adjective
Synonym Usage
See active.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of energetic
First recorded in 1645–55; from Greek energētikós, from energē- (from en- en- 2 + ergē-, variant stem of ergeîn “to be active”; see energy) + -tikos -tic
Explanation
Energetic describes someone who has lots of get-up-and-go. When you decide to jog alongside the bus instead of taking it to work, you are energetic — so energetic that it tires the rest of the commuters out just watching you. Energetic comes from the Greek, energetikos, meaning “active.” When you are energetic, you're active with enthusiasm and excitement to spare. Energetic describes those little kids you babysit, who never sit still and force you to play hide and seek. Energetic can also mean a powerful focused effort, where you work hard to achieve something. The energetic bond between the men was formed after months of training together in the military.
Vocabulary lists containing energetic
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 3
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Microsoft mogul rode into the NBA in 2014 as an energetic savior, paying a then-spectacular $2 billion for a sidekick franchise with a dumpy rep and a toxic owner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
They then bombarded the gas mixture with protons to imitate the stream of energetic particles generated by solar superflares.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
The actress, who hails from Allentown, Pa., also looked back on her childhood, admitting that she was “relentlessly loud and energetic and needed constant attention” when she was younger.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
This can vary from high moods, for example, feeling very happy, excited or energetic, to low moods, such as feeling sad, tired or hopeless.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Tuve and Van de GraafF struggled to make it work with the vacuum tubes and other apparatus necessary to produce a focused beam of charged, energetic particles.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
