as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
the actor plays the part of the superhero with tremendous verve and obvious enjoyment
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Recent Examples of verve
This 39-year-old Swede sings with the gusty verve of Stevie Nicks or Kate Bush, and her arrangements simmer and explode with sax, guitar, and what can only be described as war drums.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Her positivity and verve are palpable, even via Zoom.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 4 Dec. 2025
Even when the Dexter franchise felt aimless — New Blood and Original Sin were very much in that category — Hall has always been 100 percent committed to playing Dexter Morgan, serial killer of serial killers, with as much verve or nuance as required.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Even his imitation of 20th-century leadership lacks a certain verve.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verve
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Her positivity and verve are palpable, even via Zoom.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 4 Dec. 2025
Even when the Dexter franchise felt aimless — New Blood and Original Sin were very much in that category — Hall has always been 100 percent committed to playing Dexter Morgan, serial killer of serial killers, with as much verve or nuance as required.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Even his imitation of 20th-century leadership lacks a certain verve.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for verve
Noun
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But the proliferation of his branding on government entities shows a brazen vigor at self-promotion.—
Christine Ledbetter,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
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Singing is a form of communication used to signal a bird's health, vigor, and fitness to potential partners and to warn off rivals, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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When the weather turns chilly, plants naturally enter a state of dormancy and draw energy down from their leaves and stems into their roots, which helps plants survive the cold without damage.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
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Rheinmetall’s new technology is key for the energy transition in the field of hydrogen production.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Verve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/verve. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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