sprightly

adj
/ˈspɹaɪtli/US

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”).

  1. derived from *(s)peys- — “to blow; to breathe
  2. derived from spīritus — “air; breath; breathing; ghost, spirit
  3. derived from espirit
  4. derived from esprit
  5. derived from esprite
  6. inherited from 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

Definitions

  1. Animated, gay, or vivacious

    Animated, gay, or vivacious; lively, spirited.

    • Next vnto lumpish Saturn, sprightlie Iove / Moves in his orbe.
    • [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.
  2. Of a person

    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.
    • This youth was ance a sprightlie boy / As ever lived in Linne.
  3. Of or relating to a sprite

    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.
  4. + 1 more definition
    1. In a lively and vigorous way

      In a lively and vigorous way; sprightlily.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA