invigorate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What does invigorate mean? To invigorate is to fill with energy or a feeling of vitality, renewal, or refreshment. Invigorate is especially used in the context of things that make people feel “alive” or renewed or refreshed physically, mentally, and emotionally. Such a state or feeling can be called vigor, which is at the root of invigorate. A close synonym is vitality. In other words, to invigorate is to fill with vigor. Someone who feels this way can be described with the adjective invigorated, as in I feel really invigorated after that long, restful weekend. Something that invigorates can be described with the adjective invigorating, as in I love an invigorating swim in the ocean. Sometimes, invigorate is applied to things other than people to mean something like stimulate or boost, as in These measures are meant to invigorate the economy. Example: Being out in the sunshine invigorates me and makes me feel alive.
Synonym Usage
See animate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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invigorationnoun
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invigoratornoun
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reinvigorationnoun
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reinvigorateverb (used with object)
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invigoratingadjective
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invigorativeadjective
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uninvigoratedadjective
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uninvigorativeadjective
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invigoratinglyadverb
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invigorativelyadverb
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uninvigorativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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invigoratesimple
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invigoratessimple
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have invigoratedperfect
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has invigoratedperfect
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am invigoratingprogressive
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are invigoratingprogressive
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is invigoratingprogressive
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have been invigoratingperfect progressive
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has been invigoratingperfect progressive
Past
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invigoratedsimple
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had invigoratedperfect
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was invigoratingprogressive
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were invigoratingprogressive
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had been invigoratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of invigorate
First recorded in 1640–50; in- 2 + obsolete vigorate “invigorated”; see vigor, -ate 1
Explanation
Invigorate means to give strength or energy to something or someone. If you're the new cheerleading coach, you can invigorate the team by bringing them your exciting new cheers, and the team’s growing popularity will invigorate them even more. When you invigorate someone, you inspire, you breathe life into them. One of the best ways to invigorate another person is with your own enthusiasm — when you're animated and energetic, it seems to rub off on others. You might need to invigorate yourself when you first wake up in the morning, with a cup of coffee or a shower to get you going for the day. The word invigorate comes from the Latin in, "toward" and vigorare "make strong."
Vocabulary lists containing invigorate
Fahrenheit 451
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George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)
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The Princess Bride
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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:
In sum, it all sounds less like a good-faith effort to invigorate a vital newsmagazine for modern times—and more like an effort to have it fall apart, piece by piece.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
The bank’s broader AI basket, meanwhile, is showing “a sharp pickup in anticipated growth dominance in 2026 which we think has helped to invigorate the AI theme even more in recent trading.”
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
He led Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, working to invigorate beloved franchises, before being elevated in April 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025
Do use pops of color to energize or invigorate a space.
From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2024
Tio Fello dragged her off right after Christmas because he found her very thin and sad and thought the mountain air would invigorate her.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
This critic is all for so-called color-blind casting; in addition to promoting employment, it invigorates the work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
“It really invigorates audiences’ senses — not just momentarily for the purpose of entertainment.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2023
He wrote that contrology “develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.”
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2023
Korean popular culture borrows American cultural styles but invigorates them with distinctly Korean elements.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
To be alive with Christ, is to be so minded, that the atmosphere of heaven refreshes, enlivens, stimulates, invigorates us.
From Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII (of 8) by Newman, John Henry
Australia won to go 2-0 up and while England, invigorated by the recalled Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, threatened the most spectacular of comebacks, it was not to be.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
He told the workers that he felt invigorated by the “high spirit of the powerful working class.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
The ongoing data-center build-out has invigorated new product cycles and pricing power for these businesses.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 28, 2026
And now that he’s out of the picture, with his shortcomings burning in public recollection, those two ideologies are more invigorated than ever.
From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2025
The move to Milam Park had invigorated the Fugees, and having a proper field allowed Luma to work on her teams’ weaknesses.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
“The world that I hope to see created is one in which the people democratically control the wealth that they create with their labor,” Riley says with a mix of calm and charisma that’s invigorating.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
It was invigorating to think of the impact we could have by putting a new narrative out there, helping people feel less alone and find the support they need.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
Before long, Frank and the Bride are on the road and on the lam, invigorating the nation in their path.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
It’s hard for us to feel isolated amid the city’s bustle of humanity that we find invigorating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
Bill Bratton certainly deserves credit for invigorating New York’s police force.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.
