This old guy is still sprightly.
Source: tatoeba (3644928)
Sprightly
/ˈspɹaɪtli/
Synonyms for "sprightly" (161 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (33)
Strong matches (48)
Related words (80)
jokyjoshingkeenkeen-wittedlightlight footedlight-footedlivelivelymercurialmerrymilitantmordantneat-fingeredneat-handednimblenimble footednimble wittednimble-footednimble-witted
Show 39 more words
Adjective(17 words)
Noun(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: active, activist, activistic, agile, airy.
- Sentence evidence is available for sprightly, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sprightly".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sprightly"
Keep "sprightly" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sprightly" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sprightly", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sprightly" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
13 entriesCollocations
10 entriessprightly demeanorsprightly gaitsprightly mannersprightly moodsprightly performancesprightly personalitysprightly stepsprightly temposprightly tonesprightly wit
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
2 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
16 translations across 11 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- دَجِر adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Bulgarian
2 entries- енергичен adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
- жив adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Czech
2 entries- čilý adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
- čiperný adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
French
1 entries- vif adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Irish
3 entries- beoga adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
- breabhsánta adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
- éirimiúil adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Italian
1 entries- vivace adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Kyrgyz
1 entries- тың adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Māori
1 entries- ngangahu adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- دینج adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- čio adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
- živahan adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Spanish
1 entries- vigoroso adj (of a person: full of life and vigour)
Sample sentences
12 total sentences available.
And bathed in sunshine stood the chief, endowed / with shape and features most divinely bright. / For graceful tresses and the purple light / of youth did Venus in her child unfold, / and sprightly lustre breathed upon his sight, / beauteous as ivory, or when artists mould / silver or Parian stone, enchased in yellow gold.
Source: tatoeba (6797633)
My grandad has very painful knees, but he's still really sprightly.
Source: tatoeba (9237949)
Sprightly little goatherds, whose heads are the heads of fauns, and whose half naked and ruddy bodies are often clad in skins, ramble over the precipitous hills with nimble herds able to crop a living from mere stone-piles; and the fauns, Pan-like, pipe to their goats strains Theocritus might have loved.
Source: tatoeba (11863231)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sprightly"?
Closest matches include active, activist, activistic, agile, airy.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sprightly"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.