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
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 July 2025
Martinsen described Arlo as an unusually animated and communicative baby.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Part of that connection stems from Bond himself, who is a much more animated character than Agent 47, who’s conversely a mostly emotionless fixture that’s juxtaposed (to comedic effect) with the outlandish luxury and violence around him.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025
But The Times reported that Depp became more animated when talking about his public battles with his ex-wife Amber Heard, which involved two messy, salacious court fights that focused on her physical abuse allegations and his excessive drinking.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for animated
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The firm, which was founded three years ago by Julian Jacob, will then focus on transforming other toy brands into animated and live-action series, digital shorts, casual and mobile games, and immersive formats designed for today’s digitally native generation.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 July 2025
Martinsen described Arlo as an unusually animated and communicative baby.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Part of that connection stems from Bond himself, who is a much more animated character than Agent 47, who’s conversely a mostly emotionless fixture that’s juxtaposed (to comedic effect) with the outlandish luxury and violence around him.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025
But The Times reported that Depp became more animated when talking about his public battles with his ex-wife Amber Heard, which involved two messy, salacious court fights that focused on her physical abuse allegations and his excessive drinking.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 24 June 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 18 Jul. 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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