animate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to make a film or cartoon by using a series of drawings or computer models that look like they are moving.
v.to impart the appearance of motion to drawings, models, or inanimate objects through the rapid display of sequential images.
Simple“The studio spent three years to animate the characters for the new movie.”
In context“Advanced software was employed to animate the complex facial expressions of the digital protagonist, ensuring a high degree of emotional realism.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice when discussing the production of a film.
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to give energy, excitement, or spirit to a person, a discussion, or a place.
v.to stimulate, enliven, or impart vigour to a situation, person, or abstract concept.
Simple“A sudden burst of laughter helped animate the quiet dinner party.”
In context“The speaker's passion for social reform served to animate the otherwise dry academic conference, sparking a lively debate among the delegates.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.living; having life rather than being a dead object.
adj.possessing life, consciousness, or the capacity for voluntary motion; distinguished from inanimate matter.
Simple“Children often wonder if their toys become animate when no one is looking.”
In context“The philosopher argued that the distinction between animate beings and mechanical systems is becoming increasingly blurred by artificial intelligence.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it describes.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
adj.used to describe a word that refers to a person or an animal rather than an object.
adj.denoting a grammatical category of nouns or pronouns that refer to living entities, often requiring specific inflectional agreement.
Simple“In some languages, you use different verb endings for animate and inanimate subjects.”
In context“The researcher noted that the language treats trees as animate nouns, reflecting the culture's deep spiritual connection to the forest.”
UsageUsed primarily in linguistics to describe noun classes or gender systems.
Antonyms
From Middle English animat(e), from Latin animātus, perfect passive participle of animō (“to fill with breath, quicken, encourage, animate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from anima (“soul, spirit, breath”); see anima. The verb derives from the adjective, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.