liven

verb

liv·​en ˈlī-vən 

livened; livening ˈlī-və-niŋ 

ˈlīv-niŋ

transitive verb

: enliven

—often used with up

he … livened up the editorial page

—Current Biography

intransitive verb

: to become lively

Synonyms

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

Examples of liven in a Sentence

He played some music to liven the atmosphere.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some people even threw in extra theatrics and party favors to liven up their pitch. —Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

There were a few things to liven it up despite Harris taking a day or so off from campaigning. —Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Oct. 2024

If so, here are some under-the-radar recommendations to liven up your viewing over the next couple of weeks. —Scott Phillips, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Many people love them for livening up the streetscape and boosting business for restaurants and bars. —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

liven

verb

liv·​en ˈlī-vən 

livened; livening ˈlīv-(ə-)niŋ 

: to make or become lively

—often used with up