Vivify

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈvɪvɪfaɪ/

Definitions

1. To bring to life or enliven something by making it more lively, vigorous, or animated in appearance or effect
2. To make something more lively, animated, or energetic by infusing it with vitality and vigor
3. To imbue something with increased liveliness, energy, or vividness that makes it appear more alive and dynamic

Etymology: "Vivify" arrived in English by way of Old French "vivifier," which came from the Late Latin "vivificare," a compound of "vivus" (alive) and "facere" (to make or do). The Latin verb meant literally "to make alive," and that sense of giving life to something is what the English word keeps at its core. The verb has kept that root meaning in its literal form, but it has also widened into a more figurative use. Something vivified is no longer only restored to biological life; it is enlivened, given vigor or animation, so that a dull scene, a tired speech, or a faded color seems to take on energy. The move from physical life to lively appearance is the main shift the word has undergone.

Synonyms: animate, revitalize

Antonyms: deaden, dull