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Antonyms for enliven


Grammar : Verb
Spell : en-lahy-vuhn
Phonetic Transcription : ɛnˈlaɪ vən



Definition of enliven

Origin :
  • 1630s, "give life to" (enlive in same sense is from 1590s); see en- (1) "make, put in" + life + -en (1). Meaning "make lively or cheerful" is from 1690s. Related: Enlivened; enlivening.
  • verb inspire, vitalize
Example sentences :
  • Aunt Rosine had put a spray of lilac in her bonnet, "to enliven her mourning," as she said.
  • Extract from : « My Double Life » by Sarah Bernhardt
  • Every evening, as previously, Pierre strove to enliven him with an account of his strolls.
  • Extract from : « The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete » by Emile Zola
  • It is in your power to make their bed of down, and to enliven the ground they have yet to traverse with flowers.
  • Extract from : « Imogen » by William Godwin
  • She wanted to enliven the Abbe and to draw him out of his melancholy moodiness.
  • Extract from : « Abbe Mouret's Transgression » by Emile Zola
  • But Curly had no desire to enliven things, and went on quite seriously.
  • Extract from : « The Golden Woman » by Ridgwell Cullum
  • The horse, standing with drooping head, does not enliven the picture.
  • Extract from : « Sielanka: An Idyll » by Henryk Sienkiewicz
  • It was an old story, and with very few variations to enliven it.
  • Extract from : « Lord Kilgobbin » by Charles Lever
  • But most of all, there must be something to quicken, enliven, practise the soul.
  • Extract from : « Joyous Gard » by Arthur Christopher Benson
  • Not a solitary vestige of anything green was there to enliven the barrenness.
  • Extract from : « Culm Rock » by Glance Gaylord
  • We need to clarify our ideals, and enliven our vision of perfection.
  • Extract from : « The Sense of Beauty » by George Santayana

Synonyms for enliven

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019