vibrancy

American  

[vahy-bruhn-see] / ˈvaɪ brən si /

Sometimes vibrance

noun

1. vigorous, energetic, or lively quality; vitality.

   The author writes about “wells" of spiritual dynamism, strength, vibrancy, courage, and love to make the journey of aging more gracious.

2. resonant quality of sound.

   I perceive a distinct lack of vibrancy in the sound output of this tiny, cheaply made device.

3. the state or condition of vibrating or moving to and fro, especially in a string so as to produce sound.

   When you tap on the violin and hear a faint buzz, what you’re noticing is the normal vibrancy of the instrument.

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Etymology

Origin of vibrancy

First recorded in 1890–95; vibran(t) ( def. ) + -cy ( def. )

Explanation

When something has vibrancy, it possesses deep and rich sounds. The very best singers bring vibrancy to their performances. Sounds with vibrancy are strong and resonant. You could describe the echoing sound a gong makes as having vibrancy, or the powerful voices of a large choir singing in unison. The noun vibrancy comes from the adjective vibrant, which means "strong and resonating" or "full of enthusiasm and energy." In the 1550's, vibrant meant "agitated," from a Latin root of vibrantem, "swaying to and fro." There's a strong connection between vibrancy and vibrate, or "resonate."

Example Sentences

His linguistic gifts and poetic sensibility for the English language, then in its infancy, gave his translation a vibrancy, immediacy, charm and clarity that have never been matched.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

But despite being confined to a wheelchair and suffering a loss of hearing, Kurtag has lost none of his intellectual vibrancy or passion for music, according to those close to him.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

The salads brim with color and vibrancy, inviting us to rethink how we nourish our bodies when we’re hit with cold weather.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

Past choices have included the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2025

Petals burst out from every edge of the twin ovals in soft pinks, deep whites, even heather blues, but somehow each one has a uniqueness, a vibrancy that feels like it’ll bloom forever.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott