adjective
Synonym Usage
See active.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of energetic
First recorded in 1645–55; from Greek energētikós, from energē- (from en- en- 2 + ergē-, variant stem of ergeîn “to be active”; see energy) + -tikos -tic
Explanation
Energetic describes someone who has lots of get-up-and-go. When you decide to jog alongside the bus instead of taking it to work, you are energetic — so energetic that it tires the rest of the commuters out just watching you. Energetic comes from the Greek, energetikos, meaning “active.” When you are energetic, you're active with enthusiasm and excitement to spare. Energetic describes those little kids you babysit, who never sit still and force you to play hide and seek. Energetic can also mean a powerful focused effort, where you work hard to achieve something. The energetic bond between the men was formed after months of training together in the military.
Vocabulary lists containing energetic
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 3
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
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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.
The men are “all taken with her, the energetic glimmer in her blue eyes, her feisty determination, her international charm,” Mr. Makos writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
In this case, the researchers are interested in ultraviolet photons energetic enough to ionize hydrogen, making them essential to understanding how the early universe became transparent.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
"He's a young, energetic former president" who is still "very loved and trusted, certainly among Democrats, but even more broadly," Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
His prose is energetic, occasionally overexuberant — and, above all, a paean to Capra’s enduring importance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Rajesh had once been the most promising of the brothers—the nimblest, the supplest, the most charismatic, the most energetic, the most beloved and idolized by my father and his family.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
