What does sprightliest mean?
Sprightliest is the superlative of sprightly and means the liveliest, most animated, or most full of cheerful energy. It is especially used to compare people who appear especially vigorous, youthful, alert, or ready for activity. The word can describe a person’s appearance or demeanor, as in “the sprightliest child in the class,” but it can also characterize behavior, spirits, or even a place filled with movement and excitement. Its tone is warmer and more conspicuous than the neutral word liveliest. Although sprightliest is still readily understood, it sounds literary, old-fashioned, or deliberately whimsical, so it is uncommon in straightforward contemporary prose. It is particularly useful in descriptions intended to evoke vitality, youthful exuberance, or comic energy.
adjectiveThe superlative of sprightly: full of energy, animation, and cheerful vitality.
- Full of life, energy, and cheerful animation; the most sprightly of several people or things.
"Of all the children in the garden, Clara was the sprightliest."
"Of all the children in the garden, Clara was the sprightliest."
"The old actor looked his sprightliest as he stepped onto the stage."
Sprightliest takes sprightly's irrepressible energy and turns it up all the way.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sprightliest come from?
Sprightliest is the superlative of sprightly, formed by adding the suffix -iest to the positive form. Sprightly in turn developed from Middle English spright, an older word associated with a spark, spirit, or lively quality and related in origin to sprout. The modern sense of cheerful animation developed from this older association with vitality and quickness.
Related word forms
How sprightliest is actually used
The word is literary, archaic, or whimsically humorous. Modern speakers are more likely to use liveliest or full of life, except when choosing a deliberately elevated or playful register.
Easily confused with sprightliest
Sprightly is the base adjective meaning lively or animated, while sprightliest is its superlative form, meaning the most lively or animated of a group.