liven

Also used as

liven is also the plural simple present of live.

Examples of liven in a sentence

• Champlain's fight with the Iroquois is told to liven the narrative with a fight (p. 36), but the far-reaching result is merely hinted in a manner that means nothing to one who doesn't know.1905, The American Historical Review, the American Historical Association, page 380:
• Probably he livened heaven when he arrived.1997, David Nevin, 1812:
• […] to invigorate and liven the spirits.2003, Sarah Garland, The Herb Garden, page 69:

All 11 example sentences with liven

Synonyms of liven

• liven up
• animate
• arouse
• awaken
• beghast
• leaven
• bright
• brighten
• cheer
• energize

All synonyms of liven

Forms of liven

Past tense of liven: livened

Origin of liven

Partly from life + -en; partly from live (adjective) + -en; and partly a shortening of enliven. Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk livna (“to quicken, come alive”), Faroese livna (“to come to life, come alive”), Icelandic lifna (“to come to life”).

From Middle English liven, equivalent to live + -en.

Words formed from liven

• livener
• unlivened

Phrases with liven

• liven up

Words that rhyme with liven

• ivan
• enliven

Questions about liven

What does liven mean?

Liven means to cause to be more lively, or to become more lively.

How do you use liven in a sentence?

Champlain's fight with the Iroquois is told to liven the narrative with a fight (p. 36), but the far-reaching result is merely hinted in a manner that means nothing to one who doesn't know.

What part of speech is liven?

Liven is a verb.

How do you pronounce liven?

Liven is pronounced /ˈlaɪvən/.

What is the past tense of liven?

The past tense of liven is livened.