enliven
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to make active, vivacious, or spirited; invigorate
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to make cheerful or bright; gladden or brighten
Synonym Usage
See cheer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enlivenernoun
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enlivenmentnoun
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enliveningadjective
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unenlivenedadjective
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unenliveningadjective
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enliveninglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enlivensimple
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enlivenssimple
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have enlivenedperfect
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has enlivenedperfect
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am enliveningprogressive
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are enliveningprogressive
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is enliveningprogressive
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have been enliveningperfect progressive
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has been enliveningperfect progressive
Past
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enlivenedsimple
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had enlivenedperfect
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was enliveningprogressive
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were enliveningprogressive
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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
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Encourage
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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:
While many artists at Felix experiment with their surfaces through additive processes, others use a subtractive approach to enliven their work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
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
His impact was almost instant, first going past the outside edge of Jaiswal to enliven the crowd.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2025
If you’re looking to enliven jarred sauce or some plain tomato puree, you can never go wrong with enriching the latent flavors.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2025
They are used with admirable skill to enliven the story and make it seem real, never to hold it up or divert the reader’s attention from the main issue.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
But Erica Ford, as a cross-dressing game poacher and archer-in-disguise named Ralph, provides the kind of character and performance that delivers new blood and enlivens an old story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
A great glaze enrobes and enlivens the meat.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2025
Public art enlivens the entrances, notably the metal cutout sculpture “Dragon and Phoenix” on the trench walls of Spring District Station.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2024
Sharp stylization enlivens a distinctly feminist perspective throughout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
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
As we near the end we get to a full account of the game itself, enlivened by quotes the players gave after the fact, and followed by chronicles of what befell the participants after 1933.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
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
To Kit’s surprise the husking was fun, enlivened by singing and wagers and jokes that seemed uproariously funny.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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
A year after “Cosby” became a runaway success, ABC responded with “Growing Pains,” which cast Kirk Cameron as the zany jokester enlivening that show’s Seaver household.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2025
Gastou liked to express his love of the past, in part, by enlivening it with the shock of the new.
From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
Allyson Kaye Daniel has enlivening comic moments as Addaperle, playing the Good Witch of the North as a community auntie who always knows what’s what.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2024
“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.
