vigorous

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adjective vig·or·ous \ ˈvi-g(ə-)rəs \

Definition of vigorous

1 :done with vigor :carried out forcefully and energetically

vigorous exercises

2 :possessing vigor :full of physical or mental strength or active force :strong

a vigorous youth

a vigorous plant

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vigorously

adverb

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vigorousness

noun

See vigorous defined for English-language learners

See vigorous defined for kids

Examples of vigorous in a Sentence

She remained vigorous into her nineties.
His speech was met with vigorous applause.
She gave a vigorous defense of her beliefs.

Recent Examples of vigorous from the Web

Pouring the wine into a carafe an hour or so before drinking and then giving it a good, vigorous swirl in your glass will allow the gassiness—a technical term—to blow off.

— belle cushing, Bon Appetit, "So, What Exactly Is Natural Wine?," 28 Aug. 2017
A vigorous police presence followed by a wave of arrests and aggressive prosecutions would largely end the threat.

— david french, National Review, "Antifa Just Showed Its True Colors. Again.," 28 Aug. 2017
Evening traffic on Interstate 8 was still buzzing, and fireflies were already blinking, when company founder and conductor Peter Kozma gave a vigorous downbeat to his 28-member orchestra.

— marcus overton, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Opera NEO takes Mozart to the beach in raucous 'Così fan tutte'," 4 Aug. 2017
Households, however, haven’t seen their energy bills shrink, and political opposition to the creeping privatization remains vigorous, with one of the leading contenders in next year’s presidential election promising to reverse the reforms.

— amy stillman, Bloomberg.com, "Dead Bodies Start Piling Up as Fuel Theft Booms in Mexico," 25 July 2017
One of the things Dina does that her G.T. counterpart would not do: ring a grapefruit around a banana and give her friends a vigorous blow-job tutorial.

— yohana desta, vanityfair.com, "Girls Trip Star Tiffany Haddish Is the Funniest Person Alive Right Now," 21 July 2017
Steel demand has been vigorous, especially in residential construction.

— keith bradsher, New York Times, "Predictably, China’s Year-on-Year Growth Maintains Its Steady Pace," 16 July 2017
In May 1967, Jerome Patrick Cavanagh was Detroit’s young, white, vigorous, New Deal Democrat mayor.

— bill mcgraw, Detroit Free Press, "Before '67 riot, Detroit thought it could avoid civil unrest," 15 July 2017
Nevertheless, Kushner is reportedly pushing White House staffers to get even more involved, and mount a more vigorous defense.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Jared Kushner Keeps Making the Russia Scandal So Much Worse," 14 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of vigorous

Middle English vigorous, vigrous, from Anglo-French, from vigour

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First Known Use: 14th century

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vigorous Synonyms

Synonyms

dynamic, energetic, flush, gingery, lusty, peppy, red-blooded, robust, vital

Antonyms

dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid

Near Antonyms

delicate, effete, enervated, faint, feeble, frail, infirm, wan, weak, weakened; impotent, powerless, prostrate, prostrated, sapped, tired; indolent, lackadaisical, languid, lazy; invertebrate, nerveless, soft, spineless, wimpy; ill, unhealthy, unsound, unwell; broken-down, debilitated, decrepit, disabled, wasted, worn-out

Synonym Discussion of vigorous

vigorous, energetic, strenuous, lusty, nervous mean having or showing great vitality and force. vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

- as vigorous as a youth half his age

energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

- an energetic campaigner

strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

- the strenuous life on an oil rig

lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

- a lusty appetite for life

nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

- full of nervous energy

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

VIGOROUS Defined for English Language Learners

vigorous

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adjective

Definition of vigorous for English Language Learners

: healthy and strong
: done with great force and energy

VIGOROUS Defined for Kids

vigorous

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adjective vig·or·ous \ ˈvi-gə-rəs \

Definition of vigorous for Students

1 :very healthy and strong

a vigorous plant

2 :done with force and energy

vigorous exercise

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vigorously

adverb

I shook it vigorously.

Learn More about vigorous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vigorous Spanish Central: Translation of vigorous Nglish: Translation of vigorous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of vigorous for Arabic speakers

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vigorous

Definition of vigorous

vigorously

vigorousness

From the M-W Editors

Examples of vigorous in a Sentence

Recent Examples of vigorous from the Web

Origin and Etymology of vigorous

vigorous Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of vigorous

Other Botany Terms

VIGOROUS Defined for English Language Learners

vigorous

Definition of vigorous for English Language Learners

VIGOROUS Defined for Kids

vigorous

Definition of vigorous for Students

vigorously

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