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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective energetic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of energetic are lusty, nervous, strenuous, and vigorous. While all these words mean "having or showing great vitality and force," energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

an energetic campaigner

When can lusty be used instead of energetic?

While in some cases nearly identical to energetic, lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

a lusty appetite for life

When is it sensible to use nervous instead of energetic?

The words nervous and energetic can be used in similar contexts, but nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

full of nervous energy

Where would strenuous be a reasonable alternative to energetic?

While the synonyms strenuous and energetic are close in meaning, strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

the strenuous life on an oil rig

When is vigorous a more appropriate choice than energetic?

The synonyms vigorous and energetic are sometimes interchangeable, but vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

as vigorous as a youth half his age

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of energetic As for the source of this energy, physicists knew that quantum fields, the entities responsible for particles like electrons and photons, contribute an energetic sizzle to otherwise-empty space. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 19 Mar. 2025 Dewey's dedication to waking his owner's boyfriend has resonated with thousands of viewers online, who flooded the comment section with laughter and admiration for the energetic pup. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025 Mat and her latest, Patterns, Ballerini has seen her career surge on the strength of heartfelt songs and energetic stage shows, with headlining concerts at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Knoxville’s Thompson-Boling Arena, and New York’s Madison Square Garden. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2025 MoMA’s 2024 book Inventing the Modern celebrates the museum’s female founders—Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Lillie P. Bliss, and Mary Quinn Sullivan—and the energetic idealism required to get these efforts off the ground in an often hostile culture. Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for energetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for energetic
Adjective
  • With its expansion into Morocco and a dynamic competition format, the league is elevating the sport’s profile globally.
    Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Big changes are afoot in Panama’s film industry as a young, dynamic (and mostly female) team backed by its newish President José Raúl Mulino is spearheading new initiatives.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The same subject stirred up a lively debate in the Vogue Slack channel.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The 2025 season has brought a lively atmosphere, with a strong law enforcement presence to ensure safety.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These look sporty and have high side bolsters, which keep you firmly in place during vigorous driving.
    James Morris, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Seedlings seem susceptible to diseases and not vigorous enough to form the new turf.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • For Xia, robust security isn't a response to industry events but has been Bitmart's core philosophy since day one.
    Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • In Naypyidaw, the seat of the junta, the regime has provided robust assistance, including water, temporary toilets, and phone-charging stations.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These teams also check for individuals with active warrants.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Many freedom seekers began their journey unaided and many completed their self-emancipation without assistance, but each subsequent decade in which slavery was legal in the United States, there was an increase in active efforts to assist escape.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The two were very aggressive from the start of the fight, with a lot of output.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • There are also more aggressive interventions for people with severe allergies who don’t respond to other medicines like desensitization therapy, also known as allergy shots.
    Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Trump administration has taken steps and made claims that clash with legal opinions issued by a traditionally powerful agency that is part of the Justice Department, the Office of Legal Counsel.
    Charlie Savage, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The Tar Heels product is the type of runner Jim Harbaugh loves for his offense: north-to-south, powerful, ability to fight through tackles and pick up positive yardage.
    Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Even though that last one was over a decade ago now, Frost has been in loads of projects since then, including doing a lot of voicework for animated endeavors.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Kevin Conroy, most famously the eternal voice of Batman in animated and video game projects for decades, sadly passed away in 2022 from cancer.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Energetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/energetic. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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