Standard Lemma guide

verve

noun · 3 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /vɜːv/
  • General-American: /vɝv/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)v
  • CMU ARPABET: V ER1 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist, musician, or writer, in composing or performing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brio, élan, liveliness, moxie, panache, vivacity, ardor, alacrity, celerity, energy, enthusiasm, exuberance, exuberantness, fanaticism, fervor, gusto, purpose, verve, vigor, vim, zeal, zealousness

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A particular skill in writing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an energetic style

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vitality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: energy, muscularity, vigor, vigour, vim

Narrower terms: sparkle, twinkle, spark, light

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French verve (“animation; caprice, whim; rapture; spirit; vigour; type of expression”), probably from Late Latin verva, a variant of Latin verba (“words; discourse; expressions; language”), the plural of verbum (“word”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *werh1- (“to say, speak”). Doublet of verb and word.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: зама́х (zamáh) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Bulgarian: ентусиазъм (entusiazǎm) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Czech: verva — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Dutch: schwung — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Esperanto: vervo — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Finnish: innostus — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Finnish: palo — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • French: verve — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Georgian: წარმოსახვა (c̣armosaxva) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Georgian: სიცხოველე (sicxovele) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Georgian: ძალა (ʒala) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • German: Verve — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • German: Begeisterung — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • German: Enthusiasmus — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • German: Schwung — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Greek: οίστρος (oístros) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Greek: μπρίο (brío) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Greek: νεύρο (névro) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Greek: ζωντάνια (zontánia) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Italian: verve — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Italian: animatezza — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Italian: brio — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Italian: estro — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Italian: vivacità — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Japanese: エスプリ (esupuri) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Macedonian: елан (elan) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Macedonian: полет (polet) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Māori: wana — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Polish: werwa — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Polish: wigor — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Polish: bigiel — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Romanian: vervă — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Russian: воодушевление (vooduševlenije) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Russian: вдохновение (vdoxnovenije) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Slovak: verva — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Spanish: denuedo — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Spanish: energía — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Spanish: fogosidad — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Spanish: nervio — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Spanish: verba — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Swedish: stuns — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
  • Urdu: جیون (jīvan) — enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist musician, or writer, in composing or performing — see also spirit, vigour
Real reading context

verve in complete knowledge articles