Definition of ENLIVEN

Other Words from enliven

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

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

It was meant to enliven our moral sensibility, not extinguish it. — Patrick Iber, The New Republic, "Pioneers of Cultural Relativism," 14 Aug. 2019 It was meant to enliven our moral sensibility, not extinguish it. — Charles King, Washington Post, "The anthropologists who upended the ‘science’ of white supremacy," 2 Aug. 2019 All of this helps enliven our social interactions, and the fluidity of language is actually its biggest strength. — Megan Mcdonough, Vox, "Is the internet killing language? LOL, no.," 29 July 2019 The soft linen, cotton and wool strands keep company with a thicker, reed-like brown fiber, identified as paper, whose assertively different texture and tempo enliven the surface even more. — Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, "Long live Anni Albers: L.A. show pays homage to an overshadowed Bauhaus artist," 5 Aug. 2019 A couple hours into Rice’s second scrimmage of fall camp, freshman running back Jawan King turned the corner and raced down the sideline before shedding an arm tackle and scooting into the end zone to enliven the offensive sideline. — Glynn A. Hill, Houston Chronicle, "Ground game shows promise, but defense dominates Rice scrimmage," 17 Aug. 2019 Mack, meanwhile, didn’t board his flight for Chicago until Labor Day weekend, when Bears general manager Ryan Pace executed the earth-shaking trade to enliven an already sturdy defense with one of the game’s most ferocious pass rushers. — Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "Bourbonnais newbies Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith ready to get started: ‘We’re trying to get rings. That’s the thing.'," 26 July 2019 In what amounted to his first practice reps since July 30, Brown sprinted downfield for a deep throw from Derek Carr, changed direction on feet healing from frostbite and seemed enlivened by his presence on the field. — Matt Kawahara, SFChronicle.com, "Raiders’ receiver Antonio Brown nears return to practice," 16 Aug. 2019 The lives of Boas and his students make for riveting storytelling, and the author’s imaginative prose enlivens their discoveries, romantic exploits and professional jealousies. — Rachel Newcomb, Washington Post, "The social scientists who transformed how we think about race and gender," 16 Aug. 2019

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