ANIMATE

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does animate mean? 

• ANIMATE (adjective)
  The adjective ANIMATE has 3 senses:

1. belonging to the class of nouns that denote living beings

2. endowed with animal life as distinguished from plant life

3. endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness

  Familiarity information: ANIMATE used as an adjective is uncommon.

• ANIMATE (verb)
  The verb ANIMATE has 4 senses:

1. heighten or intensify

2. give lifelike qualities to

3. make lively

4. give new life or energy to

  Familiarity information: ANIMATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ANIMATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Belonging to the class of nouns that denote living beings

Context example:

the word 'dog' is animate

Domain category:

linguistics (the scientific study of language)

Antonym:

inanimate (belonging to the class of nouns denoting nonliving things)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Endowed with animal life as distinguished from plant life

Context example:

we are animate beings

Attribute:

aliveness; animateness; liveness (the property of being animated; having animal life as distinguished from plant life)

Antonym:

inanimate (not endowed with life)

Derivation:

animateness (the property of being animated; having animal life as distinguished from plant life)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness

Synonyms:

animate; sentient

Context example:

the living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage

Similar:

sensate (having physical sensation)

Attribute:

sentience (the readiness to perceive sensations; elementary or undifferentiated consciousness)

Derivation:

animateness (the property of being animated; having animal life as distinguished from plant life)

• ANIMATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they animate ... he / she / it animates   
Past simple: animated   
Past participle: animated   
-ing form: animating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Heighten or intensify

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

animate; enliven; exalt; inspire; invigorate

Context example:

These paintings exalt the imagination

Hypernyms (to "animate" is one way to...):

excite; shake; shake up; stimulate; stir (stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "animate"):

encourage (inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give lifelike qualities to

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

animate; animise; animize

Context example:

animated cartoons

Hypernyms (to "animate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

animator (the technician who produces animated cartoons)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make lively

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

animate; enliven; invigorate; liven; liven up

Context example:

let's liven up this room a bit

Hypernyms (to "animate" is one way to...):

arouse; brace; energise; energize; perk up; stimulate (cause to be alert and energetic)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "animate"):

ginger up; jazz up; juice up; pep up (make more interesting or lively)

inspirit; spirit; spirit up (infuse with spirit)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

animator (someone who imparts energy and vitality and spirit to other people)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Give new life or energy to

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

animate; quicken; reanimate; recreate; renovate; repair; revive; revivify; vivify

Context example:

This treatment repaired my health

Hypernyms (to "animate" is one way to...):

arouse; brace; energise; energize; perk up; stimulate (cause to be alert and energetic)

Verb group:

come to; resuscitate; revive (return to consciousness)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

 Context examples 

His duties would be established, but the wife who was to share, and animate, and reward those duties, might yet be unattainable.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

An account of the concert was immediately claimed; and Anne's recollections of the concert were quite happy enough to animate her features and make her rejoice to talk of it.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

He was animated now with the courage of fear.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Besides, there is that peculiar voice of hers, so animating and piquant, as well as soft: it cheers my withered heart; it puts life into it.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The happiness of this most happy day, received its completion, in the animated contemplation of his worth which this comparison produced.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The team made maps of where and when migration occurred over the past 24 years and animated these to illustrate, for example, "the most intensive migration areas in the continental United States," Sheldon explains.

(Using artificial intelligence to track birds' dark-of-night migrations, National Science Foundation)

While waiting for me he had engaged Maud in animated discussion.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

As though animated by a common impulse, the onlookers drew back to a respectful distance; nor were they again indiscreet enough to interrupt.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Em'ly, indeed, said little all the evening; but she looked, and listened, and her face got animated, and she was charming.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Could you look, sir, into my heart, you would approve to the full the sentiments which animate me.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)