lively
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.
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.
with briskness, vigor, or animation; briskly: to step lively.
Origin of lively
1Other words for lively
Opposites for lively
Other words from lively
- live·li·ly, adverb
- live·li·ness, noun
- o·ver·live·li·ness, noun
- o·ver·live·ly, adjective
- un·live·li·ness, noun
- un·live·ly, adjective, adverb
Words Nearby lively
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lively in a sentence
The band turned back around, raising a lively tune to signal life would go on.
It was headquartered in Stanleyville, in a tall corner building that still stands in the decrepit, yet lively, downtown.
She was a perky redhead of about 30 with lively blue eyes, a petite figure, and lots of nerve.
lively discussions, inspiring stories and Texas hospitality!
Not everyone agrees with us, but it starts a lively conversation.
Leaky Ceilings, Catcalls, and Uncaged Pythons: 4 Hours on NYC’s Worst Subway | Kevin Zawacki | August 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The magazines sketch us a lively article, the newspapers vignette us, step by step, a royal tour.
True, she had taken a lively interest in all her brother's curates, but it was always a professional interest and purely Platonic.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsWinifred, naturally a high-spirited and lively girl, soon recovered from the fright of that fateful Sunday evening.
The Red Year | Louis TracyHe was fond of the pathetic, but the humorous moved him most, and his lively gifts were welcome wherever we went.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph Tatlow"My name is Slicko," answered the lively little girl squirrel, as she jumped about.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard Barnum
British Dictionary definitions for lively
/ (ˈlaɪvlɪ) /
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
in a brisk manner: step lively
look lively (interjection) make haste
Derived forms of lively
- liveliness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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