sprightly en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈspɹaɪtli/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (Received-Pronunciation) audio
Etymology
From spright + -ly (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘behaving like, having the nature of’). Spright is an obsolete variant of sprite (“a shade, spirit; elf, fairy, goblin; apparition, ghost”), from Middle English sprit (“principle of life; soul, especially at the point of death; immaterial being (angel, demon, apparition, ghost, etc.); divine inspiration; Holy Spirit; the mind, intellect, reason; mental faculties, senses; power of prophecy; character, disposition; courage, resolution; mood, state of mind; human will; breath; (alchemy) volatile substance”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman esprite, esprit and Middle French esprit, variants of Anglo-Norman, Middle French, Old French espirit, esperit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“air; breath; breathing; ghost, spirit”), from spīrō (“to breathe; to breathe out, exhale”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow; to breathe”)) + -tus (“suffix forming verbal nouns from verbs”).
Meanings
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Animated, gay, or vivacious; lively, spirited.
[B]y the Path-way green, / A ſprightlie Troupe ſtill onward heedleſſe ſped, / In Chace of Butterflies alert and keen; / Honours, and Wealth, and Powre, their Butterflies I ween.
1767, [William Julius Mickle], “Canto II”, in The Concubine: A Poem, in Two Cantos. In the Manner of Spenser, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Daniel Prince; [s]old by J[ohn] Rivington, […]; T[homas] Payne, […]; and J[ames] Dodsley, […]; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: T. and J. Merrill, →OCLC, stanza LIV, page 70:Next vnto lumpish Saturn, sprightlie Iove / Moves in his orbe.
c. 1614–1616, “[Certaine Poems.] Planetarum Energia.”, in J. M. Cowper, editor, compiled by R. C. [Richard Corbet?], The Times’ Whistle: Or A Newe Daunce of Seven Satires, and Other Poems: […], London: Published for the Early English Text Society, by N[icholas] Trübner & Co., […], published 1871, →OCLC, leaf 40, page 114, lines 13–14:And ſhou’d Apollo novv deſcend and vvrite, / In Vertue’s Praiſe ’tvvou’d never paſs for Wit. / The Bookſeller perhaps vvou’d ſay, / ’Tvvas vvell: / But ’Tvvou’d not hit the Times, ’Tvvou’d never Sell: / Unleſs a Spice of Levvdneſs cou’d appear, / The ſprightly part vvou’d ſtill be vvanting there. / […] / ’Tis Love and Honour muſt enrich our Verſe, / The Modern Terms, our VVhoring to rehearſe. / The ſprightly part attends the God of VVine, / The Drunken Stile muſt blaze in every Line.
1702, [Daniel Defoe], “Part II”, in Reformation of Manners, a Satyr, [London]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 59:The Bard now tries a ſprightlier ſound, / When all the feather'd race around / Perceive the varied ſtrains; / The ſoaring lark the note purſues; / The timorous dove around him cooes, / And Philomel complains.
a. 1764, William Shenstone, “Love and Music, Written at Oxford, when Young”, in Samuel Johnson, editor, The Works of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland; […], volume VII, London: […] Andrew Miller, […], published 1800, →OCLC, page 137, column 1:
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Of a person: full of life and vigour, especially with a light and springy step.
Shall our example ſloth create, / And make our Sons degenerate? / Our ſprightly youth uſeleſs in War become, / And ſleep in peace and ſlavery at home.
1685, [Francis Willis [et al.]], “Ode the 15th of the First Book of Casimire Imitated, Encouraging the Polish Knights after Their Last Conquests to Proceed in Their Victory”, in Miscellany Poems and Translations by Oxford Hands, London: […] Anthony Stephens, […], stanza VI, page 77:This youth was ance a sprightlie boy / As ever lived in Linne.
1845, “The Heir of Linne”, in James Henry Dixon, editor, Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads (Early English Poetry, Ballads, and Popular Literature of the Middle Ages. […]; XVII, number 1), London: […] [F]or the Percy Society, by T. Richards, […], →OCLC, page 33, lines 79–80:Methinkes it was aboutt this Date that a ſore Afflicſhon befelle my deare and formerlie merrie Siſter, the Ladye Herbert, whom my Reder will beſte recollecte as my Ladye Mother's beſte beloved Childe, the happie, ſprightlie Katie of oure School-den Daies.
1861, [Flora Frances Wylde], The Tablette Booke of Ladye Mary Keyes, Owne Sister to the Misfortunate Ladye Jane Dudlie; […], London: Saunders, Otley, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 197:
- Of a person: full of life and vigour, especially with a light and springy step. ▸ Especially of an older person: energetic and in good health; spry.
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(obsolete, rare) Of or relating to a sprite; ghostly, spectral.
[…] As I ſlept, me thought / Great Iupiter vpon his Eagle back'd / Appear'd to me, with other ſprightly ſhewes / Of mine owne Kindred.
1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 398, column 2:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sprightliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| spritely | alternative | lexicographic | |
| sprightlie | alternative | lexicographic | |
| sprightlier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
spright · sprightlily · sprightliness · unsprightly · sprightle
Relateds
sprightness · sprightful · sprightless
Synonyms
vivacious · active · active · high-spirited · energetic · dynamic · spright · vivacious · mettlesome · dynamic · mettlesome
Translations (42)
ota دینج (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · bg младежки (especially of an older person: energetic and in good health) · lv ņiprs (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · sh čio (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · bg енергичен (of a person: full of life and vigour) · sh živahan (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · fr vif (of a person: full of life and vigour) · ga beoga (of a person: full of life and vigour) · lv mundrs (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · ga breabhsánta (of a person: full of life and vigour) · bg енергичен (especially of an older person: energetic and in good health) · ga éirimiúil (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · lv žirgts (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · ga breabhsánta (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · ga beoga (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · sh čio (of a person: full of life and vigour) · ota دینج (of a person: full of life and vigour) · bg оживен (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · de flott (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · ga éirimiúil (of a person: full of life and vigour) · cs čiperný (especially of an older person: energetic and in good health) · de spritzig (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · es vigoroso (of a person: full of life and vigour) · cs čilý (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · fr animé (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · lv možs (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · bg жив (of a person: full of life and vigour) · cs čiperný (of a person: full of life and vigour) · ky тың (of a person: full of life and vigour) · mi ngākau hihiko (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · la vegetus (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · cs čilý (of a person: full of life and vigour) · sh čio (especially of an older person: energetic and in good health) · cs čilý (especially of an older person: energetic and in good health) · mi ngangahu (of a person: full of life and vigour) · ga breabhsánta (especially of an older person: energetic and in good health) · ar دَجِر (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · lv spirgts (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · bg весел (animated, gay, or vivacious — see also lively) · sh živahan (of a person: full of life and vigour) · ar دَجِر (of a person: full of life and vigour) · it vivace (of a person: full of life and vigour)