an·i·mat·ed
ˈa-nə-ˌmā-təd 
1
2
: having the appearance of something alive
an unusually animated piece of sculpture
3
: made in the form of an animated cartoon
an animated film
animatedly
adverb
animated
2 of 2past and past participle of animate
Did you know?
Animated cartoon characters have been "given life" by film techniques, though the animation of drawings actually goes back to handheld toys in the 1830s. A child watching the cartoon may also be animated—squealing, laughing, and jumping around—as can a crowd of hockey fans or a rock-concert audience. And the best discussions and arguments are often highly animated.
Examples of animated in a Sentence
Adjective
She gave an animated description of the project.
After dinner, the discussion got more animated.
Many movies for kids are animated rather than live-action.
Recent Examples on the Web
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Riegel agrees, noting that the show doesn’t just settle into the tone of a typical animated series, in Critical Role’s style or otherwise.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The director and father of two made that concern a driving principle of his new film, Scarlet, a fantastical animated adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that opens at New York Film Festival next week.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Those episodes were made with the company's proprietary AI engine, fine-tuned for animated storytelling.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animated
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Adjective
But as the lyric videos glide along, the effect of that kaleidoscope (there’s actually an opening title warning viewers about the stroboscopic quality of it) becomes more like animated wallpaper.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Riegel agrees, noting that the show doesn’t just settle into the tone of a typical animated series, in Critical Role’s style or otherwise.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The director and father of two made that concern a driving principle of his new film, Scarlet, a fantastical animated adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that opens at New York Film Festival next week.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Those episodes were made with the company's proprietary AI engine, fine-tuned for animated storytelling.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animated
Cite this Entry
“Animated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animated. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
animated
adjective
an·i·mat·ed
ˈan-ə-ˌmāt-əd
1
: full of life and energy : lively
2
: appearing to be alive or moving
3
: made in the form of an animated cartoon
an animated movie
animatedly
adverb
Medical Definition
animated
adjective
an·i·mat·ed
-ˌmāt-əd
1
: endowed with life or the qualities of life
2
: full of movement and activity
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