liven

verb

liv·en | \ ˈlī-vən

livened; livening\ ˈlī-və-niŋ

, ˈlīv-niŋ \

Definition of liven

transitive verb

: enliven —often used with up he … livened up the editorial page — Current Biography

intransitive verb

: to become lively

Examples of liven in a Sentence

He played some music to liven the atmosphere.

Recent Examples on the Web

Glenn Weiss, the winner for direction of a special for the Oscars telecast, did his best to liven things up by using his acceptance to propose to his girlfriend, Jan Svendsen, who cooperated by coming to the podium and tearfully accepting. — Mike Hale, The Seattle Times, "The Emmys Joked about TV’s Lack of Diversity, and Then Demonstrated It," 18 Sep. 2018 The Motion Picture Academy is announcing some changes to liven up the Oscars. — Fox News, "Gutfeld: The more you damn Donald Trump, the better he gets," 12 Aug. 2018 Queen Rania’s top was an elegant silhouette that livened up her wide-leg black trousers. — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "Queen Rania of Jordan Steps Out in Next Spring’s Signature Shade," 18 Sep. 2018 No amount of tinkering to the format or the rules could liven the event, so NASCAR made a radical change this time. — Jenna Fryer, BostonGlobe.com, "Kevin Harvick wins All-Star race," 20 May 2018 That was Smith’s performance of Pray, which couldn't be livened up even with a 20-plus person choir behind him. — Maeve Mcdermott, USA TODAY, "Brutally honest rankings of every 2018 Grammy performance," 28 Jan. 2018 With Marshall and Bell pushing to liven up the game, the owners revolutionized football. — Edward Kosner, WSJ, "‘The League’ Review: Single Wing and a Prayer," 6 Nov. 2018 The couple livened up the kitchen, however, with the bauble light fixture that hung in the living room of their previous apartment—a smaller unit on the west side of the Tiber in the Aurelio district. — J.s. Marcus, WSJ, "Reviving the Heart of Rome by Adding Nordic Style," 15 Jan. 2019 As the holiday season swings into full gear, what better way to indulge in some much-deserved merrymaking than with a host of Christmas crackers and ornaments bound to liven up even the steeliest of gatherings? — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "13 Bite-Size Beauty Gifts to Kick Start the Holiday Festivities," 17 Dec. 2018

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