animate
adjective
\
Definition of animate
(Entry 1 of 2)
animate
verb
\
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
Keep scrolling for more
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
damp, dampen, deaden, dull, kill
Visit the Thesaurus for More
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 pumpingVerb
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 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Towering trees, wild shrubs, lush planting, and vibrant tropical flowers animate this steep, gully oasis, strewn with artifacts with spectacular views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and sparkly harbor. — Sophie Davies, Condé Nast Traveler, "16 Best Parks in Sydney," 20 Mar. 2018 Upsets and minnows may animate the party phase—the three-week, 48-match group stage—but at the business of the tournament, there is nothing but fierce competence. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "France Advances to the World Cup Final," 10 July 2018 But because of Silicon Valley’s liberal bent, companies have been particularly animated by the fear of a conservative revolt, a weakness that in some eyes has opened their platforms to manipulation in order to avoid claims of censorship. — Nitasha Tiku, WIRED, "The Partisan Divide Around Censorship in Social Media," 28 June 2018 Disney has recently given audiences a wave of live-action remakes to spark old and new childhood memories, and the 1941 animated classic Dumbo will be no exception. — Omar Sanchez, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Dumbo': Everything to Know About Disney's Live-Action Remake Directed by Tim Burton," 27 June 2018 There’s no telling if famous Sofias like actress Sofia Vergara or the Disney animated series, ‘‘Sofia the First,’’ were contributing factors. — Terry Tang, BostonGlobe.com, "These were the top baby names in the US for 2017," 14 May 2018 Dominating the supporting cast was the animated, endearing and touching trio of ministers Ping, Pang and Pong (Zachary Nelson, Rodell Rosel and Keith Jameson). — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Lyric Opera greets new year with an improved 'Turandot'," 11 Jan. 2018 Each of Laika's first four films received Oscar nominations for best animated feature. — Mike Rogoway, OregonLive.com, "Laika says its fifth film, 'Missing Link," due in theaters next year," 8 May 2018 The trouble is that Springsteen’s art had always been animated by a sense of community. — Dan Deluca, Philly.com, "Revisiting the Bruce Springsteen albums nobody likes," 18 May 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for animate
animate
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of animate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: 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
\
Kids Definition of animate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: having life
animate
verb
\
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
adjective
\
Medical Definition of animate
1 : possessing or characterized by life
2 : of or relating to animal life as opposed to plant life
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on animate
What made you want to look up animate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Difficult Vocab Quiz
-
- Which is a synonym of discomfit?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share animate
Resources for animate