enliven

1 heighten or intensify; "These paintings exalt the imagination" [syn: inspire, animate, invigorate, exalt]

2 make lively; "let's liven up this room a bit" [syn: liven, liven up, invigorate, animate] [ant: deaden]

English

Etymology

Life + en- -en, intensifying verbal circumfix.

Pronunciation

• /ɛnˈlaɪvə̆n/

  Rhymes: -aɪvə̆n

Verb

1. In the context of "obsolete|transitive": To give life or spirit to; to revive or animate.
2. To make more lively, cheerful or interesting.

   The game was much enlivened when both teams scored within five minutes of each other.

Synonyms

• liven
• liven up

Derived terms

• enlivener
• enlivenment

See also

• animate
• brighten
• cheer up
• invigorate
• quicken
• vitalize

Translations

References

amuse, animate, arouse, awaken, beguile, boost, brace, brace up, brighten, brisk, brisken, buck up, buoy up, cheer, cheer up, chirk up, convulse, delight, divert, dynamize, electrify, embue, encourage, energize, enkindle, entertain, excite, exhilarate, fillip, fire, fire up, fortify, fracture one, fresh up, freshen, freshen up, galvanize, give a lift, gladden, hearten, imbue, infect, inflame, inform, infuse, infuse life into, inject, inoculate, inspire, inspirit, invigorate, jazz up, kill, kindle, knock dead, liven, loosen up, pep up, perk up, pick up, pique, provoke, quicken, raise a laugh, raise a smile, reanimate, recreate, refresh, refreshen, regale, reinvigorate, rejoice, rejoice the heart, rejuvenate, relax, renew, restore, resuscitate, revive, revivify, rouse, set up, sharpen, slay, snap up, solace, spirit, spirit up, stimulate, tickle, titillate, uplift, vitalize, vivify, wake up, warm, whet, wow, zip up