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

However, its traditional fire-pit design with a classy black finish will liven up any backyard bonfire. — Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, "The 10 Best Portable Fire Pits to Build a Campfire Anywhere," 6 May 2019 The weather was a bit dreary (so, typical for England) but Kate livened up the event in a gorgeous olive outfit. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Kate Middleton Braves the Rain in an Olive Sportsmax Coat and Manu Atelier Clutch," 6 Mar. 2019 But at home, a few flowers, herbs, and oils in a bath or steaming in a shower can do wonders to liven up the senses, for relaxation or restoration. — Dianca London Potts, SELF, "8 Modern Witches Share Their Daily Beauty Rituals," 11 Apr. 2019 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

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.