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
Barry Jenkins’s best efforts to enliven the Lion King prequel, Mufasa, couldn’t prevent it from feeling like a capital-p Product.
—
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2025
Black remained a powerful statement color across brands’ collections, but is frequently enlivened with unexpected pops of vibrant hues.
—Angela Lei, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Bolger enlivens her traditional interiors with contemporary elements, and functionality is always a focus.
—Dan Howarth, Architectural Digest, 17 Mar. 2025
Dope Thief enlivens the formula with a pair of performances from Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura that plunge us into the depths of male loneliness, then pull us out of the dark with a tender, vulnerable friendship that is as gooey and soft as the show surrounding it is bleak and bloody.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enliven
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2025
Black remained a powerful statement color across brands’ collections, but is frequently enlivened with unexpected pops of vibrant hues.
—Angela Lei, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Bolger enlivens her traditional interiors with contemporary elements, and functionality is always a focus.
—Dan Howarth, Architectural Digest, 17 Mar. 2025
Dope Thief enlivens the formula with a pair of performances from Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura that plunge us into the depths of male loneliness, then pull us out of the dark with a tender, vulnerable friendship that is as gooey and soft as the show surrounding it is bleak and bloody.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enliven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enliven
Verb
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The importance of daylight The infrared light found in daylight can modulate inflammation, stimulate collagen production, prevent neurodegeneration, and even optimize mitochondria, which produce energy inside our cells.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
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Greece started its golden visa program in 2013 to stabilize housing prices and stimulate growth in a country facing a recession, skyrocketing unemployment, and austerity measures imposed by international lenders.—
Meehika Barua,
HubSpot,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enliven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enliven. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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