animate
gb/ˈænəmˌeɪt/ us/ˈænəmˌeɪt/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
make someone or something lively
To make something more lively or interesting.
Usage pattern:
animate [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use animate when they mean create a cartoon; in that case, use animate a character/scene or make an animation.
Synonyms
liven up (More informal and common in conversation.)
|
energize (Suggests adding energy or enthusiasm.)
Antonyms
dull (To make something less lively or interesting.)
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
Themes
daily_life
|communication
|emotions
Examples
- She tried to animate the conversation by asking everyone a question.
- The host’s jokes animated the audience.
- Fresh flowers and bright colors can animate a plain room.
Learner examples
- Music can animate a party.
- He animated the meeting with a good idea.
adjective
B2
property
2
living, not dead or lifeless
Alive; living.
Usage pattern:
animate [noun]
Common mistake:
Animate does not mean 'animal' (though it often refers to animals and people).
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.)
Collocations
animate beings
|animate creatures
|animate life
|animate organism
|animate nature
|animate world
|animate body
|animate matter
Themes
nature
|science
Examples
- The exhibit compares animate life with inanimate matter.
- Many cultures believe that all animate beings deserve respect.
- The virus can reproduce only inside an animate host.
Learner examples
- Humans are animate beings.
- A rock is inanimate, not animate.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
give life or spirit to
To give someone energy or purpose, often because of a strong feeling.
Usage pattern:
animate [someone/something]; be animated by [something]
Common mistake:
This sense is more formal; in everyday speech, people often say inspire or motivate instead.
Synonyms
inspire (More general and common.)
|
motivate (Focuses on causing someone to act.)
Antonyms
discourage (To take away confidence or motivation.)
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
Themes
emotions
|literature
|beliefs
Examples
- A deep sense of justice animated his work.
- She was animated by the belief that change was possible.
- The writer’s compassion animates the entire novel.
Learner examples
- Hope animated them.
- He was animated by curiosity.
Verb
technical
B2
action
4
make drawings or models move
To make a character or image move in a movie or on a screen.
Usage pattern:
animate [a character/object/scene]; animate [something] in [software]
Common mistake:
Animate (verb) is the action; animation (noun) is the result. 'Cartoon' is the finished product, not the verb.
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).)
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
Themes
media
|technology
|arts
Examples
- They hired an artist to animate the main character.
- She learned to animate a walk cycle in three days.
- The app lets you animate text with simple effects.
Learner examples
- I want to animate a short film.
- He animated the logo for the website.
adjective
B2
property
5
lively and expressive
Full of energy and showing feelings.
Usage pattern:
an animate [expression/face/discussion]
Common mistake:
Animated (not animate) is much more common for this meaning (e.g., an animated discussion).
Synonyms
animated (Much more common in modern English for this meaning.)
|
expressive (Emphasizes showing feelings clearly.)
Antonyms
impassive (Showing little or no emotion.)
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
Themes
emotions
|communication
Examples
- He grew more animate as he described the trip.
- Her voice became animate when she started talking about her research.
- The children were most animate during the games.
Learner examples
- He became animate when he heard the news.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
a living being
A living thing, like a person or animal.
Usage pattern:
an animate; animates
Common mistake:
In everyday English, people usually say person, animal, or living thing instead of animate (noun).
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).)
Collocations
humans and other animates
|the rights of animates
|distinguish animates from inanimates
Themes
nature
|science
Examples
- The study focuses on how children categorize animates and inanimates.
- Some languages mark animates differently from inanimates in their grammar.
adjective
technical
C1
property
7
referring to living nouns
In grammar, used for words that mean living beings.
Usage pattern:
an animate noun; animate vs inanimate
Common mistake:
This is a technical label; it does not mean 'funny' or 'active'.
Synonyms
living (Similar idea, but not a standard grammatical label.)
Antonyms
inanimate (In grammar, referring to non-living things.)
Collocations
animate noun
|animate pronoun
|animate reference
|animate category
|animate vs inanimate distinction
Themes
language
|education
Examples
- In this language, animate nouns take different endings.
- The grammar distinguishes animate from inanimate referents.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.