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Synonyms

sprightly

American  
[sprahyt-lee] / ˈspraɪt li /

adjective

sprightlier, sprightliest

  1. animated or vivacious; lively.

    Synonyms:
    spry, buoyant, blithe, spirited

adverb

  1. in a sprightly manner.

sprightly British  
/ ˈspraɪtlɪ /

adjective

  1. full of vitality; lively

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. obsolete in a lively manner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • sprightliness noun
  • unsprightly adjective

Etymology

Origin of sprightly

1590–1600; spright (spelling variant of sprite ) + -ly

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.

The body language at the end was instructive; Celtic sprightly, Rangers stunned.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

Teenage star Yamal underwhelmed in last week's defeat by Real Madrid after coming back from a groin issue, but looked more sprightly against Elche.

From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025

Though Godard later came to be synonymous with turgid, obtuse cinema, “Nouvelle Vague” is the opposite: a sprightly, effervescent ode to moviemaking as semi-controlled mischief.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

The current Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, is a sprightly 74.

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2025

The armed forces were there to uphold the democratic process, and all was peaceful on a spring day more sprightly and sunny than usual.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

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.