Synonyms of sprightly

sprightly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsprīt-lē 

as in lively

having much high-spirited energy and movement

a sprightly child who often claims to be too tired to move when it's time to do chores

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lively
• energetic
• animated
• brisk
• active
• animate
• cheerful
• spirited
• enthusiastic
• bouncing
• vivacious
• perky
• playful
• peppy
• jaunty
• awake
• frisky
• springy
• jazzy
• zippy
• pert
• sparky
• kinetic
• racy
• mettlesome
• snappy
• gay
• vital
• airy
• agile
• spanking
• bright
• spry
• eager
• dapper
• up
• on the go
• nimble
• dashing
• effervescent
• buoyant
• pizzazzy
• spiffy
• chirpy
• upbeat
• wide-awake
• ebullient
• chipper
• exuberant
• impish
• boisterous
• bubbly
• sparkly
• alert
• frolicsome
• high-spirited
• keen
• nervous
• agog
• open-eyed
• high-strung
• pixieish
• skittish
• chirrupy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• languid
• dead
• limp
• inactive
• listless
• lifeless
• leaden
• inanimate
• indolent
• lazy
• sluggish
• weary
• inert
• languorous
• tired
• sleepy
• vapid
• lackadaisical
• spiritless
• lethargic
• stolid
• languishing
• unambitious
• impassive
• apathetic
• dull
• torpid
• tedious
• boring
• phlegmatic
• irksome

sprightly

2 of 2

adverb

as in playfully

in a quick and spirited manner

every morning the elderly couple sprightly sets out on a walk

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lively
• playfully
• animately
• buoyantly
• vivaciously
• pertly
• spiritedly
• bouncily
• airily
• perkily
• animatedly
• energetically
• trippingly
• gaily
• briskly
• snappily
• livelily
• crisply
• allegro
• effervescently
• high-spiritedly
• friskily
• sportively
• sparkily
• jazzily
• breezily
• racily
• spryly
• dashingly
• jauntily
• agilely
• skittishly
• springily
• cockily
• dapperly
• nimbly
• gamesomely

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sluggishly
• dully
• tardily
• lazily
• idly
• indolently
• heavily
• halfheartedly
• lethargically
• inanimately
• listlessly
• wearily
• tiredly
• slothfully
• inactively

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sprightly contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sprightly are animated, gay, lively, and vivacious. While all these words mean "keenly alive and spirited," sprightly suggests lightness and spirited vigor of manner or wit.

a tuneful, sprightly musical

When might animated be a better fit than sprightly?

In some situations, the words animated and sprightly are roughly equivalent. However, animated applies to what is spirited and active.

an animated discussion of current events

When is it sensible to use gay instead of sprightly?

The meanings of gay and sprightly largely overlap; however, gay stresses complete freedom from care and overflowing spirits.

the gay spirit of Paris in the 1920s

Where would lively be a reasonable alternative to sprightly?

While the synonyms lively and sprightly are close in meaning, lively suggests briskness, alertness, or energy.

a lively debate on the issues

When is vivacious a more appropriate choice than sprightly?

Although the words vivacious and sprightly have much in common, vivacious suggests an activeness of gesture and wit, often playful or alluring.

a vivacious party host

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sprightly

Adjective

Julius seems to have approached his spying with a sprightly, if naive, enthusiasm. — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

Deutch was marvelous as Jean Seberg in last year’s Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater’s sprightly film about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s New Wave classic Breathless. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026

Adverb

Halle Bailey is winsome and sprightly as Anna, a once-aspiring chef now reduced to working as a house sitter for wealthy clients in New York. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026

Its cast is exactly the sprightly ensemble needed to land its what-if laughs. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

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