Webster
✕

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Lively

Live′ly (līv′ly̆), a. [Compar. Livelier; superl. 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.

Lively stones (Script.), saints, as being quickened by the Spirit, and active in holiness.

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. Shak.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.