livened; livening
ˈlī-və-niŋ 
ˈlīv-niŋ
: enliven
—often used with up
he … livened up the editorial page—
Current Biography
Current Biography
: to become lively
Examples of liven in a Sentence
He played some music to liven the atmosphere.
Recent Examples on the Web
In summer, things liven up with the town's free concert series on Sundays.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Cutting-edge visual effects create a world of talking photorealistic animals that might as well be a nature documentary, and attention is paid to livening up the humor, with Billy Eichner’s funny, overdramatic meerkat Timon showing up everybody, including Beyoncé.
9.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
But deeper in, percussion livens up under orgiastic shrieks and a cameo on guitar from Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 June 2025
Lively Additions Keep in mind that while colorful glassware, china, and the like will liven up your tablescape in an instant, there's nothing like the addition of fresh flowers or greenery to really bring color and energy to your setup.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for liven
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.
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Cutting-edge visual effects create a world of talking photorealistic animals that might as well be a nature documentary, and attention is paid to livening up the humor, with Billy Eichner’s funny, overdramatic meerkat Timon showing up everybody, including Beyoncé.
9.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
But deeper in, percussion livens up under orgiastic shrieks and a cameo on guitar from Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 June 2025
Lively Additions Keep in mind that while colorful glassware, china, and the like will liven up your tablescape in an instant, there's nothing like the addition of fresh flowers or greenery to really bring color and energy to your setup.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for liven
Cite this Entry
“Liven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liven. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liven
verb
liv·en
ˈlī-vən
livened; livening
ˈlīv-(ə-)niŋ
: to make or become lively
—often used with up
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share