Verbs That Start With O

Verb

Definition

Example

Obey

To follow instructions or rules

"Children are taught to obey their parents."

Obfuscate

To make something unclear or confusing

"The lawyer obfuscated the facts during the trial."

Object

To express opposition

"She objected to the new company policy."

Objectify

To treat someone as an object

"The ad was criticized for objectifying women."

Obligate

To compel someone to do something

"The contract obligates both parties to cooperate."

Oblige

To do something as a favor or duty

"She was obliged to help her neighbor in need."

Obliterate

To destroy completely

"The city was obliterated by the storm."

Obscure

To make something less visible or understandable

"The clouds obscured the view of the mountains."

Observe

To watch or notice

"He observed the birds through binoculars."

Obsess

To focus excessively on something

"She obsessed over every detail of the wedding."

Obstruct

To block or hinder

"The fallen tree obstructed the road."

Obtain

To get or acquire something

"She obtained a degree in biology."

Occur

To happen or take place

"The meeting occurred at 3 p.m."

Offend

To hurt someone’s feelings

"His rude comments offended the audience."

Offer

To present something for acceptance

"She offered him a ride to the airport."

Ogle

To stare at someone in a suggestive way

"He ogled the painting in admiration."

Oil

To apply oil to reduce friction

"He oiled the hinges to stop the creaking."

Oink

To make the sound of a pig

"The pig oinked loudly in the barn."

Omit

To leave out or exclude

"She omitted some details from her report."

Ooze

To flow out slowly

"The honey oozed from the jar."

Open

To make accessible or allow entry

"She opened the door for her guest."

Operate

To work or function

"The machine operates smoothly."

Opine

To express an opinion

"He opined that the new law was unfair."

Oppose

To resist or be against something

"They opposed the construction of the factory."

Oppress

To treat someone harshly or unfairly

"The regime oppressed its citizens for years."

Opt

To choose or decide

"She opted for a vegetarian meal."

Optimize

To make the best or most effective use of something

"He optimized his schedule for better productivity."

Orbit

To move around something in a circular path

"The satellite orbits the Earth every 90 minutes."

Orchestrate

To arrange or coordinate something skillfully

"She orchestrated the entire event flawlessly."

Ordain

To officially appoint or establish

"He was ordained as a minister last year."

Order

To arrange or direct

"She ordered a pizza for dinner."

Organize

To arrange systematically

"They organized a fundraiser for the local school."

Orient

To align or position

"He oriented the map to match the landscape."

Orientate

To familiarize oneself with something

"She orientated herself with the new office layout."

Originate

To begin or start

"The idea originated from a brainstorming session."

Oust

To remove or expel

"The board ousted the CEO after the scandal."

Outgrow

To grow too large for something

"He outgrew his old clothes."

Outline

To summarize or give the main points

"She outlined the project goals during the meeting."

Outsmart

To outthink or defeat with cleverness

"He outsmarted his competitors with a brilliant strategy."

Outsource

To contract work to an external party

"The company outsourced its customer support to another firm."

Overawe

To impress or intimidate

"The grandeur of the castle overawed the visitors."

Overcome

To succeed in dealing with a problem

"She overcame her fear of heights."

Overcook

To cook something too much

"He overcooked the steak, making it tough."

Overflow

To spill over the edges

"The river overflowed after the heavy rain."

Overhaul

To thoroughly examine and repair

"The car engine was completely overhauled."

Overload

To burden excessively

"The system crashed because it was overloaded with data."

Overpower

To defeat or subdue with strength

"The soldiers overpowered the enemy forces."

Overrate

To assign too much value to something

"Many critics felt the movie was overrated."

Owe

To be in debt or obligated

"He owes me $20 for lunch."

Oxidize

To combine with oxygen

"The metal surface oxidized and turned rusty."