animate

adjective

an·i·mate | \ ˈa-nə-mət

Definition of animate

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : possessing or characterized by life : alive

2 : full of life : animated

3 : of or relating to animal life as opposed to plant life

4 : referring to a living thing an animate noun

animate

verb

an·i·mate | \ -ˌmāt

animated; animating

Definition of animate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to give spirit and support to : encourage

2a : to give life to

b : to give vigor and zest to

3 : to move to action a criminal animated by greed

4a : to make or design in such a way as to create apparently spontaneous lifelike movement animate a cartoon

b : to produce in the form of an animated cartoon animate a story

Other Words from animate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about animate

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Choose the Right Synonym for animate

Verb

quicken, animate, enliven, vivify mean to make alive or lively. quicken stresses a sudden renewal of life or activity especially in something inert. the arrival of spring quickens the earth animate emphasizes the imparting of motion or vitality to what is or might be mechanical or artificial. happiness animated his conversation enliven suggests a stimulus that arouses from dullness or torpidity. enlivened her lectures with humorous anecdotes vivify implies a freshening or energizing through renewal of vitality. new blood needed to vivify the dying club

Examples of animate in a Sentence

Adjective

The lecture was about ancient worship of animate and inanimate objects. an animate dance routine that will really get the blood pumping

Verb

The writer's humor animates the novel. The film's very realistic dinosaurs were animated on computers.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Both distinguish between an animate direct object and an inanimate one. — The Economist, "JohnsonThe painful origins of many creole languages," 1 Feb. 2018 The goal is to persuade the public to look at these landmarks with new eyes, almost viewing them as animate characters with feelings and backstories instead of just objects to walk past. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "Dublin's Statues Will Now Call Your Cell Phone," 17 Oct. 2017 Several people have stories about more animate luggage. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "That Time the TSA Found a Scientist’s 3-D-Printed Mouse Penis," 23 May 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

That same hands-off attitude seems to animate Simpson and his Twitter feed. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "O.J. Simpson Has a Little Bit of Getting Even to Do on Twitter," 5 July 2019 Pinori’s portrayal of Mona Lisa, meanwhile, allows her to animate an artwork that is otherwise inaccessible. — Claudia Kalb, National Geographic, "See where Leonardo da Vinci still walks the streets," 6 June 2019 The actor and songwriter also famously penned many of the songs from Disney's 2016 animated hit, Moana. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda Get His Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame," 1 Dec. 2018 In addition to the work being done with Hubble, NASA provides a direct platform for the public to animate the cosmos through art. — Mara Johnson-groh, Quartz, "Art plays an invaluable role in groundbreaking space discoveries," 8 June 2019 If that’s the case, then the Court may animate Democrats more in 2020 — if President Trump, rather than a Democrat, decides who would replace Justice Ginsburg or Justice Breyer, that could turn the court sharply right. — Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, "Does Nancy Pelosi Really Want to ‘Lock Him Up!’?," 8 June 2019 But where Ace brings the city in as a platform for others to animate, Sister City acts as a sanctuary from the city, a place to ground you in the present moment and deliver you to the wider world, too. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Atelier Ace's New New York City Hotel Wants to Help You Clear Your Head," 14 May 2019 But there is an animating concept in this home, an echo of the theme that has powered Star’s shows: the idea of the nonnuclear family as a circle. — Jesse Kornbluth, ELLE Decor, "Darren Star’s New York Loft is Not What You Would Expect from the Sex and the City Creator," 16 Apr. 2019 Sophie was filming Sasha dancing behind a bed sheet in order to capture her silhouette to later animate it when Sasha’s husband arrived home. — Adam Rathe, Town & Country, "Watch the Exclusive Premiere of Frigga’s “Flower Flower” Video," 7 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'animate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near animate

anima mundi

animando

anima sana in corpore sano

Statistics for animate

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Time Traveler for animate

The first known use of animate was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for animate

animate

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of animate

(Entry 1 of 2)

formal : having life : alive or living

animate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of animate (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make (someone or something) lively or excited

: to make (something, such as a drawing) appear to move by creating a series of drawings, pictures, etc., and showing them quickly one after another : to make (something) appear to move by using the process of animation

See the full definition for animate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

animate

adjective

an·i·mate | \ ˈa-nə-mət

Kids Definition of animate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: having life

animate

verb

an·i·mate | \ ˈa-nə-ˌmāt

animated; animating

Kids Definition of animate (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to give life or energy to : make alive or lively He was surprised at the eagerness which animated the whole team …— Jack London, The Call of the Wild

2 : to make appear to move animate a cartoon