May 29, 2011
- vigorous (adjective)
- \VIG-uh-rus\
- What does it mean?
- 1 : having vigor : robust2 : done with force and energy
- How do you use it?
- "We were out of bed at break of day, feeling fresh and vigorous, and took a hearty breakfast, then plunged down through the leafy arcades of the Castle grounds, toward the town." (Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad)
- Are you a word wiz?
"Vigorous" is not the only word you can use to describe vigor and energy. Which word do you think is a synonym of "vigorous"?
"Vigorous," "strenuous," "energetic," and "dynamic" all mean having or showing great vitality and energy. "Vigorous" suggests active strength and unfailing freshness and health, as in "as vigorous as a man half his age." "Strenuous" suggests the making or meeting of hard and challenging demands, as in "weight lifting and other strenuous exercises" or "a strenuous supporter of equal rights." "Energetic" suggests an abundance of energy and the ability to withstand lots of activity, as in "energetic travelers who are always going places" or "an energetic campaigner." "Dynamic" adds to "energetic" a sense of power or forcefulness, as in "a dynamic speaker" or "a dynamic personality."
