejection. To make available or provide something.

• She offered him a cup of tea.
• The company offered stock options to new employees.

Offset: to balance, counteract, or compensate for something. To place off-center or set aside.

• The gains in one area offset the losses in another.
• The walkway is offset slightly from the garden path.

Oil: to apply oil or lubricant. To treat or coat with oil.

• Please oil the hinges so the door stops squeaking.
• She oiled the wooden cutting board after cleaning it.

Omit: to leave out or exclude something, either intentionally or accidentally.

• They omitted the appendix from the final report.

Open: to make not closed; to move or remove a barrier. To begin or make available.

• He opened the window to let in fresh air.
• The gallery opens a new exhibition on Friday.

Operate: to function or cause to function. To perform a surgical procedure.

• The software operates smoothly on most computers.
• The surgeon will operate on the patient tomorrow morning.

Oppose: to be against or resist something. To act as an adversary.

• Several members opposed the new policy.
• He was pitted against a rival team that opposed his every move.

Opt: to make a choice or select one alternative. To decide to do or not do something.

• She opted for the later flight to avoid the morning rush.
• He opted out of the optional training session.

Optimize: to make as effective or useful as possible. To tune performance or make best use of resources.

• We optimized the layout to improve user navigation.
• The developer optimized the code to run faster on mobile devices.

Order: to command or instruct. To request goods or services.

• The officer ordered everyone to clear the area.
• She ordered lunch from the café next door.

Organize: to arrange into a structured order. To form or coordinate a group.

• He organized his files by date and topic.
• They organized a volunteer team to clean the park.

Originate: to begin or arise. To create or bring into existence.

• The custom originated in the 18th century.
• She originated the idea for the new app.

Outdo: to do better than someone else; to surpass.

• He always tries to outdo his competitors with creative marketing.

Outline: to give a general description or summary. To draw or indicate the outer edge of something.

• She outlined the plan in ten bullet points.
• The artist outlined the figure in charcoal before filling it in.

Outlive: to live longer than someone else. To continue to exist beyond something.

• She outlived all of her siblings.
• The tradition outlived the regime that started it.

Outnumber: to be greater in number than; to exceed in quantity.

• Female students outnumber male students in the program.

Outpace: to move or develop faster than something else.

• Sales outpaced expectations this quarter.

Output: to produce or deliver something.

• The factory outputs thousands of units every month.

Outrun: to run faster than someone else. To exceed or go beyond a limit.

• She outran the other competitors in the final lap.
• Costs began to outrun revenue by the end of the year.

Outsmart: to defeat or get the better of someone by cleverness.

• He outsmarted his opponents with a clever tactic.

Outshine: to shine brighter than something else. To be much better than someone else.

• The stage lights outshone the performers for a moment.
• Her work outshone that of her peers.

Outsource: to obtain goods or services from an external supplier.

• They outsourced customer support to a firm overseas.

Outstay: to stay longer than is welcome or expected.

• He outstayed his welcome at the party.

Outvote: to defeat or surpass in a vote by having more votes.

• The minority proposal was outvoted on the floor.

Overcome: to defeat or conquer an obstacle. To successfully deal with or surmount something.

• She overcame her fear of public speaking.
• They worked together to overcome the technical issues.

Overdo: to do something excessively. To exaggerate or embellish.

• He tends to overdo the decorations at every party.
• Don’t overdo the story—keep it believable.

Overeat: to eat more food than needed or healthy.

• I always overeat at holiday dinners.

Overflow: to flow over the edge because it is too full. To be so full that it spills over.

• The river overflowed its banks after the heavy rain.
• The crowd overflowed into the side streets.

Overgrow: to grow too large or thick and cover something. To grow beyond or out of a former size or stage.

• Vines have overgrown the garden fence.
• The toy was overgrown by the time the child reached ten.

Overhear: to hear something accidentally or without intent.

• I overheard them discussing plans for a surprise party.

Overlap: to cover part of the same area. To have elements in common or coincide in part.

• The two photos overlap slightly on the collage.
• The meeting times overlap, so I can’t attend both.

Overpay: to pay too much for something.

• We overpaid for the concert tickets because of the reseller fees.

Overpower: to defeat or subdue by superior strength. To overwhelm emotionally or mentally.

• The rescuers overpowered the attacker and restrained him.
• She was overpowered by grief when she heard the news.

Override: to use authority to reverse a decision. To bypass or take precedence over an automatic system.

• The board overrode the CEO’s initial decision.
• You can override the thermostat to increase the temperature temporarily.

Overrule: to reject or disallow a decision made by a lower authority.

• The judge overruled the objection and allowed the evidence.

Oversee: to supervise, manage, or watch over a task or group of people.

• She oversees the team responsible for product development.

Overtake: to catch up with and pass something moving in the same direction. To come upon or affect suddenly.

• The cyclist managed to overtake the group on the final climb.
• He was overtaken by a sudden wave of nostalgia.

Overthrow: to remove from power by force. To throw something too far past its target.

• The rebels attempted to overthrow the government.
• He overthrew the ball and missed the receiver.

Owe: to be obligated to pay back money or return something. To be indebted in gratitude.

• I owe the bank $2,000 on that loan.
• I owe you thanks for all your help this year.

Own: to have or possess something. To admit or acknowledge something.

• They own a small cottage by the lake.
• He owned up to breaking the vase.

Oxidize: to combine with oxygen, producing an oxide. To cause something to react with oxygen.

• The metal oxidized and developed a greenish patina over time.
• Exposure to salt air oxidized the car’s chrome trim.