animate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb heighten or intensify
    invigorate; enliven; inspire; exalt.
    • These paintings exalt the imagination
  2. verb give lifelike qualities to
    animize; animise.
    • animated cartoons
  3. verb make lively
    enliven; liven; liven up; invigorate.
    • let's liven up this room a bit
  4. verb give new life or energy to
    repair; revivify; recreate; reanimate; revive; renovate; vivify; quicken.
    • A hot soup will revive me
    • This will renovate my spirits
    • This treatment repaired my health
  5. adjective belonging to the class of nouns that denote living beings
    • the word `dog' is animate
  6. adjective endowed with animal life as distinguished from plant life
    • we are animate beings
  7. adjective endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness
    sentient.
    • the living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage"- T.E.Lawrence

WordNet

An"i*mate transitive verb
Etymology
L. animatus, p. p. of animare, fr. anima breath, soul; akin to animus soul, mind, Gr. wind, Skr. an to breathe, live, Goth. us-anan to expire (us- out), Icel. önd breath, anda to breathe, OHG. ando anger. Cf. Animal.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Animated; present participle & verbal noun Animating
Definitions
  1. To give natural life to; to make alive; to quicken; as, the soul animates the body.
  2. To give powers to, or to heighten the powers or effect of; as, to animate a lyre. Dryden.
  3. To give spirit or vigor to; to stimulate or incite; to inspirit; to rouse; to enliven.
    The more to animate the people, he stood on high . . . and cried unto them with a loud voice. Knolles.
    Syn. -- To enliven; inspirit; stimulate; exhilarate; inspire; instigate; rouse; urge; cheer; prompt; incite; quicken; gladden.
An"i*mate adjective
Etymology
L. animatus, p. p.
Definitions
  1. Endowed with life; alive; living; animated; lively.
    The admirable structure of animate bodies. Bentley.

Webster 1913