Definition of ENLIVEN

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 of enliven from the Web

Escobar’s house mix, combining Clamato juice, Tapatío and Worchestershire sauces and other ingredients, enlivens the Corona, usually Mexico’s most boring export.

— carla meyer, sacbee, "A cocktail in a watermelon and killer fish tacos served in an alley? Count us in.", 22 June 2017
Lobster ravioli is utterly lush, the tender pillows stuffed with ample meat and afloat in a bechamel lobster cream sauce enlivened with lemon.

— kendall hamersly, miamiherald, "First date, Marlins game, happy happy hour: This restaurant caters to all of them", 31 May 2017
Some bits are built up with fancy designs, while others are enlivened with acrobatics and dancing.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "'King & I' A Faithful, But Evolved, Revival At The Bushnell", 31 May 2017
The dozen actors — many playing multiple roles — enliven the busy street scenes in Calcutta as country boy Pip attempts to negotiate them.

— kerry reid, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Pip's travels are long but worth the trip in 'Great Expectations'", 26 May 2017
Dodge creates highly kinetic, collagelike compositions enlivened by zappy color and a huge variety of paint-applying techniques.

— gary faigin, The Seattle Times, "Review: Who knew? Paul Allen Collection does abstraction at Pivot Art + Culture", 18 May 2017
Boulevard’s enlivening beverages will provide an ideal complement to the band’s good-time jams.

— bill brownlee, kansascity, "Two-day fest marries bluegrass and Boulevard beer", 16 May 2017
Oram (Billy Crudup, valiantly enlivening a role defined by insecurity).

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Alien Covenant' review: Ridley Scott's latest chapter at odds with itself", 15 May 2017
A hallmark of his 24-year career at the progressive Portland high school has been his drive to create tension to enliven an argument.

— bethany barnes | the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Grant High teacher who denied rape culture: 'I didn't see' raw pain, wasn't curious, 'feel awful'", 9 May 2017

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.

First Known Use of enliven

1604

enliven Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

enliven