Word family noun liveliness living livelihood adjective live lively living liveable verb live outlive relive liven up adverb live
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlivelylive‧ly /ˈlaɪvli/ ●●○ S3 adjective (comparative livelier, superlative liveliest) 1 peopleENERGETIC someone who is lively has a lot of energy and is very active a lively child2 place/situationBUSY PLACE a place or situation that is lively is exciting because a lot of things are happening The hotel is situated next to the lively bustling port. the city’s lively nightlife3 movements/music lively movements or music are very quick and exciting a lively Spanish dance4 discussion/description etcEXCITED a lively discussion, description etc is very interesting and involves a lot of ideas The book offers a lively account of her travels. a lively debate on environmental issues5 mind/thoughtsIMAGINE someone who has a lively mind is intelligent and interested in a lot of things Even Paula has shown a lively interest in politics. Charlie has a very lively imagination (=he often invents stories, descriptions etc that are not true). 6 colourBRIGHT very bright a lively combination of colours7 taste something that has a lively taste has a strong but pleasant taste The wine has a lively fruity flavour.8 → look lively! —liveliness noun [uncountable]Examples from the Corpus
lively• We got to the disco at about 10 o'clock and it was already quite lively.• She was a lively and adventurous girl - not one for a quiet life.• Her face was lively and animated as she acted out the scene.• As a speaker, he was articulate, lively, and funny.• It was a lively and happy celebration.• But sometimes he seemed unnaturally flushed and lively - and it was not with drink.• It's the liveliest bar in town, very popular with the tourists.• a lively combination of colors• A group of children entertained us with a lively dance called a tarantella.• a lively dance• Any question about taxation is likely to produce a lively debate in parliament.• First, there must be a continuing and lively debate on ethical matters to ensure that ethical guidance is kept up-to-date.• a lively debate• Garvy's novels have interesting characters and lively dialogue.• She sat next to him at dinner that night and engaged him in a lively discussion of rope walking.• All the recordings are sharp and lively, even if in some cases forty years old.• a lively kid• lively Latin rhythms• Hunt and Metta provide some lively moments, but Reed, a fine actor, is mostly reduced to wailing and whimpering.• It also features serious drama festivals, touring shows, lively musicals and pantomime.• the lively swirls of the stream• In all of present-day economics, there is no livelier writer than D. N. McCloskey.lively debate• As others may have different theories a genuine desire to prove a point of view leads to some lively debate.• Needless to say, there is a continuous and lively debate about whose model is the best.• The conference produced some lively debate and occasionally some widely differing viewpoints.• First, there must be a continuing and lively debate on ethical matters to ensure that ethical guidance is kept up-to-date.lively interest• McGregor thought Amelia was particularly suited by temperament for scientific work because she had such a lively interest.• This produces some lively interest-and some illuminating questions once the children overcome their inevitable reticence.• Ella's lively interest in Harold Shoosmith was shared by the rest of Thrush Green.• Though essentially traditionalist, the work shows a critical spirit and a lively interest in recent discoveries and debates.• Cranston's mount became skittish and even Philomel showed a lively interest in the group round the scaffold.• Below him, hand in hand, staring up with lively interest, were Jenny and Antony.From Longman Business Dictionarylivelylive‧ly /ˈlaɪvli/ adjectiveFINANCE if trading on the stock market is lively, people are buying and selling a lot of stocks, shares etcIn Milan, trading was lively for the first time in weeks.Origin lively Old English liflic, from lif; → LIFE 