vivify

verb

viv·​i·​fy ˈvi-və-ˌfī 

vivified; vivifying

transitive verb

1

: to endow with life or renewed life : animate

rains that vivify the barren hills

2

: to impart vitality or vividness to

concentrating this union of quality and meaning in a way which vivifies both

—John Dewey

vivification

ˌvi-və-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

vivifier

ˈvi-və-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for vivify

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 vivify in a Sentence

details that vivify the narrative

this re-creation of a town in the Old West really vivifies the history that visitors learned in school

Recent Examples on the Web

But the book also vivifies the fact that most (if not all) art and journalism has a predatory element. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023

All of which speaks to a level of seriousness in the notables featured in Young Bloomsbury that the book perhaps did not vivify. —John Tamny, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022

Each of these observers was given a tic, motif, or symbolic compulsion to distinguish and vivify his or her narration. —Mark Greif, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2022

So many ideas, so little capital in a relative sense to vivify those ideas. —John Tamny, Forbes, 9 May 2021

Their bodies are emphatically their own, no rightful concern of his, and their joy is vivifying. —New York Times, 16 Feb. 2020

This novel is a beautiful unfolding of characters and relationships that vivify nontraditional family, friendship, love, identity, boundaries, distance, responsibility and forgiveness. —Beth Py-Lieberman, Smithsonian, 28 Nov. 2019

Every year around this time, a delectable wave of Brazilian music sweeps across the Bay Area, bringing a lush, vivifying surge of beauty to the fading days of summer. —Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2019

To the first point, the Sanders-Red Hen situation has unearthed (or perhaps vivified) a growing sentiment in our society. —Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 25 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vivifien to nourish, from Anglo-French vivifier to give life to, from Late Latin vivificare, from Latin vivificus enlivening, from vivus alive — more at quick entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

vivify

verb

viv·​i·​fy ˈviv-ə-ˌfī 

vivified; vivifying

1

: to put life into : animate

rains that vivified the parched land

2

: to make vivid

vivification

ˌviv-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun