vigorous
Americanadjective
-
full of or characterized by vigor.
a vigorous effort.
- Antonyms:
- weak
-
a vigorous youngster.
- Antonyms:
- weak
-
energetic; forceful: a vigorous personality.
vigorous steps;
a vigorous personality.
- Synonyms:
- powerful
- Antonyms:
- weak
-
powerful in action or effect.
vigorous law enforcement.
- Antonyms:
- weak
-
growing well, as a plant.
- Antonyms:
- weak
adjective
-
endowed with bodily or mental strength or vitality; robust
-
displaying, involving, characterized by, or performed with vigour
vigorous growth
Synonym Usage
See active.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vigorous
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin vigorōsus; see vigor, -ous
Explanation
Anything vigorous is done with force and energy. Vigorous exercise makes you sweat, and a vigorous denial makes someone else sweat. Vigorous is a description for something strong or enthusiastic. It comes from the French word vigour, meaning "liveliness, activity." An active, physically energetic person is vigorous, and mental activities can be vigorous too, when they require a lot of mental effort. A vigorous argument doesn’t have to include physical wrestling; it just might involve verbal sparring.
Vocabulary lists containing vigorous
Tuck Everlasting
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Bridge to Terabithia
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The Witch of Blackbird Pond
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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.
Planted in April, they look vigorous despite no automatic irrigation, as do other flowers such as daisy-like echinaceas from US prairies.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
While half-hour runs and swims registered fine, it consistently failed to recognize short but vigorous 20-minute walks and my 40-minute, hilly bike commute to work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
For example, a 20% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events was associated with 370 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week among those with the lowest fitness.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 flashed a vigorous breakout from a technical pattern known as a “flag” or a “wedge” — typically a bullish signal, according to Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Weldon, once Bateson’s teacher at Cambridge, turned into his most vigorous opponent.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
