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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vivacious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vivacious are animated, gay, lively, and sprightly. While all these words mean "keenly alive and spirited," vivacious suggests an activeness of gesture and wit, often playful or alluring.

a vivacious party host

When is animated a more appropriate choice than vivacious?

Although the words animated and vivacious have much in common, animated applies to what is spirited and active.

an animated discussion of current events

Where would gay be a reasonable alternative to vivacious?

The words gay and vivacious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gay stresses complete freedom from care and overflowing spirits.

the gay spirit of Paris in the 1920s

When is it sensible to use lively instead of vivacious?

While in some cases nearly identical to vivacious, lively suggests briskness, alertness, or energy.

a lively debate on the issues

When could sprightly be used to replace vivacious?

The synonyms sprightly and vivacious are sometimes interchangeable, but sprightly suggests lightness and spirited vigor of manner or wit.

a tuneful, sprightly musical

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vivacious Bourne is one of those big, vivacious personalities that teammates just rave about. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025 Samantha Eggar, the vivacious British actress whose five-year run starting in 1965 included enthralling performances in The Collector, Return From the Ashes, Doctor Dolittle and The Molly Maguires, has died. Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 With a notably vivacious aroma and flavor, Heilala bowled over tasters with layered complexity. Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025 The voice acting and vivacious musical presence of Gloria Estéfan is also a plus. Katie Grant, Parents, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vivacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vivacious
Adjective
  • The Disney Channel series, which released new episodes Monday through Friday at the height of its popularity, would see its energetic teen stars perform a blend of musical performances and sketch comedy routines.
    Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Absent replacing party sinecurists with able, energetic people, nothing can keep candidates from adopting this agenda on their own—as some younger primary challengers of Democratic incumbents are already starting to do.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In addition to delightful dish after delightful dish, tasting menu participants have the joyful experience of choosing their own chopstick holder and steak knife.
    Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The post has evolved into All the Cool Girls Get Fired, a rollicking, joyful self-help book and how-to guide, that aims to empower and inform women amidst the turbulent job market of the 2020s.
    Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The question of how to manage Indiana's forests sparks some of the livelier and more contentious debates among local environmentalists.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Inside a converted warehouse (complete with an outdoor patio), the lively, family-friendly taproom serves creative small-batch brews, drawing a steady mix of locals and visitors.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • How to narrow your performance gap The most obvious examples of self-destructive behavior from investors come during market extremes, Ptak says, with over-exuberant investors piling into the market when stocks have already shot up and panic-selling when the market hits the skids.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Stone and Lanthimos have since worked together several times, and their collaboration, a mutual-favoritism society, has been hailed and sometimes reviled for its darkly exuberant sense of risk.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Awards were given out across 33 categories, with winners in the narrative, documentary, and animated shorts categories achieving Oscar eligibility.
    Giana Levy, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Despite being a pretty great animated sitcom in its own right, Dispatch will need to quickly start leaning further into its immersive elements to justify its place (and price tag) among a crowded streaming landscape.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet beneath its delightful surface, Nobody Wants This remains an uneven show—one that relies too heavily on its effervescent stars and, despite treating them with more kindness this time around, still struggles with its Jewish women.
    Judy Berman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
  • While the app was designed for cross-generational consumers, Kotb said her team is zeroing in on the effervescent college student right now.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The county has implemented active-shooter training for the first time and continues to absorb overtime costs.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Lauder is still a board member and active shareholder of Estée Lauder.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • And the bubbly contortionist, 42, might have set a trend with those one-of-a-kind movements.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The kitchen area of the store has what the team calls the Kris Jenner fridge, where the various bubbly drinks and European butters are on display.
    Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vivacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vivacious. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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