Definitions

lively

[lahyv-lee] / ˈlaɪv li /

ADJECTIVE

energetic, active, busy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

animated bright buoyant bustling cheerful enjoyable entertaining festive frisky nimble peppy provocative refreshing spirited stimulating vigorous

WEAK

agile alert animate astir blithe blithesome bouncy brisk buzzing chipper chirpy complex dashing driving effervescent enterprising frolicsome full of pep gay go-go happy hyper industrious involved jocund jumping keen merry perky pert quick rousing snappy sparkling sprightly spry stirring vivacious zippy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

apathetic depressed down dull gloomy heavy inactive lethargic sad somber unhappy unpleasant

WEAK

dispirited lifeless sleepy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some fans are curious to see whether her one-time bestie actress Blake Lively, who drew Swift into her legal saga with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, will attend.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court that the "admission to the conduct alleged against her" amounts to an offence, and that Rein Lively had agreed to pay £910 in compensation.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Appeared in the May 8, 2026, print edition as 'Remembering a Keen and Lively Critic'.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

“Ms. Lively voluntarily dismissed the rest. In our view, they settled because they knew they were going to lose in court.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Lively perhaps, but exactly what Hoagland couldn’t use, material any spy would read and crabbily say was inedible paper.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Vocabulary lists containing lively

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

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List 2

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"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 2

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