vivacious
adjective
Did you know?
Vivacious may not be onomatopoeic in a strict sense, but there’s definitely something lively—maybe even a bit va-va-voom—in the way its three syllables trip off the tongue. Perhaps this is why it has appealed to English speakers since the mid-1600s, when it was formed from the Latin adjective vivax meaning “long-lived, vigorous, or high-spirited.” Vivax comes from the verb vivere, meaning “to live.” Other English descendants of vivere include survive, revive, and victual—all of which came to life during the 15th century—and vivid and convivial, both of which surfaced around the same time as vivacious. Somewhat surprisingly, the word live is unrelated; it comes to us from the Old English word libban.
Synonyms
Examples of vivacious in a Sentence
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
an outgoing, vivacious girl who became a successful sales rep
the poem is a vivacious expression of his love for her
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
During this time, the vivacious actress go-go danced on such hit music series as Shindig! and Hullabaloo and played a stumbling Statue of Liberty on roller skates in a 1970 summer show at Disneyland.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024
Homer, Ulysses, Arlo, and Atlas Janson, four vivacious nonprofessionals from rural Ohio who apparently inspired Green to make the film in the first place.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
Your energy is scattered yet vivacious and titillating.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vivacious 
Dictionary Entries Near vivacious
Cite this Entry
“Vivacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vivacious. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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vivacious
adjective
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