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Webster 1913 Edition


Lively

Live′ly

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Livelier
;
sup
erl.
Liveliest
.]
[For
lifely
. Cf.
Lifelike
.]
1.
Endowed with or manifesting life; living.
Chaplets of gold and silver resembling
lively
flowers and leaves.
Holland.
2.
Brisk; vivacious; active;
as, a
lively
youth
.
But wherefore comes old Manoa in such haste,
With youthful steps ? Much
livelier
than erewhile
He seems.
Milton.
3.
Gay; airy; animated; spirited.
From grave to gay, from
lively
to severe.
Pope.
4.
Representing life; lifelike.
[Obs.]
I spied the
lively
picture of my father.
Massinger.
5.
Bright; vivid; glowing; strong; vigorous.
The colors of the prism are manifestly more full, intense, and
lively
that those of natural bodies.
Sir I. Newton.
His faith must be not only living, but
lively
too.
South.
Syn. – Brisk; vigorous; quick; nimble; smart; active; alert; sprightly; animated; spirited; prompt; earnest; strong; energetic; vivid; vivacious; blithe; gleeful; airy; gay; jocund.

Live′ly

,
adv.
1.
In a brisk, active, or animated manner; briskly; vigorously.
Hayward.
2.
With strong resemblance of life.
[Obs.]
Thou counterfeitest most
lively
.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition


Lively

LI'VELY

,
Adj.
1.
Brisk; vigorous; vivacious; active; as a lively youth.
2.
Gay; airy.
From grave to gay, from lively to severe.
3.
Representing life; as a lively imitation of nature.
4.
Animated; spirited; as a lively strain of eloquence; a lively description.
5.
Strong; energetic; as a lively faith or hope; a lively persuasion.
Lively stones, in scripture. Saints are called lively stones, as being quickened by the Spirit and active in holiness.

LI'VELY

, adv.
1.
Briskly; vigorously. [Little used.]
2.
With strong resemblance of life.
That part of poetry must needs be best, which describes most lively our actions and passions. [Little used.]

Definition 2024


Lively

Lively

See also: lively

English

Proper noun

Lively

  1. A surname.

Derived terms

  • Lively Island

lively

lively

See also: Lively

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

lively (comparative livelier, superlative liveliest)

  1. Full of life; energetic.
    • 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes
      But wherefore comes old Manoa in such haste, / With youthful steps? Much livelier than erewhile / He seems.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 7, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      […] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.
    • 2011 September 29, Jon Smith, Tottenham 3-1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport:
      But with the lively Dos Santos pulling the strings behind strikers Pavlyuchenko and Defoe, Spurs controlled the first half without finding the breakthrough their dominance deserved.
  2. Bright; vivid; glowing; strong; vigorous.
    • 1704, Isaac Newton, Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light
      The colours of the prism are manifestly more full, intense, and lively that those of natural bodies.
    • 1688, Robert South, Sacramental Preparation: Set forth in a Sermon on Matthew 5, 12.
      His faith must be not only living, but lively too.
  3. (archaic) Endowed with or manifesting life; living.
    • c. 1600, Philemon Holland
      chaplets of gold and silver resembling lively flowers and leaves
  4. (archaic) Representing life; lifelike.
  5. (archaic) Airy; animated; spirited.
  6. (of beer) Fizzy; foamy; tending to produce a large head in the glass.
Usage notes
  • Nouns to which "lively" is often applied: person, character, lady, woman, man, audience, personality, art, guide, activity, game, lesson, introduction, discussion, debate, writing, image, town, city, village, etc.
Derived terms
Translations

Noun

lively (plural livelies)

  1. (nautical) Term of address.

Etymology 2

From Old English līflīċe.

Adverb

lively (comparative more lively, superlative most lively)

  1. (obsolete) In a lifelike manner.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.i:
      Him to a dainty flowre she did transmew, / Which in that cloth was wrought, as if it liuely grew.
    • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essayes, London: Edward Blount, OCLC 946730821, Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.220-1:
      the Painter Protogenes [] having perfected the image of a wearie and panting dog, [] but being unable, as he desired, lively to represent the drivel or slaver of his mouth, vexed against his owne worke, took his spunge, and moist as it was with divers colours, threw it at the picture [].
  2. Vibrantly, vividly.
Translations

Anagrams