as in to stimulate
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
in most instances it's a good idea to enliven a speech with a joke or two
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Recent Examples of enliven
Certainly, more critics should write like Chu, if not for the sake of society, then at least for the sake of enlivening magazine writing.
—
S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Image An always memorable character actor, Rossy de Palma has enlivened eight Almodóvar films.
—Carlos Aguilar, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
There's the Vanilla Tincture India, vanilla derived from a CO2 extraction, vanilla extract, and an ultra-vanille accord—all enlivened by jasmine, sandalwood, and ambery notes.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 30 May 2025
Inasmuch as emotional arcs are pitched toward the extreme, domestic and work settings are sketched with a keen anecdotal eye and enlivened with compelling details.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for enliven
S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Image An always memorable character actor, Rossy de Palma has enlivened eight Almodóvar films.
—Carlos Aguilar, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
There's the Vanilla Tincture India, vanilla derived from a CO2 extraction, vanilla extract, and an ultra-vanille accord—all enlivened by jasmine, sandalwood, and ambery notes.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 30 May 2025
Inasmuch as emotional arcs are pitched toward the extreme, domestic and work settings are sketched with a keen anecdotal eye and enlivened with compelling details.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for enliven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enliven
stimulate
Verb
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The electrode stimulates the nerve, opening the airway by moving the tongue forward.1 Hypoglossal nerve stimulation surgery can effectively resolve snoring for some.—
Sukaina Hasnie,
Verywell Health,
4 June 2025
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Just like weight-bearing exercises, the vibrations stimulate osteocytes, which send signals to the two other types of bone cells–osteoblasts and osteoclasts–to create new bone matter and recycle the old.—
Jia H. Jung,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enliven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enliven. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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