lively
Americanadjective
-
livelier,
comparative
-
liveliest
superlative
-
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.
-
bustling with activity; astir.
The marketplace was lively with vendors.
-
strong, keen, or distinct; vivid.
a lively recollection.
-
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
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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:
Where is their home, if not in a lively city or a stuffy museum?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Well, it’s certainly lively, but in a boisterous way that made me regret I had left my couch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
This Mediterranean city seems to have it all — 300 days of sunshine, miles of beaches, a lively restaurant and nightlife scene, a beautiful and highly walkable historic center, and excellent public transportation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
It was a world that Richard Kerbaj brings back into lively and arresting focus in “The Defector.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
It’s a hot but beautiful summer day, and Jack’s neighborhood is the perfect balance of lively and peaceful.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
He’s tried livelier cruise lines, and nothing compares to a library stocked with first-edition books and the certainty that no children will be running down the halls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It was livelier now, but it seemed certain that no one would get hired today.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
Japan looked livelier in the second half and Takeuchi scored their first try in the 52nd minute after a period of pressure.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
Isak was anonymous again, having been chosen ahead of the much livelier Hugo Ekitike, while Wirtz once again had to be content with coming off the bench.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2025
She looked a little bit like a Saint Bernard that just lost its keg, but since she agreed to work on this, she’s gotten a little livelier and more opinionated.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
Carolyne Larrington’s translation is one of the liveliest available.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 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
Her deadpan delivery and zombie prom dance solidified “Wednesday” as one of the year’s best and liveliest funerary comedies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 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
Although demographic shifts were a normal part of life in America at the time, the population swell experienced by the North End made it one of the busiest and liveliest places in the nation.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
