Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

live wire

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of live wire

1 a very energetic person
  • The babysitter will have her hands full with those two little live wires.
Synonyms of live wire

dynamo, fireball, pistol
Words Related to live wire

go-getter, hummer, hustler, powerhouse, self-starter

achiever, comer, dasher

doer, enterpriser
Near Antonyms of live wire

dawdler, idler, loafer, lounger, trifler

shirker, slacker

deadbeat, do-nothing, drone, layabout, lazybones, slouch, slug, slugabed, sluggard

dallier, laggard, lingerer, loiterer, slowpoke
2 an ambitious person who eagerly goes after what is desired
  • That new reporter on the police beat is a real live wire.
Synonyms of live wire

bootstrapper, go-getter, highflier (or highflyer), hustler, powerhouse, rustler, self-starter
Words Related to live wire

eager beaver

achiever, comer, doer, enterpriser

he-man, individualist
Near Antonyms of live wire

dawdler, idler, loafer, lounger, putterer, trifler

goldbrick, malingerer, procrastinator, shirker, slacker

drone, lazybones, sluggard

dallier, laggard, lingerer, loiterer, slowpoke, stick-in-the-mud

daydreamer, dreamer

dropout, quitter

Learn More about live wire

  1. See words that rhyme with live wire Dictionary: Definition of live wire Spanish Central: Translation of live wire Nglish: Translation of live wire for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up live wire? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

loath

play

unwilling or reluctant

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  2. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

  3. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  4. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  5. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5adf5d017e6bf
‘Sleight’ or ‘Slight’ of Hand?

Watch closely and be amazed.

alt-5ade0f1ca7a0c
'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

The distinction is clear (now).

image236659401
Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28
'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Why not both?

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game