vivacity
gb/vɪvəsɪti/ us/vɪvəsɪti/
C1
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
property
1
lively, energetic, and enthusiastic quality
A strong and happy energy that makes a person seem very lively and full of life.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s vivacity; the vivacity of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "vivacity" with "vividness". "Vivacity" usually describes a person’s lively and energetic manner, while "vividness" describes how clear, bright, or strong an image, memory, or color is.
Synonyms
liveliness (More general and common; slightly less formal than "vivacity".)
|
animation (Emphasizes active movement or expressiveness, especially in the face or voice.)
|
energy (Very general; does not always suggest a cheerful or attractive quality.)
|
sparkle (Informal and figurative; stresses a bright, exciting charm.)
Antonyms
dullness (Suggests a boring, uninteresting manner with no lively quality.)
|
lethargy (Emphasizes tiredness and lack of physical or mental energy.)
|
listlessness (Stresses a lack of interest or enthusiasm rather than active energy.)
Collocations
youthful vivacity
|natural vivacity
|sparkling vivacity
|vivacity and charm
|with great vivacity
|full of vivacity
Themes
personality
|emotions
|communication
|art
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her natural vivacity made her the center of attention at every party.
- The actor brought a surprising vivacity to a role that is often played very seriously.
- Despite his age, he still speaks with the vivacity of a much younger man.
- The interviewer's vivacity helped the shy guest relax and open up.
- Travel seemed to restore her old vivacity after months of feeling low.
Learner examples
- Everyone liked her because of her vivacity.
- His vivacity made the long meeting feel shorter.
- The teacher's vivacity kept the students interested.
- After the holiday, he returned to work with new vivacity.
- The host welcomed us with great vivacity.
Noun
formal
C2
property
2
brightness or vivid intensity
A strong and bright quality, especially in colors or style, that makes something stand out.
Usage pattern:
the vivacity of [colors/style/light]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense with people. Use this meaning mainly for colors, images, art, or style. For people, use the main sense of "vivacity" meaning lively personality.
Synonyms
vividness (More common in this visual sense; focuses on how clear and strong something appears to the mind or eye.)
|
brilliance (Emphasizes strong brightness, especially of light or color.)
|
intensity (Stresses strength or force, and may sound more technical or neutral.)
Antonyms
dullness (Describes colors or images that are not bright or striking.)
|
flatness (Suggests a lack of depth, contrast, or visual interest.)
Collocations
the vivacity of the colors
|visual vivacity
|vivacity of the images
|vivacity on the page
Themes
art
|appearance
|perception
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The vivacity of the colors in the painting caught everyone’s eye.
- Digital restoration brought back the original vivacity of the old film.
- The designer is known for the vivacity of her prints and patterns.
- The novel’s power lies in the vivacity of its images rather than its plot.
- Sunlight increased the vivacity of the mural, making it visible from across the square.
Learner examples
- The vivacity of the red dress surprised me.
- We loved the vivacity of the colors in the room.
- The artist tried to keep the vivacity of the early sketches.
- The photo lost some vivacity after many years.
- Strong light gave the scene extra vivacity.
Grammar
Dictionary form
vivacity
IPA
GB/vɪvəsɪti/
US/vɪvəsɪti/
Syllables & stress
vi - va - city (3 syllables)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: vivacity
- Plural: vivacity
Word family
Core family
vivacious
adjective
vivaciously
adverb
Related words
vivaciousness
noun
Advanced or less common
vivify
verb
vivification
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.