Adjacent Words

Lively definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LI'VELY, a.
1. Brisk; vigorous; vivacious; active; as a lively youth.
2. Gay; airy.
From grave to gay, from lively to severe.
3. Representing life; as a lively imitation of nature.
4. Animated; spirited; as a lively strain of eloquence; a lively description.
5. Strong; energetic; as a lively faith or hope; a lively persuasion.
Lively stones, in scripture. Saints are called lively stones, as being quickened by the Spirit and active in holiness.
LI'VELY, adv.
1. Briskly; vigorously. [Little used.]
2. With strong resemblance of life.
That part of poetry must needs be best, which describes most lively our actions and passions. [Little used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: full of life and energy; "a lively discussion"; "lively and attractive parents"; "a lively party" [ant: dull]
2: full of zest or vigor; "a racy literary style" [syn: lively, racy]
3: quick and energetic; "a brisk walk in the park"; "a lively gait"; "a merry chase"; "traveling at a rattling rate"; "a snappy pace"; "a spanking breeze" [syn: alert, brisk, lively, merry, rattling, snappy, spanking, zippy]
4: elastic; rebounds readily; "clean bouncy hair"; "a lively tennis ball"; "as resilient as seasoned hickory"; "springy turf" [syn: bouncy, live, lively, resilient, springy]
5: filled with events or activity; "a lively period in history"
6: full of spirit; "a dynamic full of life woman"; "a vital and charismatic leader"; "this whole lively world" [syn: full of life, lively, vital]

Merriam Webster's

adjective (livelier; -est) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English l?fl?c, from l?f life Date: before 12th century 1. obsolete living 2. briskly alert and energetic ; vigorous, animated <a lively discussion> <lively children racing for home> 3. active, intense <takes a lively interest in politics> 4. brilliant, fresh <a lively wit> 5. imparting spirit or vivacity ; stimulating <many a peer of England brews livelier liquor than the Muse — A. E. Housman> 6. quick to rebound ; resilient 7. responding readily to the helm <a lively boat> 8. full of life, movement, or incident <lively streets at carnival time> • livelily adverb • liveliness noun • lively adverb Synonyms: lively, animated, vivacious, sprightly, gay mean keenly alive and spirited. lively suggests briskness, alertness, or energy <a lively debate on the issues>. animated applies to what is spirited and active <an animated discussion of current events>. vivacious suggests an activeness of gesture and wit, often playful or alluring <a vivacious party host>. sprightly suggests lightness and spirited vigor of manner or wit <a tuneful, sprightly musical>. gay stresses complete freedom from care and overflowing spirits <the gay spirit of Paris in the 1920s>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 full of life; vigorous, energetic. 2 brisk (a lively pace). 3 vivid, stimulating (a lively discussion). 4 vivacious, jolly, sociable. 5 joc. exciting, dangerous, difficult (the press is making things lively for them). 6 (of a colour) bright and vivid. 7 lifelike, realistic (a lively description). 8 (of a boat etc.) rising lightly to the waves. Derivatives: livelily adv. liveliness n. Etymology: OE liflic (as LIFE, -LY(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lively Live"ly, adv. 1. In a brisk, active, or animated manner; briskly; vigorously. --Hayward. 2. With strong resemblance of life. [Obs.] Thou counterfeitest most lively. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lively Live"ly, a. [Compar. Livelier; superl. Liveliest.] [For lifely. Cf. Lifelike.] 1. Endowed with or manifesting life; living. Chaplets of gold and silver resembling lively flowers and leaves. --Holland. 2. Brisk; vivacious; active; as, a lively youth. But wherefore comes old Manoa in such haste, With youthful steps ? Much livelier than erewhile He seems. --Milton. 3. Gay; airy; animated; spirited. From grave to gay, from lively to severe. --Pope. 4. Representing life; lifelike. [Obs.] I spied the lively picture of my father. --Massinger. 5. Bright; vivid; glowing; strong; vigorous. The colors of the prism are manifestly more full, intense, and lively that those of natural bodies. --Sir I. Newton. His faith must be not only living, but lively too. --South. Lively stones (Script.), saints, as being quickened by the Spirit, and active in holiness. Syn: Brisk; vigorous; quick; nimble; smart; active; alert; sprightly; animated; spirited; prompt; earnest; strong; energetic; vivid; vivacious; blithe; gleeful; airy; gay; jocund.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(livelier, liveliest) 1. You can describe someone as lively when they behave in an enthusiastic and cheerful way. Josephine was bright, lively and cheerful. ADJ • liveliness Amy could sense his liveliness even from where she stood. 2. A lively event or a lively discussion, for example, has lots of interesting and exciting things happening or being said in it. It turned out to be a very interesting session with a lively debate... Their 4-1 win in Honduras was a particularly lively affair. ADJ: usu ADJ n • liveliness Some may enjoy the liveliness of such a restaurant for a few hours a day or week. N-UNCOUNT 3. Someone who has a lively mind is intelligent and interested in a lot of different things. She was a very well educated girl with a lively mind, a girl with ambition. ...her very lively imagination. ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Active, agile, nimble, supple, brisk, alert, quick, stirring, smart, vigorous, vivacious, energetic. 2. Animated, spirited, sprightly, vivacious, airy, gay, blithe, blithesome, gleeful, jocund, buoyant, joyous, frolicsome, buxom, jolly. 3. Living, lifelike. 4. Vivid, bright, brilliant, fresh, glowing, strong, clear. 5. Vigorous, forcible, strong, energetic, keen, nervous, glowing, sparkling, racy, piquant, impassioned.

Moby Thesaurus

ablaze, active, actively, activist, activistic, acute, adaptable, adaptive, afire, aggressive, agile, agog, alacritous, alert, alive, all agog, all out, allegretto, allegro, animate, animated, animatedly, antic, anxious, ardent, astir, avid, blithe, boiling over, bouncing, bouncy, breakneck, breathless, breezily, breezy, bright, brilliant, brisk, briskly, bubbly, buoyant, burning, bursting to, bustling, busy, cant, capersome, catty, cheerful, cheery, chipper, chirk, chirping, chirpy, chirrupy, cock-a-hoop, coltish, cordial, curried, dashing, delirious, desirous, double-quick, drunk, dynamic, eager, eagle-winged, ebullient, effervescent, elastic, energetic, energetically, enterprising, enthusiastic, eventful, excited, exciting, expansive, expeditious, express, extensile, exuberant, fast, febrile, fervent, fervid, fevered, feverish, fiery, flaming, fleet, flexible, flexile, flushed, flying, forceful, forcible, forward, frisky, frolicsome, full of beans, full of go, full of life, full of pep, full tilt, galloping, gamesome, gay, gleeful, glowing, go-go, gorgeous, hair-trigger, hasty, headlong, hearty, heated, high-seasoned, hilarious, hot, hot as pepper, hustling, impassioned, impatient, impetuous, in full swing, incisive, intense, interesting, intoxicated, inviting, jocund, jolly, juicy, keen, kinetic, light of heel, light-footed, live, living, lusty, mercurial, merry, mettlesome, militant, mirthful, nimble, nimble-footed, nippy, on fire, panting, passionate, peart, peppery, peppy, perky, pert, piquant, playful, poignant, pointed, popping, precipitate, prompt, provocative, provoking, pungent, quick, quick as lightning, quick as thought, quicksilver, racy, rapid, raring to, readable, ready, ready and willing, reckless, red-hot, resilient, responsive, rich, robust, rollicking, rollicksome, rompish, rousing, running, seasoned, skittish, smacking, snappy, spanking, sparkling, speedy, spiced, spicy, spirited, spiritedly, sportive, sprightly, springy, spry, steaming, steamy, stimulating, stirring, strenuous, stretch, stretchable, stretchy, strong, succulent, swarming, swift, take-charge, take-over, tangy, tantalizing, teeming, thought-challenging, thought-inspiring, thought-provoking, tickling, titillating, trenchant, unrestrained, vibrant, vigorous, vital, vivacious, vivaciously, vivid, volatile, warm, winged, with a kick, zealous, zestful, zesty, zingy, zippy