enliven
Americanverb
-
to make active, vivacious, or spirited; invigorate
-
to make cheerful or bright; gladden or brighten
Related Words
See cheer.
Other Word Forms
- enlivener noun
- enlivening adjective
- enliveningly adverb
- enlivenment noun
- unenlivened adjective
- unenlivening adjective
Etymology
Origin of enliven
1625–35; obsolete enlive to give life to ( en- 1 + life ) + -en 1
Explanation
High school students who are throwing a dance in the gym might enliven it with balloons and streamers. In other words, they might try to cheer the room up. When you enliven something, you make it more lively, colorful, or exciting. Your friend who is the life of the party can probably be counted on to enliven the dullest gathering, and a sprinkle of curry powder can enliven a dish of plain roasted vegetables. The original meaning of enliven, from the seventeenth century, was literally "to bring to life," as when a doctor re-starts a patient's stopped heartbeat.
Vocabulary lists containing enliven
The Return of the King
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Encourage
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While many artists at Felix experiment with their surfaces through additive processes, others use a subtractive approach to enliven their work.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
It’s a neat conceptual challenge to visually enliven a famously blissed-out album like this onstage, and Air did it with exquisite panache on Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025
His impact was almost instant, first going past the outside edge of Jaiswal to enliven the crowd.
From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025
And for me, one of my secret weapons — just a dash of Hood cream is going to really enrich or enliven any dish that you're making.
From Salon • Dec. 21, 2024
I can send them into others’ work, even enliven some inanimate objects, and once that’s done, the results are brilliant.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
