What is the Latin word for lively?

The usual Latin words for “lively” are vegetus, vīvidus, vigeō; also alacer, ācer, recēns. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“lively” in Latin

vegetusenlivened, lively, animated, vigorous, active, brisk, sprightly vīvidusalive, animated; lively, vigorous vigeōto be vigorous or thriving; thrive, flourish; to be in honor, esteem or repute; prosper; to be alive, live alacerlively; brisk; quick; eager; active; peppy; excited; glad; happy; cheerful ācersharp, sour, bitter, pungent; keen, sharp, acute, sagacious; energetic, active, vigorous recēnsnew, recent, lately, newly, green, refreshed; fresh, lively; young, just whelped celebercontaining a multitude, numerous, frequent; crowded, populous; honored by a great assembly, famous, celebrated, renowned

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

lively

vegetus (enjoying life, gay): vividus (full of energy): vigens (rigorous in body or mind): alacer (quick, brisk, merry): acer (full of fire): recens (fresh): celeber (of places, frequented; opposed to desertus): a lively motion, motus vigens: a lively color, color vigens, acris; color ardens, ardentissimus: a lively countenance, os et vultus alacrior: a lively speech, oratio fervidior: a lively speaker, orator agens, calens in dicendo (that has a lively style or manner): orator concitatus (impassioned): a lively delivery, actio paullo agitatior; actio ardentior: to have a lively delivery, acerrimum esse in agendo; calere in agendo: a lively idea, opinio recens (Vid: Cic., Tusc., 3, 31, 75; 4, 7, in.); to form a lively idea of anything, *rem tamquam praesentem animo contemplari; rem quam maxime intentis oculis, ut aiunt, acerrime contemplari (Cic., Flacc., 11, 26): to give a lively idea of a thing, imaginem alicujus rei exprimere, quae veluti in rem praesentem perducere audientes videatur (after Quint., 4, 3, 123): lively correspondence by letter, celebritas, frequentia epistolarum: a lively memory, memoria praesens (Liv., 8, 22): to feel a lively joy, valde, vehementer laetari: in a lively manner, alacri animo (with spirit): acriter (fiercely, sharply): graviter, cum vi (with energy).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for lively?: The usual Latin words for “lively” are vegetus, vīvidus, vigeō; also alacer, ācer, recēns. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.