vivify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to give life to; animate; quicken.
-
to enliven; brighten; sharpen.
verb
-
to bring to life; animate
-
to make more vivid or striking
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of vivify
First recorded in 1535–45; late Middle English from Middle French vivifier from Late Latin vīvificāre ). See vivi-, -fy ( def. )
Explanation
When you vivify something, you bring new excitement or life to it. If you decide to liven up your boring apartment by painting the walls every color of the rainbow, you can say that you're trying to vivify your home. You might vivify your family's meals by experimenting with exotic spices or vivify your school by hiring circus performers to ride unicycles up and down the halls. The Latin root word of vivify is vivus, or "alive," which is also the origin of the closely related word vivid.
Vocabulary lists containing vivify
"Train Time," Vocabulary from the short story
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Train Time" by D'Arcy McNickle
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week In Culture: March 7–13, 2020
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The “Ring” operas went on to vivify everything from the Nazi obsession with the Aryan superman to the blockbuster superhero of our own day.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2020
Two moving and expansive books about enduring American symbols vivify abstract ideas through surprisingly specific images.
From New York Times • Sep. 4, 2018
Words realize nothing; vivify nothing to you, unless you have suffered in your own person the thing which the words try to describe.
From Washington Post • Jul. 3, 2018
He will vivify the church by creating a vacuum.
From Slate • Jan. 12, 2017
And are we to render penniless our home customers, not in order to promote the interest of the distant parts of our empire, but in order to enrich and vivify our enemies?
From Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 365, March, 1846 by Various
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.
