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enliven. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
enliven, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
enliven in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
enliven you have here. The definition of the word
enliven will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
enliven, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From en- + life + -en (intensifying verbal circumfix).
Pronunciation
Verb
enliven (third-person singular simple present enlivens, present participle enlivening, simple past and past participle enlivened)
- (archaic, transitive) To give life or spirit to; to revive or animate.
- (transitive) To make more lively, cheerful or interesting.
The game was much enlivened when both teams scored within five minutes of each other.
1950 May, “A Tunisian Electric Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 335:Travel is enlivened not only by the mixed company of French, Berbers, Arabs, and descendants of the Mediterranean-Corsairs who sit together indiscriminately, but also by itinerant vendors of macaroons, sweetmeats and the like, who, as long as they have a travel ticket, ply their wares unhindered by the [ticket] collectors.
2023 August 7, Kieran Pender, “Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso fire Australia into quarter-finals with win over Denmark”, in The Guardian:The pace came off the match as the first half continued, with the occasional frenetic moment down the flanks enlivening what otherwise became a chess-like tactical battle.
Synonyms
Derived terms
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See also
References
- ^ The Oxford English Dictionary (2007) states that enliven was formed by the simultaneous prefixing of en- and suffixing of -en, which, by definition, constitutes circumfixation.