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the novel's plot is kinetic and fast-paced, and its effect on the reader is much like that of a surfeit of caffeine
the loft district is the locus of the city's kinetic arts scene
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kinetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kinetic comes from the Greek word kinētikos, meaning "of motion, which in turn traces to the verb kinein, meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word cinema can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek kinēma, meaning "movement, to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinématographe." "Cinématographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word cinematograph, of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.
First Known Use: 1864
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearactive, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, lively, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy;
dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid;
inert, lethargic, sleepy, sluggish, tired, torpid, weary;
agog, alert, awake, open-eyed, up, wide-awake;
bright, buoyant, cheerful, chipper, chirpy, effervescent, sparkly, upbeat;
on the go;
: of or relating to the movement of physical objects
See words that rhyme with kinetic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for kinetic Nglish: Translation of kinetic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of kinetic for Arabic speakers
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