First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
vivify
verb viv·i·fy \ˈvi-və-ˌfī\
: to make (someone or something) more lively or vivid
viv·i·fiedviv·i·fy·ing
Full Definition of VIVIFY
transitive verb
1
: to endow with life or renewed life : animate <rains that vivify the barren hills>
2
: to impart vitality or vividness to <concentrating this union of quality and meaning in a way which vivifies both — John Dewey>
— viv·i·fi·ca·tion \ˌvi-və-fə-ˈkā-shən\ noun
— viv·i·fi·er \ˈvi-və-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun
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Origin of VIVIFY
Middle English vivifien to nourish, from Anglo-French vivifier to give life to, from Late Latin vivificare, from Latin vivificus enlivening, from vivus alive — more at quick
Related to VIVIFY
Synonym Discussion of VIVIFY
quicken, animate, enliven, vivify mean to make alive or lively. quicken stresses a sudden renewal of life or activity especially in something inert <the arrival of spring quickens the earth>. animate emphasizes the imparting of motion or vitality to what is or might be mechanical or artificial <happiness animated his conversation>. enliven suggests a stimulus that arouses from dullness or torpidity <enlivened her lectures with humorous anecdotes>. vivify implies a freshening or energizing through renewal of vitality <new blood needed to vivify the dying club>.
Rhymes with VIVIFY
abide by, Adonai, alibi, alkali, amplify, apple-pie, argufy, assegai, azo dye, basify, beautify, butterfly, by-and-by, caddis fly, calcify, certify, Chou En-lai, citify, clarify, classify, coalify, cockneyfy, codify, college try, cottage pie, crucify, cut-and-try, cutie-pie, DIY, damnify, damselfly, dandify, deify, densify, dignify, dobsonfly, do-or-die, dragonfly, dulcify, eagle eye, edify, evil eye, falsify, fancify, fortify, frenchify, fructify, gasify, Gemini, gentrify, glorify, goggle-eye, goldeneye, gratify, Haggai, harvest fly, hexerei, high and dry, hip and thigh, Hokusai, hook and eye, horrify, hoverfly, humble pie, Iceni, justify, kiss good-bye, lazy eye, lignify, liquefy, lithify, Lorelei, lullaby, Madurai, magnify, Malachi, Maracay, minify, modify, mollify, Molokai, Mordecai, mortify, multi-ply, multiply, mummify, mystify, nazify, notify, nullify, occupy, old school tie, on standby, on the fly, ossify, overbuy, overfly, overlie, pacify, Paraguay, passerby, peccavi, petrify, PPI, preachify, prettify, private eye, prophesy, purify, putrefy, qualify, quantify, ramify, rarefy, ratify, RBI, rectify, reify, res gestae, robber fly, runner's high, Russify, samurai, sanctify, satisfy, scarify, schwarmerei, semidry, set store by, shepherd's pie, shoofly pie, signify, simplify, Spanish fly, specify, speechify, stratify, stultify, stupefy, sweetie pie, Tenebrae, terrify, testify, tie-and-dye, tigereye, Trans Alai, tumble dry, typify, uglify, underlie, unify, Uruguay, Veneti, verify, versify, vilify, vinify, vitrify, weather eye, Windsor tie, xanthene dye, yuppify, zombify
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