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.

A lively, talkative little girl, she spoke fluent Korean at the time, and her adoptive father recorded her on a cassette that then sat gathering dust for years.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

The viewer wants the punches, kicks and knockouts, maybe with a few jokes peppered in to keep things lively.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

Readers willing to let some of the technical details wash over them are rewarded with a lively picture of the contemporary frontiers of science where, the authors argue, certainty does not belong.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

She got her answer quickly, watching guests chat, laugh and dive into lively conversations for hours.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

This task finally tore Penelope’s mind away from her ruminations about how many degrees of dead there might be, and back to the bright, cozy nursery and the extremely lively children who lived there.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

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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