Meaning

Animated, gay, or vivacious; lively, spirited..

Definitions by Sense

1. Animated, gay, or vivacious; lively, spirited.
2. Of a person: full of life and vigour, especially with a light and springy step.
3. (obsolete, rare) Of or relating to a sprite; ghostly, spectral.
4. In a lively and vigorous way; sprightlily.

Example Sentences

Next vnto lumpish Saturn, sprightlie Iove / Moves in his orbe.

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.

[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.

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.

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.

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.

[…] As I ſlept, me thought / Great Iupiter vpon his Eagle back'd / Appear'd to me, with other ſprightly ſhewes / Of mine owne Kindred.

Word Forms

• sprightlier
• sprightliest
• sprightlie
• spritely

Synonyms for sprightly

Antonyms for sprightly

Related Words

When Should You Use Sprightly?

Use sprightly when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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