animate
gb/ˈænəmˌeɪt/ us/ˈænəmˌeɪt/
B2
English
felélénkít, élő, fűt, lelkesít, animál, élénk, élőlény, animátum, animát
VERB
B2
1
felélénkít
B2
Usage pattern:
animate [someone/something]
She tried to animate the conversation by asking everyone a question.
Úgy próbálta felélénkíteni a beszélgetést, hogy mindenkinek feltett egy kérdést.
The host’s jokes animated the audience.
A műsorvezető viccei felélénkítették a közönséget.
Fresh flowers and bright colors can animate a plain room.
Learner examples
Music can animate a party.
A zene fel tudja élénkíteni a bulit.
He animated the meeting with a good idea.
Egy jó ötlettel felélénkítette a megbeszélést.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use animate when they mean create a cartoon; in that case, use animate a character/scene or make an animation.
Meaning
make someone or something lively
Collocations
animate a discussion
|animate a meeting
|animate a party
|animate the crowd
|animate the debate
|animate conversation
|a speaker who animates
|a performance that animates
|music that animates
|to animate the room
Synonyms
liven up (More informal and common in conversation.)
|
energize (Suggests adding energy or enthusiasm.)
Antonyms
dull (To make something less lively or interesting.)
Themes
daily_life
|communication
|emotions
Definition
To make something more lively or interesting.
To make someone or something more lively, energetic, or interesting.
B2
2
élő
A2
Usage pattern:
animate [noun]
The exhibit compares animate life with inanimate matter.
A kiállítás az élővilágot hasonlítja össze az élettelen anyaggal.
Many cultures believe that all animate beings deserve respect.
Sok kultúra szerint minden élőlény tiszteletet érdemel.
The virus can reproduce only inside an animate host.
Learner examples
Humans are animate beings.
Az emberek élőlények.
A rock is inanimate, not animate.
A kő élettelen, nem élő.
Common mistake:
Animate does not mean 'animal' (though it often refers to animals and people).
Meaning
living, not dead or lifeless
Collocations
animate beings
|animate creatures
|animate life
|animate organism
|animate nature
|animate world
|animate body
|animate matter
Synonyms
living (More common and less formal.)
|
alive (Often used for an individual rather than a category.)
Antonyms
inanimate (Not alive; not a living being.)
Themes
nature
|science
Definition
Alive; living.
Alive; belonging to living beings rather than to things that are not alive.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
animate [someone/something]; be animated by [something]
A deep sense of justice animated his work.
Munkáját mély igazságérzet fűtötte.
She was animated by the belief that change was possible.
Az a hit fűtötte, hogy a változás lehetséges.
The writer’s compassion animates the entire novel.
Learner examples
Hope animated them.
A remény lelkesítette őket.
He was animated by curiosity.
A kíváncsiság fűtötte.
Common mistake:
This sense is more formal; in everyday speech, people often say inspire or motivate instead.
Meaning
give life or spirit to
Collocations
animated by hope
|animated by love
|animated by fear
|animate a vision
|animate a cause
|animate a movement
|animate a story
|animate a character
|animate a work of art
|animate a speech
Synonyms
inspire (More general and common.)
|
motivate (Focuses on causing someone to act.)
Antonyms
discourage (To take away confidence or motivation.)
Themes
emotions
|literature
|beliefs
Definition
To give someone energy or purpose, often because of a strong feeling.
To give life, spirit, or strong feeling to someone or something; to inspire or drive.
VERB
B2
TECHNICAL
4
animál
B2
Usage pattern:
animate [a character/object/scene]; animate [something] in [software]
They hired an artist to animate the main character.
Felvettek egy művészt, hogy animálja a főszereplő figuráját.
She learned to animate a walk cycle in three days.
Három nap alatt megtanulta animálni a járásciklust.
The app lets you animate text with simple effects.
Learner examples
I want to animate a short film.
Egy rövidfilmet szeretnék animálni.
He animated the logo for the website.
Animálta a weboldal logóját.
Common mistake:
Animate (verb) is the action; animation (noun) is the result. 'Cartoon' is the finished product, not the verb.
Meaning
make drawings or models move
Collocations
animate a character
|animate a scene
|animate a model
|animate a logo
|animate a sequence
|animate a GIF
|animate in Blender
|animate in Maya
|animate in After Effects
|animate the mouth movements
Synonyms
create animation (More explicit; often used by learners.)
|
render motion (More technical; focuses on producing movement visually.)
Antonyms
freeze (To stop motion or keep something still (in an image or sequence).)
Themes
media
|technology
|arts
Definition
To make a character or image move in a movie or on a screen.
To create the appearance of movement in a character or object, especially for film, video, or digital media.
B2
5
élénk
B1
Usage pattern:
an animate [expression/face/discussion]
He grew more animate as he described the trip.
Ahogy az útról mesélt, egyre élénkebb lett.
Her voice became animate when she started talking about her research.
A hangja élénkebbé vált, amikor a kutatásáról kezdett beszélni.
The children were most animate during the games.
Learner examples
He became animate when he heard the news.
Élénkebb lett, amikor meghallotta a hírt.
Common mistake:
Animated (not animate) is much more common for this meaning (e.g., an animated discussion).
Meaning
lively and expressive
Collocations
an animated discussion
|an animated debate
|an animated conversation
|an animated expression
|animated gestures
|an animated face
|animated storytelling
|become animated
|look animated
|get animated
Synonyms
animated (Much more common in modern English for this meaning.)
|
expressive (Emphasizes showing feelings clearly.)
Antonyms
impassive (Showing little or no emotion.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
Definition
Full of energy and showing feelings.
Showing strong interest, excitement, or emotion; lively and expressive.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
6
Usage pattern:
an animate; animates
The study focuses on how children categorize animates and inanimates.
A kutatás arra összpontosít, hogyan sorolják be a gyerekek az élőlényeket és az élettelen dolgokat.
Some languages mark animates differently from inanimates in their grammar.
Egyes nyelvek a nyelvtanukban másképp jelölik az animátumokat, mint az inanimátumokat.
Common mistake:
In everyday English, people usually say person, animal, or living thing instead of animate (noun).
Meaning
a living being
Collocations
humans and other animates
|the rights of animates
|distinguish animates from inanimates
Synonyms
creature (Common but can sound literary or dramatic depending on context.)
|
organism (More scientific and broader (includes plants, microbes).)
Antonyms
inanimate (A non-living thing (used as a noun in technical contexts).)
Themes
nature
|science
Definition
A living thing, like a person or animal.
A living being, especially a human or animal (as opposed to a thing).
C1
TECHNICAL
7
animát
C2
Usage pattern:
an animate noun; animate vs inanimate
In this language, animate nouns take different endings.
Ebben a nyelvben az animát főnevek más végződéseket kapnak.
The grammar distinguishes animate from inanimate referents.
A nyelvtan különbséget tesz az animát és az inanimát referensek között.
Common mistake:
This is a technical label; it does not mean 'funny' or 'active'.
Meaning
referring to living nouns
Collocations
animate noun
|animate pronoun
|animate reference
|animate category
|animate vs inanimate distinction
Synonyms
living (Similar idea, but not a standard grammatical label.)
Antonyms
inanimate (In grammar, referring to non-living things.)
Themes
language
|education
Definition
In grammar, used for words that mean living beings.
In grammar and linguistics, describing a noun or category that refers to a living being (such as a person or animal).
Grammar
Dictionary form
animate
IPA
GB/ˈænəmˌeɪt/
US/ˈænəmˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
an - im - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (an)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: animate
Verb
- Base: animate
- 3rd Person Singular: animates
- Present Participle: animating
- Past: animated
Word family
Forms
animates
verb
animating
verb
animated
verb
Core family
animation
noun B1
animator
noun
Related words
animatedly
adverb C1
Negative and opposite forms
inanimate
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
reanimate
verb
reanimation
noun
Expressions
animate (something) with (something)
1/ˈænəmˌeɪt sˈʌmθɪŋ wˈɪθ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
add life or energy
To make something more lively by adding something.
Examples
- She animated her speech with personal stories.
- The designer animated the space with bold color.
- The report is animated with vivid examples.
animate and inanimate
1/ˈænəmˌeɪt ˈænd ɪnˈænəmɪt/
fixed phrase
living things and nonliving things
Living and not living things.
Examples
- The lesson covers animate and inanimate nouns.
- Children learn to sort objects into animate and inanimate categories.
animated film
1/ˈænəmˌeɪtɪd fˈɪlm/
fixed phrase
movie made with animation
A movie made with cartoons or animation.
Examples
- We watched an animated film with the kids.
- The studio is famous for its animated films.
- Her first job was on an animated film.
Learner examples
- I like animated films.
animated gif
1/ˈænəmˌeɪtɪd d͡ʒɪf/
fixed phrase
looping moving image file
A small moving picture you share online.
Examples
- He replied with an animated GIF instead of a text message.
- The website uses animated GIFs for simple tutorials.
- I saved an animated GIF of the scene.
Learner examples
- She sent me an animated GIF.
animated series
1/ˈænəmˌeɪtɪd sˈɪɹiz/
fixed phrase
TV show made with animation
A TV show made with animation.
Examples
- The book was adapted into an animated series.
- They released a new animated series last year.
- She voices a character in an animated series.
Learner examples
- This is my favorite animated series.
be animated
1/bˈi ˈænəmˌeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
be lively and excited
To talk or act with a lot of energy.
Examples
- She was animated as she explained her plan.
- He’s usually quiet, but he becomes animated when he talks about music.
- They were animated by the good news.
Learner examples
- He is animated when he speaks.
computer-animated
1/kəmpjˈutɚ ˈænəmˌeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
made with computer animation
Made using computers to create animation.
Examples
- It’s a computer-animated movie with realistic lighting.
- The trailer includes a computer-animated creature.
- They created a computer-animated sequence for the opening.
Learner examples
- The film is computer-animated.
get animated
1/ɡˈɛt ˈænəmˌeɪtɪd/
fixed phrase
informal
become excited or angry
To start speaking or acting with strong emotion.
Examples
- Don’t get animated—it's just a suggestion.
- She gets animated whenever politics comes up.
- He got animated and started talking faster.
Learner examples
- He got animated during the discussion.