sprightly

[sprahyt-lee]

adjective

sprightlier, sprightliest 

1. animated or vivacious; lively.

   Synonyms: spry, buoyant, blithe, spirited

adverb

1. in a sprightly manner.

sprightly

/ ˈspraɪtlɪ /

adjective

1. full of vitality; lively

adverb

1. obsolete,  in a lively manner

Other Word Forms

• sprightliness noun
• unsprightly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sprightly¹

1590–1600; spright (spelling variant of sprite ) + -ly

Word History and Origins

Origin of sprightly¹

C16: from spright, variant of _sprite + _-ly ¹

Example Sentences

Teenage star Yamal underwhelmed in last week's defeat by Real Madrid after coming back from a groin issue, but looked more sprightly against Elche.

Read more on Barron's

Though Godard later came to be synonymous with turgid, obtuse cinema, “Nouvelle Vague” is the opposite: a sprightly, effervescent ode to moviemaking as semi-controlled mischief.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The current Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, is a sprightly 74.

Read more on Salon

Joni Mitchell’s sprightly “Ladies of the Canyon” album gave way to the melancholy “Blue.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Eventually, the movement realized that using the old instruments in sprightly, imaginative and contemporary ways instead made the music sound newly vital, and even more so when the staging was startlingly up to date.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agile 
• bouncy 
• cheerful 
• chirpy 
• energetic 
• jaunty 
• lively 
• peppy 
• playful 
• spry 
• zippy