lively
Americanadjective
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full or suggestive of life or vital energy; active, vigorous, or brisk.
a lively discussion.
-
animated, spirited, vivacious, or sprightly.
a lively tune; a lively wit.
-
eventful, stirring, or exciting.
The opposition gave us a lively time.
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bustling with activity; astir.
The marketplace was lively with vendors.
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strong, keen, or distinct; vivid.
a lively recollection.
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striking, telling, or effective, as an expression or instance.
-
vivid or bright, as color or light.
a lively pink.
- Antonyms:
- dim
-
sparkling, as wines.
-
fresh or invigorating, as air.
a lively breeze.
-
rebounding quickly; springing back; resilient.
a lively tennis ball.
-
riding the sea buoyantly, as a ship.
adverb
adjective
-
full of life or vigour
-
vivacious or animated, esp when in company
-
busy; eventful
-
characterized by mental or emotional intensity; vivid
-
having a striking effect on the mind or senses
-
refreshing
a lively breeze
-
springy or bouncy or encouraging springiness
a lively ball
-
(of a boat or ship) readily responsive to the helm
adverb
-
in a brisk manner
step lively
-
(interjection) make haste
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
livelinessnoun
-
overlivelinessnoun
-
unlivelinessnoun
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overlivelyadjective
-
unlivelyadjective
-
livelilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of lively
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English līflīc “vital”; see life, -ly
Explanation
If you’re feeling lively, you might whistle a tune, go for a brisk jog, or strike up an amusing conversation. Lively means "active, spirited, and energetic." Lively is an adjective derived from the noun "life," and it basically means "full of life." A lively party is exciting and entertaining. A lively person has an energetic personality, is always on alert, and prefers being active as opposed to just hanging around. Note that a "lively discussion" isn’t necessarily a happy discussion; it could be a spirited or even heated conversation where all parties are actively involved. Lively means the opposite of sluggish or dull.
Vocabulary lists containing lively
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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List 2
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"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 2
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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.
See Examples For:
The band is firing on all cylinders, the production is lively and open, and Price’s voice sounds fantastic.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Throughout his lively retelling of the story, he added a series of sound effects to move the story line — among them, wacha, pum, pum, pum, gol.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
England were reduced to 10 men in their crucial World Cup last-16 match with Mexico and also had a controversial penalty awarded against them in a lively encounter at the Azteca Stadium.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The scorching heat has sparked lively discussion in some countries about the merits of air-conditioning, which is used far less in Europe than in some parts of the world.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Some pilgrims trickle through during the week, while on weekends the area grows somewhat livelier as Iraqis visit the sacred sites.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
A state-run news portal credited a Li essay with shaping Xi’s views on improving the party’s public messaging through livelier language.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
It was livelier now, but it seemed certain that no one would get hired today.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
Perhaps, a return to more of the smooth and somber tones that painted “Negro Swan” rather than some of the livelier tracks on “Angel’s Pulse.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2025
And you’ll often be surprised, and your writing will be livelier, if you take a few seconds to look up the original wording of a cliche.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Welcome to Lukyanivka, one of the most heavily bombed neighborhoods in Ukraine’s capital city, but still one of the liveliest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Black Friday—the nickname for the day after Thanksgiving—may be an unofficial holiday, but it has earned the reputation of being one of the liveliest shopping days of the year.
From Barron's ● Nov. 28, 2025
The setting is momentous not just for Mr Kukoyi - a native of Nigeria's biggest and liveliest city Lagos - but for the show too.
From BBC ● May 10, 2025
Removing the liveliest member of our family, without calls or texts, felt like someone had taken one of my internal organs across state lines without telling me how to heal.
From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2024
Whatever we offer as today’s items of liveliest interest are bound to be out of date and irrelevant, maybe even ridiculous.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
