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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100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"
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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.
Born on the Australian island of Tasmania, Flynn had an uncommonly colorful background, which he recounted with self-mythologizing verve in his memoir, “My Wicked, Wicked Ways.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Similarly, in the offseason it was frequently rumored that Manchester City coveted Crystal Palace star midfielder Adam Wharton, whose verve and creativity pops off the screen even to my untrained eyes.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Mr. O’Connell relates this tale with verve, but also with impressive accuracy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 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
Don’t think, because we have no fancy bandstands or city parks, that we can’t celebrate Independence Day with as much verve as you do in the big city.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
