Fine tuned modulation of the motor system by adjectives expressing positive and negative properties

► There are no experimental evidence on how the brain processes adjectives. ► We applied TMS while subjects were reading adjectives, expressing negative or positive features. ► We recorded MEPs from two antagonist muscles, one involved in grasping, the other in releasing. ► Depending on their function, muscle activity was differently modulated by the used adjectives. ► These results are well explained by an embodied approach to language processing.