enliven
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to make active, vivacious, or spirited; invigorate
-
to make cheerful or bright; gladden or brighten
Synonym Usage
See cheer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
enlivenernoun
-
enlivenmentnoun
-
enliveningadjective
-
unenlivenedadjective
-
unenliveningadjective
-
enliveninglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
enlivensimple
-
enlivenssimple
-
have enlivenedperfect
-
has enlivenedperfect
-
am enliveningprogressive
-
are enliveningprogressive
-
is enliveningprogressive
-
have been enliveningperfect progressive
-
has been enliveningperfect progressive
Past
-
enlivenedsimple
-
had enlivenedperfect
-
was enliveningprogressive
-
were enliveningprogressive
-
had been enliveningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enliven
1625–35; obsolete enlive to give life to ( en- 1 + life ) + -en 1
Explanation
High school students who are throwing a dance in the gym might enliven it with balloons and streamers. In other words, they might try to cheer the room up. When you enliven something, you make it more lively, colorful, or exciting. Your friend who is the life of the party can probably be counted on to enliven the dullest gathering, and a sprinkle of curry powder can enliven a dish of plain roasted vegetables. The original meaning of enliven, from the seventeenth century, was literally "to bring to life," as when a doctor re-starts a patient's stopped heartbeat.
Vocabulary lists containing enliven
The Return of the King
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Encourage
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
There’s also a petite variety in a 2-inch pot designed to enliven an office desk without taking up too much space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Herzog said he wanted to tackle the Breuer in part because he believes architects should look to revamp existing historic buildings and enliven what already exists instead of striving to only create from scratch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
His impact was almost instant, first going past the outside edge of Jaiswal to enliven the crowd.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2025
And for me, one of my secret weapons — just a dash of Hood cream is going to really enrich or enliven any dish that you're making.
From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2024
She did regret, however, that the mad Englishman from Cambridge had decided not to come and enliven the mood.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
If they threaten to bore, the authors’ jaunty tone enlivens the delivery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” resounds throughout the Douglas while he enlivens the portrait with impassioned strokes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2025
A great glaze enrobes and enlivens the meat.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2025
They are the weeds that sprout in sidewalk cracks, the elaborate graffiti that enlivens the drab wall of an abandoned building.
From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2024
Fleming, seventy- one, a former mayor of Garden City, a short man who enlivens an unsensational appearance with rather conspicuous neckwear, resisted the assignment.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
The composition is utterly still, devoid of human presence and enlivened only by fluttering harbor flags and the canvas’s scintillating pinpoints of color.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
After spending the last decade writing about his life and childhood, writing about what’s happening right now has clearly enlivened Bono’s storytelling and songwriting abilities.
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2026
Henry's "very gregarious" nature enlivened the darker days of last winter in the workshop.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
It is inescapable that people have most focused on Frank’s sculptural, curvilinear forms, his luminous exterior surfaces, and yet what I find most profound about his architecture is how he enchanted and enlivened space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
Her face is spotted and enlivened with heat.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
The crowds were a welcome boon for the bartenders, enlivening what is usually a lull at Joxer Daly’s, which is away from the beaches and beer gardens where customers gather in the summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Not surprisingly, massed strings play a defining role, with well-integrated keyboard parts enlivening the musical landscape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
In Guillermo Cienfuegos’ enlivening, if at times unsteady, production at A Noise Within, the role is played by Ann Noble, who forgoes the outdated hunchback but adopts a seething, slithering, perversely seductive aura of menace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
That’s to say, where rivers are recognised as alive, enlivening presences in story, art and law, rather than –– as Isaac Newton put it –– ‘brute inanimate matter’.
From Salon ● May 28, 2025
“Of course I would rather be with Arthur. An educated man is always an enlivening companion.”
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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.
