brio

[bree-oh, bree-aw]

noun

1. vigor; vivacity.

brio

/ ˈbriːəʊ /

noun

1. liveliness or vigour; spirit See also con brio

Word History and Origins

Origin of brio¹

First recorded in 1725–35; from Italian, from Spanish brío “energy, determination,” from assumed Celtic brīgos; compare Old Irish bríg (feminine) “power, strength, force,” Middle Welsh bri (masculine) “honor, dignity, authority”

Word History and Origins

Origin of brio¹

C19: from Italian, of Celtic origin

Example Sentences

Ensemble brio, thrillingly in evidence in the live-stream presentation of the New York production, is still the hallmark of a play that sees community as the only reliable answer to impossible times.

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My experience didn’t quite live up to Rich’s lavish praise, but I was indeed dazzled by Greenberg’s New York wit, which struck me as an acutely sensitive, off-angle version of George S. Kaufman’s Broadway brio.

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Gawky and bespectacled but with the brio of a scrapper, Pearlman was dressed like a quintessential sports geek: black-and-yellow Pittsburgh Pirates hat and Pittsburgh Maulers shirt, the latter a long-gone professional football team.

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Chekhov may not falsely console, but he dignifies the human struggle in a secular parable that lives again through the magic of ensemble brio and a director at the top of his game.

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And speaking of Cade, Sessions’ flamboyant performance as the agent of anarchy bounds across the stage with a “Spamalot”-level of madcap brio.

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Related Words

• liveliness www.thesaurus.com
• verve