vivacious

adjective vi·va·cious \və-ˈvā-shəs also vī-\

: happy and lively in a way that is attractive

Full Definition of VIVACIOUS

: lively in temper, conduct, or spirit : sprightly

— vi·va·cious·ly adverb

— vi·va·cious·ness noun

See vivacious defined for English-language learners

See vivacious defined for kids

Examples of VIVACIOUS

Historically, in nations where city economies are dying and where, as well, cities are drained in service to transactions of decline, one city remains vivacious longest: the capital city. —Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, (1984) 1985
You see, for years I have built my figure on the premise that “fat people are jolly.” I have eaten my way through: pleasant, cheery, sunny, smiling, gay, spirited, chipper, vivacious, sparkling, happy, and sportive and was well on my way to becoming hysterical. —Erma Bombeck, The Best of Bombeck, (1965) 1967
She could follow every word that the ramblers uttered. They were talking no secrets. They were merely indulging in the ordinary vivacious chat of relatives who have long been parted in person though not in soul. —Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, 1878
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Origin of VIVACIOUS

Latin vivac-, vivax long-lived, vigorous, high-spirited, from vivere to live

First Known Use: circa 1645

Related to VIVACIOUS

Synonyms: active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy (or pizazzy), racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, lively, zippy

Antonyms: dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid

Synonym Discussion of VIVACIOUS

lively, animated, vivacious, sprightly, gay mean keenly alive and spirited. lively suggests briskness, alertness, or energy <a lively debate on the issues>. animated applies to what is spirited and active <an animated discussion of current events>. vivacious suggests an activeness of gesture and wit, often playful or alluring <a vivacious party host>. sprightly suggests lightness and spirited vigor of manner or wit <a tuneful, sprightly musical>. gay stresses complete freedom from care and overflowing spirits <the gay spirit of Paris in the 1920s>.

Rhymes with VIVACIOUS

audacious, bodacious, capacious, cetaceous, crustaceous, curvaceous, drupaceous, edacious, fallacious, flirtatious, fugacious, hellacious, herbaceous, loquacious, mendacious, micaceous, pomaceous, predaceous, pugnacious, rapacious, rosaceous, sagacious, salacious, sebaceous, sequacious, setaceous, tenacious, testaceous, tufaceous, ungracious, veracious, vinaceous, voracious

VIVACIOUSLY Defined for Kids

vivacious

adjective vi·va·cious \və-ˈvā-shəs, vī-\

Definition of VIVACIOUS for Kids

: full of energy and good spirits <a vivacious personality>

Word Root of VIVACIOUS

The Latin word vivere, meaning “to live,” gives us the root viv. Words from the Latin vivere have something to do with living. To survive is to remain alive. To revive is to bring back to life. Someone vivacious is full of life and is lively and energetic. Something, such as a story, that is vivid appears to be full of life and freshness.