enliven
verb
en·liv·en
in-ˈlī-vən 
en-
enlivened; enlivening; enlivens
: to give life, action, or spirit to : animate
fresh flowers enliven the room
enlivenment
in-ˈlī-vən-mənt
noun
en-
plural enlivenments
But for the formation of opinion, for the stirring and enlivenment of thought, and for the discernment of colour and proportion, the gifts of travel … are priceless
—
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Examples of enliven in a Sentence
He enlivened his speech with a few jokes.
a soup enlivened by chili peppers
A few touches of color will enliven the room.
Recent Examples on the Web
Edmonton drew within 3-1 on the first goal of the Final from McDavid, briefly enlivening the home crowd.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
Throughout, Perry’s documentary shares a problem endemic to thematic studies of movies, whether academic or popular: its cross-section is necessarily art-indifferent, and not all the footage here is enlivening.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 June 2025
The bones remain but have been enlivened with bright white paint, and paired down with angular furniture, blonde wood flooring, sculptural lighting, and smart technology in the guest rooms that seems out of the next century.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 5 May 2025
Barry Jenkins’s best efforts to enliven the Lion King prequel, Mufasa, couldn’t prevent it from feeling like a capital-p Product.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enliven
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Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
Throughout, Perry’s documentary shares a problem endemic to thematic studies of movies, whether academic or popular: its cross-section is necessarily art-indifferent, and not all the footage here is enlivening.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 June 2025
The bones remain but have been enlivened with bright white paint, and paired down with angular furniture, blonde wood flooring, sculptural lighting, and smart technology in the guest rooms that seems out of the next century.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 5 May 2025
Barry Jenkins’s best efforts to enliven the Lion King prequel, Mufasa, couldn’t prevent it from feeling like a capital-p Product.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enliven
Cite this Entry
“Enliven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enliven. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enliven
verb
en·liv·en
in-ˈlī-vən
: to give life, action, or spirit to : animate
enliven the party with dance music
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