live ‧ ly S3 /ˈlaɪvli/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative livelier , superlative liveliest )
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ live , ↑ outlive , ↑ relive , ↑ liven , ↑ up ; adjective : ↑ live , ↑ lively , ↑ living , ↑ liveable ; noun : ↑ liveliness , ↑ living , ↑ livelihood ; adverb : ↑ live ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: liflic , from lif ; ⇨ ↑ life ]
1 . PEOPLE someone who is lively has a lot of energy and is very active:
a lively child
2 . PLACE/SITUATION 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 nightlife
3 . MOVEMENTS/MUSIC lively movements or music are very quick and exciting:
a lively Spanish dance
4 . DISCUSSION/DESCRIPTION ETC 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 issues
5 . MIND/THOUGHTS 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 . COLOUR very bright:
a lively combination of colours
7 . TASTE something that has a lively taste has a strong but pleasant taste:
The wine has a lively fruity flavour.
8 . Look lively! British English spoken , Step lively! American English spoken used to tell someone to hurry
—liveliness noun [uncountable]