English Verbs for Animal Sounds and Actions
You may have heard words like "bark" for dogs and "bite" for snakes, but how many others do you know for describing animal behavior?
Going in alphabetical order, we'll introduce several verbs that express actions related to specific animals, including some you've probably heard and many that are less common. Learn them all and you'll be ready for a conversation about the amazing animal kingdom!
Verbs for animal behavior
We'll start by listing verbs that express animal actions like "barking" and "meowing." If there is a noun form, we'll include that as well. In many cases, if you know one form, it's easy to imagine the other, so learning them together should be easy.
beach
Whales and other large sea creatures that get stuck on land and cannot return to the water on their own are said to be "beached." Of course, this comes from the noun for the sandy area near the water.
I saw a poor dolphin beached on the sand yesterday.
bite
Animals and insects bite when they use their mouths to attack other creatures. As a noun, "bite" is similar to "wound."
Insects like bees and scorpions "sting" instead of bite.
My sister's pet mouse bit me and left a mark on my hand.
breach
In general, the verb "breach" means "to break through" something. In the animal world, it refers to a whale jumping out of the water (or "breaking" the water's surface). The noun form has the same spelling and pronunciation.
I went whale watching last summer and saw a whale breach.
bristle
Animals "bristle" when their hair stands up because of fear or anger. As a noun, a bristle refers to the individual hairs on a hairbrush or toothbrush, which also stick up straight.
The cat bristled with fear when it saw the big dog walking toward it.
buck
This verb is often used for horses and bulls, and it refers to the action of kicking the back legs or jumping with all feet off of the ground.
As a noun, a "buck" can refer to a male rabbit or deer. Sometimes it is even used to refer to a young man!
The horse started bucking when it heard the loud sound in the distance.
burrow
This refers to the action of small animals like moles and rabbits either digging holes in the ground or hiding in holes. The noun form (which is spelled and pronounced the same) is the word for a hole dug by a small animal.
A fox burrowed into a hole when it saw me coming.
The groundhog came out of its burrow to look for food.
Related article: What is a Groundhog and Why Does it Have a Holiday?
claw
Claws are what we call the sharp feet on birds like eagles and hawks. When they use those sharp feet to scratch or tear something, we use the verb "claw."
The dog was injured when the bald eagle clawed its back.
gore
To be "gored" means to be stuck with an animal's horns or long, sharp teeth. The noun form refers to the blood that comes out of such a wound.
Doctors came immediately when the bullfighter was gored by the bull.
hibernate
When animals hibernate, it means they sleep during the winter season. The noun form is "hibernation."
Bears usually hibernate from December to April.
lap
Animals "lap" by using their tongues to drink water or other liquids.
I gave the kitten a bowl of milk and she started lapping it up right away.
lash
An animal lashes its tail when it moves it from side to side very quickly, usually when it is angry. As a noun, a "lash" is a whip or long rope used for hitting or attacking.
The lion started lashing his tail when he saw another lion coming close.
maul
The verb "maul" refers to an animal attacking and injuring a person or another animal. As a noun, a maul is a tool that is similar to a large hammer.
The man was mauled by a stray dog and needed to go to the hospital.
migrate
Birds and fish migrate when they move from one place to another in large groups. The noun form is "migration."
Canada geese migrate south in September or October to avoid the cold winter weather.
molt
This refers to the process of birds, animals and some insects losing feathers, hair, etc. It is spelled "moult" in British English.
Red-tailed hawks molt in the spring of their first year, then gain bright red tail feathers.
prance
Horses "prance" when they walk lightly and rhythmically. As a noun, it means a style of walking with fancy or exaggerated movements. Both forms can also be used to talk about people in a poetic or joking way.
Look at the horse prancing through the open field!
By the way, "Prancer" is also the name of one of Santa's reindeer!
preen
A bird "preens" by using its beak to clean or straighten its feathers. People can also preen, which means they are making themselves look nice.
The birds carefully preened themselves in a quiet section of the park.
rear
Horses "rear" when they stand on their hind, or back, legs with their front legs in the air.
The horse reared up on its hind legs when it heard the sudden noise.
spray
Skunks "spray," or shoot out, a strong-smelling liquid to scare away attackers, and cats release small amounts of urine to "mark" their territory. The noun form refers to the liquid itself.
The cat sprayed the furniture with its unique scent.
trot
Animals such as horses "trot" when they move at a pace that is faster than walking but slower than running. Think of trotting like running lightly. As a noun, it refers to a trotting pace.
All of the horses were trotting around the riding area.
Verbs for animal sounds
Listed below are verbs that describe animals making sounds. Be careful: These words are for the action of making the sound but are not the words for the sounds themselves.
| Animal | Verbs for animal sounds |
| dog | bark |
| cat | meow |
| cow | moo |
| horse | neigh |
| pig | oink/grunt |
| lion | roar |
| snake | hiss |
| donkey | bray |
| bear | growl |
| goat | bleat |
| frog | croak |
| elephant | trumpet |
| mouse | squeak |
| bee | buzz |
Verbs for bird sounds
Here's a short list of verbs that describe common bird sounds.
- chirp/cheep
- tweet
- trill
- shriek/cry
- sing
- whistle
Finally, let's look at the verbs used for the sounds specific birds make.
| Type of bird | Bird sound |
| hen | cluck |
| crow | caw |
| duck | quack |
| turkey | gobble |
| owl | hoot |
| eagle | screech |
| goose | honk |
| pigeon | coo |
Wrap-up
Songs that children in English-speaking countries learn very early in life often teach words related to animals and the sounds they make. That means these words are some of the first that native English speakers ever learn. You may not have a chance to use them every day, but they are nice to know anyway!
Written by Hiroe Hatfield, adapted by David
