25 Adverbs That Get an A

25 Adverbs That Get an A 25 Adverbs That Get an â€Å"A† 25 Adverbs That Get an â€Å"A† By Mark Nichol You already know many adverbs that start with a-, a prefix that can mean, among other things, â€Å"on† (aboard) â€Å"in a state† (asleep), or â€Å"in a manner† (aloud). Here’s a roster of some of the lesser-known words in this class, many of which inspire vivid imagery, evoke an archaic or rustic tone, or conjure an amusing tableau, perhaps all at once: 1. Aback (â€Å"surprised†; usually employed in the phrase â€Å"taken aback† in a passively constructed sentence): â€Å"She was taken aback by his vehemence.† 2. Abaft (â€Å"at or toward the stern†): â€Å"They found the drunken sailor abaft, sleeping in a lifeboat.† 3. Abed (â€Å"in bed†): â€Å"He found his friend abed, felled by a high fever.† 4. Ablaze (â€Å"on fire†): â€Å"As they had feared, the shed was ablaze, the flames lighting the night sky.† 5. Afar (â€Å"at a distance†): â€Å"From afar, they descried the outline of a magnificent castle.† 6. Afield (â€Å"on the field,† â€Å"away from home,† or â€Å"lost†): â€Å"The absentminded fellow, engrossed in a scholarly volume, soon found himself far afield.† 7. Afire (see ablaze) 8. Aflutter (â€Å"agitated,† or â€Å"flapping†): â€Å"The ladies were all aflutter at hearing the stranger’s vivid imprecations.† 9. Afoot (â€Å"on foot,† or â€Å"under way†): â€Å"The conspirators, he noticed as he watched them sneak away from the house, were already afoot.† 10. Afresh (â€Å"again†): â€Å"Invigorated by the contents of the flask, we strode off afresh.† 11. Agape (â€Å"gaping,† or â€Å"exhibiting wonder†): â€Å"We stood staring at the spectacle, mouths agape.† 12. Aghast (â€Å"shocked†): â€Å"She stood aghast, rendered speechless by the destruction we had wrought.† 13. Agog (â€Å"eager†): â€Å"We kids were of course agog with excitement, for it was Christmas morning.† 14. Apace (â€Å"quickly,† or â€Å"keeping up with†): â€Å"The children kept apace with the marching band.† 15. Aright (â€Å"correctly,† or â€Å"in proper orientation†): â€Å"We set the fallen statue aright.† 16. Askance (â€Å"sideways,† and, by association, â€Å"with suspicion†): â€Å"Doubtful of the newcomer’s motives, she looked askance at him.† 17. Askew (â€Å"out of line,† or â€Å"disheveled†; the root word is skew, â€Å"oblique, slanted†): â€Å"His coat hung askew on his shoulders.† 18. Aslant (â€Å"at a slant,† â€Å"oblique†): â€Å"The sun’s rays struck the wall aslant.† 19. Aslope (â€Å"sloping,† or â€Å"slanting†): â€Å"The poorly erected tent tottered aslope under the tree.† 20. Astir (â€Å"active,† or â€Å"out of bed†): â€Å"She found the children, excited about the day’s celebration, already astir in their room.† 21. Astride (â€Å"with legs apart or on each side†): â€Å"He stood with his legs astride the struggling figure.† 22. Asunder (â€Å"apart,† or â€Å"in parts†): â€Å"The parchment had been rent asunder, and they painstakingly pieced it back together.† 23. Athwart (â€Å"obliquely across,† or â€Å"erroneously† or â€Å"unexpectedly†): â€Å"The rifle lay athwart the seat of the rowboat.† 24. Atilt (â€Å"tilted,† or, from tilt as a synonym for joust, â€Å"armed with a lance†): â€Å"The clumsily mounted knight charged, atilt in more than one sense.† 25. Awry (â€Å"turned† or â€Å"twisted,† or â€Å"other than correct or expected†): â€Å"To their dismay, they found that their plot had gone awry.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite Adjectives"Latter," not "Ladder"10 Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills