livened; livening
ˈlī-və-niŋ 
ˈlīv-niŋ
: enliven
—often used with up
he … livened up the editorial page—
Current Biography
Current Biography
: to become lively
Examples of liven in a Sentence
He played some music to liven the atmosphere.
Recent Examples on the Web
Herbs Wild herbs were prized for their ability to liven up the food cooked over crude wood fires thousands of years ago.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
Below are 2023 French Bordeaux and one Armenian rosé wines, as well as one Bordeaux white to consider for livening up a spring terrace lunch or porch dinner.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Ramsey is partial to crisp, masculine tailoring with unexpected twists—an electric-blue watch to liven up a dark suit here, a flash of white winged eyeliner there—and always in a way that bucks the ultra-preened look of their co-stars.
—Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
Cutting-edge visual effects create a world of talking photorealistic animals that might as well be a nature documentary, and attention is paid to livening up the humor, with Billy Eichner’s funny, overdramatic meerkat Timon showing up everybody, including Beyoncé.
9.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liven
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The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
Below are 2023 French Bordeaux and one Armenian rosé wines, as well as one Bordeaux white to consider for livening up a spring terrace lunch or porch dinner.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Ramsey is partial to crisp, masculine tailoring with unexpected twists—an electric-blue watch to liven up a dark suit here, a flash of white winged eyeliner there—and always in a way that bucks the ultra-preened look of their co-stars.
—Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
Cutting-edge visual effects create a world of talking photorealistic animals that might as well be a nature documentary, and attention is paid to livening up the humor, with Billy Eichner’s funny, overdramatic meerkat Timon showing up everybody, including Beyoncé.
9.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liven
Cite this Entry
“Liven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liven. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liven
verb
liv·en
ˈlī-vən
livened; livening
ˈlīv-(ə-)niŋ
: to make or become lively
—often used with up
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