vigor

noun

vig·​or ˈvi-gər How to pronounce vigor (audio)
1
: active bodily or mental strength or force
2
: active healthy well-balanced growth especially of plants
3
: intensity of action or effect : force
4
: effective legal status

Examples of vigor in a Sentence

She defended her beliefs with great vigor. she was picked to lead the volunteer group because of her vigor and enthusiasm
Recent Examples on the Web The new crop of biopics puts those foibles front and center, mining the conflict that can arise with a vigor that rivals the Great Man’s ambitious pursuits. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Lemons require the most pruning, primarily of vertical growing water sprouts that show great vigor but no fruit production. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024 Cutting off the leaves won't reduce the vigor of the plants. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2024 After the Six-Day War — in which the USSR was Egypt’s primary weapons supplier — the Soviet Union began to export its version of anti-Zionism with new vigor. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 After a few years of pandemic slack, the 2024 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference regained its full vigor, drawing 8,304 attendees in early January to talk science, medicine and, especially, money. Molly Castle Work and Arthur Allen, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2024 The crowd rises to their feet and cheer her on with vigor. David Hill, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2024 The crisp one-liners are delivered with vigor and go down with the snap of a shot of whiskey. Randy Myers, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024 After years of drift and indecision, a new sense of vigor and purpose permeates Bonn. Theo Sommer, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vigor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vigour, from Anglo-French, from Latin vigor, from vigēre to be vigorous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vigor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near vigor

Cite this Entry

“Vigor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vigor. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vigor

noun
vig·​or ˈvig-ər How to pronounce vigor (audio)
1
: active strength or energy of body or mind
2
: active strength or force

Medical Definition

vigor

variants or chiefly British vigour

More from Merriam-Webster on vigor

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