enliven

verb

en·​liv·​en in-ˈlī-vən 

en-

enlivened; enlivening; enlivens

transitive verb

: to give life, action, or spirit to : animate

fresh flowers enliven the room

enlivenment

in-ˈlī-vən-mənt 

en-

noun

plural enlivenments

But for the formation of opinion, for the stirring and enlivenment of thought, and for the discernment of colour and proportion, the gifts of travel … are priceless

—Winston Churchill

Synonyms

• amp (up)
• animate
• brace
• energize
• fillip
• fire
• ginger (up)
• invigorate
• jazz (up)
• juice up
• jump-start
• liven (up)
• pep (up)
• quicken
• spike
• stimulate
• vitalize
• vivify
• zip (up)

Choose the Right Synonym for enliven

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 enliven in a Sentence

He enlivened his speech with a few jokes.

a soup enlivened by chili peppers

A few touches of color will enliven the room.

Recent Examples on the Web

The federal panel said Trump overstepped his authority by implementing a tariff regime on dozens of countries in a bid to enliven domestic manufacturing and to slash budget deficits by generating revenue from import levies. —Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025

In any case, the patina of authenticity does little to enliven the drab, unscary proceedings, set, as in the real-life case, in 1928 Iowa. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025

Darkness was released during the period when British punk rock enlivened pop music’s social consciousness. —Armond White, National Review, 28 May 2025

Photo: John Woodcock Traditional design is enlivened with moments of whimsy and personality in the designs of Black Ink Interiors. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enliven

• ivan
• liven

Kids Definition

enliven

verb

en·​liv·​en in-ˈlī-vən 

: to give life, action, or spirit to : animate

enliven the party with dance music