lively

lively adj Lively, animated, vivacious, sprightly, gay denote in common keenly alive.

Lively suggests especially briskness, alertness, or energy

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spent an hour in lively talk about their respective travels in England and France

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she . . . was a lively conversationalist, advanced, original— Gore

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the horses . . . were lively, and sprang about the street— Thackeray

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Animated applies especially to what is also spirited or bright

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was not nearly so animated as he had been in his pre-khaki days; there was a quiet exaltation in his manner rather than a lively excitement— H. G. Wells

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the animated excitement and hubbub that gives the . . . institution its friendly vitality— Saarinen

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Vivacious and sprightly suggest greater lightness of spirits or quickness of wit; they apply especially to manner or language

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remember her as very pretty and vivacious . . . I never met a girl with as much zip— Ring Lardner

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in contrast to the dour, lethargic, and solitary orang, the chimpanzee is highly active, vivacious . . . and uninhibitedly vocal—La Barre

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he was sprightly, vigorous, fiery in his belief in success— Crane

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readers prefer sprightly trash to dull excellence— Canby

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Gay implies utter carefreeness and exuberant or overflowing spirits

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wild with joyful expectation .. . with an heart light, gay, and independent— Austen

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he was a gay old fellow with a large paunch, a ribald sense of humor, and an ingratiating smile— Hervey Allen

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Analogous words: *agile, nimble, brisk, spry: buoyant, effervescent, volatile, expansive, resilient, *elastic: *merry, blithe, jocund, jolly: mirthful, gleeful, hilarious (see corresponding nouns at MIRTH)

Antonyms: dull

Contrasted words: *lethargic, sluggish, torpid: *languid, lackadaisical, listless, languorous: stolid, apathetic, phleg-matic, *impassive: tedious, *irksome, boring