Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Full of animation and spirit; lively.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having vigorous powers of life; long-lived; tenacious of life.
  • Lively; active; sprightly in temper or conduct; proceeding from or characterized by sprightliness.
  • Synonyms Animated, brisk, gay, merry, jocund, lighthearted, sportive, frolicsome. See animation.
  • Perennial: sometimes applied to plants which live from year to year.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Having vigorous powers of life; tenacious of life; long-lived.
  • adjective Sprightly in temper or conduct; lively; merry.
  • adjective (Bot.), rare Living through the winter, or from year to year; perennial.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Lively and animated; full of life and energy.
  • adjective obsolete Long-lived.
  • adjective rare Difficult to kill.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective vigorous and animated

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Latin vīvāx, vīvāc-, from vīvere, to live; see gwei- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin vīvāx ("lively, vigorous"), from vīvō ("to live").

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Examples

  • "I detest them all!" replied she, shaking her bright ringlets in vivacious scorn.

    Agnes Grey 1931

  • The project started in 2004, when Ms. Barron realized that even though her mother was slipping away, one way to bring her back to recall the vivacious, pleasantly eccentric mother she remembered from her childhood was to tag along as her mother went into her closet and through her clothes.

    Clothing Makes a Woman 2010

  • She was known as a vivacious hostess, but in the memoir she mostly shows up playing solitaire or watching soap operas in bed while her husband, who will have his own serious health problems, keeps a hectic schedule.

    In new book, David Eisenhower, wife Julie mine memories of Ike's twilight years Manuel Roig-Franzia 2010

  • Two-time Emmy nominee, Debbie Matenopoulos is most well-known as the vivacious beauty who dishes the latest in celebrity news, style and entertainment.

    Boom With A View – The Inside Scoop on Debbie Matenopoulos 2007

  • D. is ordinarily what is known as a vivacious person.

    The Foundations of Personality 1921

  • She is usually classed as intelligent because she is vivacious, that is, her mind follows the trend of things quickly, and she marshals whatever she knows very readily.

    The Foundations of Personality 1921

  • One of the so-called vivacious type of Viennese of the lower class, smiling a conscious smile, her hair elaborately waved and dressed, her figure high-busted, narrow-waisted; earrings, chains, bracelets.

    Fanny Herself 1917

  • "What does your sister do for entertainment?" asked his questioner, recalling the vivacious little face under the hat with the saucy bronze quills.

    Mary Ware's Promised Land John Goss 1897

  • "Not what I should call a vivacious man," said Mangles, looking dismally across the room.

    The Vultures Henry Seton Merriman 1882

  • "Francesca is what you might call a vivacious person," he said.

    The Independent - Frontpage RSS Feed 2010

Comments

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  • "Deal With It!" Author: Paula White pg.31

    This phrase "beautiful of form also means lively, vivacious, and extremely attractive.

    November 1, 2010

  • Melanine used this word when she was defending Scarlet.

    June 10, 2012