verve

[ vurv ]

noun

1. enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit:

   Her latest novel lacks verve.

2. vivaciousness; liveliness; animation:

   I like a teacher with plenty of verve.

3. Archaic. talent.

verve

/ vɜːv /

noun

1. great vitality, enthusiasm, and liveliness; sparkle
2. See talent
   a rare word for talent

Word History and Origins

Origin of verve¹

1690–1700; < French: enthusiasm, whim, chatter, apparently < Latin verba words, talk, plural (taken in VL as feminine singular) of verbum word; verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of verve¹

C17: from Old French: garrulity, from Latin verba words, chatter

Example Sentences

Read more reviews by Stephanie ZacharekThe first third of Malcolm & Marie has some wit and verve, and style to spare.

From Time

If you can ignore the author’s motive for creating such a sensitive and endearing cad, you’ll find here a novel that explores the demands of acting and the delusions of manhood with tremendous verve and insight.

From Washington Post

Certainly Stevenson’s novels and stories exhibit extraordinary verve, whether depicting many-sided characters, richly atmospheric settings or political history.

From Washington Post

It’s another example of Franciacorta that packs verve and excitement near champagne levels at a more affordable price.

From Washington Post

He is a turnaround artist with astonishing verve and little apparent fear.

From Fortune

But Byrne himself is the parodist, and he commands the stage by his hollow-eyed, frosty verve.

From The Daily Beast

A new history tells their remarkable story with sensitivity and verve writes Wendy Smith.

From The Daily Beast

Students, meanwhile, approached the book with greater verve than ever.

From The Daily Beast

And so the question now is not only whether Ryan can reenergize the Romney campaign with his vision and verve.

From The Daily Beast

“He should just write a check and shut up,” Christie responded, with his typical verve.

From The Daily Beast

The pieces themselves were almost worthless; Byron would seem to have lost his verve during the removal.

From Project Gutenberg

She played Cupid here with so much verve, point, impudence and sprightliness, that other Cupids were created for her.

From Project Gutenberg

A sparkling society tale, full of verve and pathos, would have been another thing, and the editor might have been convinced by it.

From Project Gutenberg

A long drink of red wine seemed to put him in the best of trim, and he began to fiddle with a verve that was irresistible.

From Project Gutenberg

She has all the dreamy, languid grace of the South combined with the verve and force of the North.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• gumption
• gusto
• intensity
• liveliness
• moxie
• passion
• pep
• sparkle
• spunk
• stamina
• toughness
• vigor
• vitality
• zeal
• zest