enliven

verb

en·​liv·​en in-ˈlī-vən 

en-

enlivened; enlivening; enlivens

transitive verb

: to give life, action, or spirit to : animate

fresh flowers enliven the room

enlivenment

in-ˈlī-vən-mənt 

en-

noun

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

Synonyms

• amp (up)
• animate
• brace
• energize
• fillip
• fire
• ginger (up)
• invigorate
• jazz (up)
• juice up
• jump-start
• liven (up)
• pep (up)
• quicken
• spike
• stimulate
• vitalize
• vivify
• zip (up)

Choose the Right Synonym for enliven

quicken, animate, enliven, vivify mean to make alive or lively.

quicken stresses a sudden renewal of life or activity especially in something inert.

the arrival of spring quickens the earth

animate emphasizes the imparting of motion or vitality to what is or might be mechanical or artificial.

happiness animated his conversation

enliven suggests a stimulus that arouses from dullness or torpidity.

enlivened her lectures with humorous anecdotes

vivify implies a freshening or energizing through renewal of vitality.

new blood needed to vivify the dying club

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

For almost 36 minutes of the match, there was no score and few events to speak of, but a short spurt late in the middle frame enlivened the action and left the Ducks up 1-0 at the second intermission. —Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 15 Mar. 2025

Such descriptions enliven the book, and capture Shubin’s reverence for both the beauty and the mysteries hidden in the cold, barren tundra. —The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025

And now, enlivened Coast Guard bureaucrats are filling the vacuum, rushing to make the PSC production line a permanent feature in future Coast Guard budgets. —Craig Hooper, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

But most of the conversation afterward centered around the joyful arena crowd, which sang along to song after song, danced during breaks in the action and enlivened what could easily have been simply a stale spectacle. —Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enliven

• ivan
• liven

Kids Definition

enliven

verb

en·​liv·​en in-ˈlī-vən 

: to give life, action, or spirit to : animate

enliven the party with dance music