Standard Lemma guide

brio

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈbɹiːoʊ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːoʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: B R AY1 OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Vigour or vivacity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

quality of being active or spirited or alive and vigorous

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: animation, spiritedness, invigoration, vivification

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: activeness, activity

Narrower terms: chirpiness, liveliness, life, spirit, sprightliness

History

Etymology

From Italian brio (“finesse, talent”), from Spanish brío, ultimately from Proto-Celtic *brīgos.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Elan — vigour or vivacity
  • German: Feuer — vigour or vivacity
  • German: Schwung — vigour or vivacity
  • Russian: жи́вость (žívostʹ) — vigour or vivacity