lively
Americanadjective
-
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.
- Antonyms:
- dim
-
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.
adverb
adjective
-
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
adverb
-
in a brisk manner
step lively
-
(interjection) make haste
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
livelinessnoun
-
overlivelinessnoun
-
unlivelinessnoun
-
overlivelyadjective
-
unlivelyadjective
-
livelilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of lively
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English līflīc “vital”; see life, -ly
Explanation
If you’re feeling lively, you might whistle a tune, go for a brisk jog, or strike up an amusing conversation. Lively means "active, spirited, and energetic." Lively is an adjective derived from the noun "life," and it basically means "full of life." A lively party is exciting and entertaining. A lively person has an energetic personality, is always on alert, and prefers being active as opposed to just hanging around. Note that a "lively discussion" isn’t necessarily a happy discussion; it could be a spirited or even heated conversation where all parties are actively involved. Lively means the opposite of sluggish or dull.
Vocabulary lists containing lively
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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!
List 2
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!
"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The band is firing on all cylinders, the production is lively and open, and Price’s voice sounds fantastic.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
But unlike lively neighboring St. Petersburg or Tampa, downtown Clearwater has stagnated, with silent streets and empty buildings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Throughout his lively retelling of the story, he added a series of sound effects to move the story line — among them, wacha, pum, pum, pum, gol.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
While Eala seemed tense, Paolini looked lively, and she landed a series of fiery winners two games later to strike the first blow.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The dinner that followed was lively and cordial: Bobby showed Ilyumzhinov how Fischer Random was played, and he plied the president with questions about Russian politics.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
A state-run news portal credited a Li essay with shaping Xi’s views on improving the party’s public messaging through livelier language.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
It was livelier now, but it seemed certain that no one would get hired today.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
Cameroonian political scientist Stephane Akoa told AFP before the vote that the campaign had been "much livelier than usual" and the vote was "therefore more likely to throw up surprises".
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025
He arrived in Madrid feeling confident that his game could thrive in the livelier clay-court conditions produced by the altitude in the Spanish capital.
From BBC ● May 4, 2025
At a livelier clip they took the river road toward Baker’s Mill.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
Welcome to Lukyanivka, one of the most heavily bombed neighborhoods in Ukraine’s capital city, but still one of the liveliest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Black Friday—the nickname for the day after Thanksgiving—may be an unofficial holiday, but it has earned the reputation of being one of the liveliest shopping days of the year.
From Barron's ● Nov. 28, 2025
He had also been one of their liveliest players in the first leg too.
From BBC ● May 8, 2023
History has shown that this dirty industry risks turning even the liveliest small communities into ghost towns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
The liveliest medium of all is the blogosphere.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
