Link Centre Dictionary

lively

li·vely

UK/ˈlaɪvli/ US/ˈlaɪv.li/ fairly common informal

adjective

1.

full of life and energy

  • “a lively discussion”
  • “lively and attractive parents”
  • “a lively party”
Antonyms
Similar
2.

full of zest or vigor

  • “a racy literary style”
Synonyms
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3.

quick and energetic

  • “a brisk walk in the park”
  • “a lively gait”
  • “a merry chase”
  • “traveling at a rattling rate”
  • “a snappy pace”
  • “a spanking breeze”
Synonyms
Similar
4.

rebounds readily

  • “clean bouncy hair”
  • “a lively tennis ball”
  • “as resiliant as seasoned hickory”
  • “springy turf”
Synonyms
Similar
5.

filled with events or activity

  • “a lively period in history”
Similar
6.

full of spirit

  • “a dynamic full of life woman”
  • “a vital and charismatic leader”
  • “this whole lively world”
Synonyms
Similar
7.

characterized by energetic activity

  • “a lively baby”
Similar

Origin

From Middle English lyvely, lifly, from Old English līflīċ (“living, lively, long-lived, necessary to life, vital”), from Proto-West Germanic *lībalīk (“living, lively”), equivalent to life + -ly. Cognate with Scots lively, lifely (“of or pertaining to life, vital, living, life-like”), Old High German līblīh (“living, animated”), German leiblich (“bodily, corporeal”). Doublet of lifely and lifelike.

Phrases

  • lively as a grig
  • Lively Island
  • look lively
  • step lively

Related words

See also

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.