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an·i·mate | \ ˈa-nə-mət 
\
\Definition of animate
(Entry 1 of 2)
animate
verban·i·mate | \ ˈa-nə-ˌmāt \
\animated; animating
Definition of animate (Entry 2 of 2)
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
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Synonyms & Antonyms for animate
Synonyms: Adjective
- active,
- airy,
- animated,
- bouncing,
- brisk,
- energetic,
- frisky,
- gay,
- jaunty,
- jazzy,
- kinetic,
- lively,
- mettlesome,
- peppy,
- perky,
- pert,
- pizzazzy
- (or pizazzy),
- racy,
- snappy,
- spanking,
- sparky,
- spirited,
- sprightly,
- springy,
- vital,
- vivacious,
- zippy
Synonyms: Verb
- amp (up),
- brace,
- energize,
- enliven,
- fillip,
- fire,
- ginger (up),
- invigorate,
- jazz (up),
- juice up,
- jump-start,
- liven (up),
- pep (up),
- quicken,
- spike,
- stimulate,
- vitalize,
- vivify,
- zip (up)
Antonyms: Adjective
- dead,
- inactive,
- inanimate,
- lackadaisical,
- languid,
- languishing,
- languorous,
- leaden,
- lifeless,
- limp,
- listless,
- spiritless,
- vapid
Antonyms: Verb
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Both distinguish between an animate direct object and an inanimate one.
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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.
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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.
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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 From Cinderella to working-class caricatures like Gnafron, a poor shoemaker, puppets in elaborate costumes animated by hand, string or stick keep audiences of every age rapt.
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Liz Alderman, New York Times, "The French Theaters Where the iPhone Is No Match for Guignol," 11 Nov. 2019 Predictably, the House floor today teemed with all the chaos of a high school cafeteria: animated by thick egos, tables separated by deep allegiances.
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Wired, "Depth of Field: Reality TV Drama in Congress," 31 Oct. 2019 The result is an energizing conceit: Darbyshire, who acknowledges responsibility for running the coup—and who calmly admits to having had Mossadegh’s chief of police killed—is animated by Fiennes’s flinty glamour and peerless dramatic chops.
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Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "Ralph Fiennes Channels a Real Spook," 14 Oct. 2019 It's even animated: The tongue moves from side to side.
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Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "Remember the Giant Sandworm From 'Beetlejuice'? You Can Decorate Your Lawn With it Now," 18 Sep. 2019 There’s a new Addams Family movie, this one 3D computer-animated, set to open in theaters next month.
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David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Gifted cast makes ‘The Addams Family’ a treat at Welk Resort Theatre," 7 Sep. 2019 In the original movies -- both the 1961 animated version and the 1996 live-action adaptation -- Cruella de Vil is a rich, spoiled old lady hell bent on stealing dalmatian puppies to create a new fur coat.
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Alaa Elassar, CNN, "Disney reveals Emma Stone's new look as a punk rock Cruella de Vil," 24 Aug. 2019 In the original Disney animated version, Li was Mulan's superior in the army.
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Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Mulan's Love Interest in New Live-Action Movie Will Be Played by Yoson An," 7 June 2018 The Little Mermaid Live! (ABC at 8) Scenes from the Disney animated classic will be interspersed with live staged musical performances (drawing on the Broadway adaptation) by Auli’i Cravalho, Queen Latifah and Shaggy.
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Nina Zafar, Washington Post, "What to watch on Tuesday night: ‘Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby’ special on Netflix," 5 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese 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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More Definitions for animate
animate
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of animate
(Entry 1 of 2)
formal : having life : alive or living
animate
verbEnglish 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
adjectivean·i·mate | \ ˈa-nə-mət \
\Kids Definition of animate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: having life
animate
verban·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
animate
adjectivean·i·mate | \ ˈan-ə-mət \
\Medical Definition of animate
1 : possessing or characterized by life
2 : of or relating to animal life as opposed to plant life
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Time Traveler for animate
The first known use of animate was in the 14th century
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