verve
Americannoun
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enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit.
Her latest novel lacks verve.
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vivaciousness; liveliness; animation.
I like a teacher with plenty of verve.
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Archaic. talent.
noun
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great vitality, enthusiasm, and liveliness; sparkle
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a rare word for talent
Etymology
Origin of verve
1690–1700; < French: enthusiasm, whim, chatter, apparently < Latin verba words, talk, plural (taken in VL as feminine singular) of verbum word; see verb
Explanation
If something has an energetic style or vitality, you can say it has verve. Dancers are noted for their verve on the stage. Morticians? Not so much. Similar words to verve include vim, vigor, and élan. Verve comes from the Latin root word verba, meaning "words," and in English originally meant a special talent in writing. Although the "special talent" sense is now archaic, verve is still an excellent choice to describe a writing style.
Vocabulary lists containing verve
"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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"Marigolds"
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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.
Mr. O’Connell relates this tale with verve, but also with impressive accuracy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The live-wire wit and idiosyncratic verve that she embodied in “Reds” and “Something’s Gotta Give” are very much on display here.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
There’s a wonderful verve to Early’s filmmaking, allowing what would otherwise come off as breakneck tonal shifts to feel remarkably earned.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
"Vijay carries a different kind of verve," says social scientist Shiv Visvanathan.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
The children eagerly copied the steps, and what they lacked in accuracy they made up for in verve.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
