English

Verb

liven ‎(third-person singular simple present livens, present participle livening, simple past and past participle livened)

1. (transitive and intransitive) To cause to be more lively.

   Let's liven up this party!

   • 1905: The American Historical Review, published by the American Historical Association, page 380

     Bacon's Rebellion (p. 54) has no political meaning for Mr. Bruce. Champlain's fight with the Iroquois is told to liven the narrative with a fight (p. 36), but the far-reaching result is merely hinted in a manner that means nothing to one who doesn't know. The ideals and purposes of the Jesuits are not mentioned.

   • 1930: Bim Sherman, The Century

     ... and he fought for others' banners,

     And he dined at others' tables, and he droned in others' hives,

     And he livened others' journeys, and he rhymed of others' tourneys,

     And he emptied others' flagons, and he flirted others' wives.

   • 1958: Marco Polo, Ronald Latham (translator), The Travels of Marco Polo

     Instead of the picturesque fables* that liven the pages of ‘Sir John Mandeville’ and of many more authentic travellers, he gives us no less picturesque facts, and facts in great abundance.

   • 1979: The American School Board Journal, volume 166, № 1, January 1979, published by the National School Boards Association, caption to an image in the May 1979 section

     Visiting professionals frequently liven the day at the Elm Creative Arts School.

   • 1997: David Nevin, 1812

     Anacreon [...] celebrated wine and love and must have been a rousing fellow. Probably he livened heaven when he arrived.

   • 2003, Sarah Garland, The Herb Garden, page 69

     ... and to invigorate and liven the spirits.

   • 2001, Nick Tosches, Cut Numbers: A Novel

     “It was all those suspendeds since the time before that fucked me.” [sic] Then he livened, and he actually did manage to smile. “It was Secaucus, ...

   • 2005: Michael Winter, The Big Why: A Novel

     The fact of this made him realize he had a story. He livened. Father was washed overboard, Rupert said. He was going through the water like a duck.

Synonyms

• liven up

Etymology 2

From Middle English liven, equivalent to live +‎ -en.

Verb

liven

1. (obsolete) plural simple present form of live
   • 1471, Margaret Paston, The Paston Letters

     We liven in fear, but we wot not whither to flee for to be better than we arn here.

   • 1579, Edmund Spenser, The Shepheardes Calender

     What shoulden shepheards other things tend,

     Then, sith their God his good does them send,

     Reapen the fruite thereof, that is pleasure,

     The while they here liven, at ease and leasure?

   • 1647, Henry More, The Confutation of the Sleep of the Soul, Canto III:

     Wherefore so long as they make their abode

     In Him, incorp'rate by due Unitie

     They liven in eternall energie,

Anagrams

• levin
• Nevil

Esperanto

Etymology

live ‎(“on the left”) +‎ -n ‎(“lative”)

Adverb

liven

1. (neologism) to the left

Synonyms

• maldekstren

Antonyms

• dekstren ‎(“to the right”)

Swedish

Noun

liven

1. definite plural of liv

West Frisian

Noun

liven

1. plural of liif