diff --git a/devenv/lib/context.py b/devenv/lib/context.py
index 9377ca46..33a9083d 100644
--- a/devenv/lib/context.py
+++ b/devenv/lib/context.py
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ class Context(TypedDict):
     config_path: str
     code_root: str
     repo: Repository | None
+    verbose: bool
diff --git a/devenv/main.py b/devenv/main.py
index 0c9077f6..a77a4bc2 100644
--- a/devenv/main.py
+++ b/devenv/main.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ def devenv(argv: Sequence[str], config_path: str) -> ExitCode:
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--version", action="version", version=version)
+    parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true")
     subparser = parser.add_subparsers(
         title=argparse.SUPPRESS,
         metavar="command",
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ def devenv(argv: Sequence[str], config_path: str) -> ExitCode:
         "config_path": config_path,
         "code_root": code_root,
         "repo": Repository(current_root) if current_root else None,
+        "verbose": args.verbose,
     }
 
     command_actions = {info.command: info.action for info in modinfo_list}
diff --git a/devenv/sync.py b/devenv/sync.py
index e03ac639..a0205f61 100644
--- a/devenv/sync.py
+++ b/devenv/sync.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import argparse
 import importlib.util
 import os
 from collections.abc import Sequence
@@ -11,6 +12,13 @@
 
 @require_repo
 def main(context: Context, argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true")
+    args = parser.parse_args(argv)
+
+    # also support devenv sync -v in addition to devenv -v sync
+    verbose = context["verbose"] or args.verbose
+
     repo = context["repo"]
     assert repo is not None
 
@@ -29,6 +37,7 @@ def main(context: Context, argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
         "reporoot": repo.path,
         "repo": repo.name,
         "coderoot": context.get("code_root"),
+        "verbose": verbose,
     }
     return module.main(context_compat)  # type: ignore