# animate

/ˈænəˌmeɪt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/animate
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to create moving images

verb · CEFR B1

to make a film or cartoon by using a series of drawings or computer models that look like they are moving.

For teachers: to impart the appearance of motion to drawings, models, or inanimate objects through the rapid display of sequential images.

- The studio spent three years to animate the characters for the new movie.
- Advanced software was employed to animate the complex facial expressions of the digital protagonist, ensuring a high degree of emotional realism.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice when discussing the production of a film.

### 2. to give energy or life to

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to give energy, excitement, or spirit to a person, a discussion, or a place.

For teachers: to stimulate, enliven, or impart vigour to a situation, person, or abstract concept.

- A sudden burst of laughter helped animate the quiet dinner party.
- The speaker's passion for social reform served to animate the otherwise dry academic conference, sparking a lively debate among the delegates.

### 3. living or alive

adjective · CEFR B2 · Academic

living; having life rather than being a dead object.

For teachers: possessing life, consciousness, or the capacity for voluntary motion; distinguished from inanimate matter.

- Children often wonder if their toys become animate when no one is looking.
- The philosopher argued that the distinction between animate beings and mechanical systems is becoming increasingly blurred by artificial intelligence.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

### 4. referring to living things

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

used to describe a word that refers to a person or an animal rather than an object.

For teachers: denoting a grammatical category of nouns or pronouns that refer to living entities, often requiring specific inflectional agreement.

- In some languages, you use different verb endings for animate and inanimate subjects.
- The researcher noted that the language treats trees as animate nouns, reflecting the culture's deep spiritual connection to the forest.

Usage: Used primarily in linguistics to describe noun classes or gender systems.

## Examples

- The studio uses new software to animate the characters.
- A shared passion for local history began to animate the discussion, turning a quiet dinner into a lively debate.
- The director sought to animate the ancient myth by blending traditional hand-drawn techniques with modern digital effects to create a sense of fluid, ethereal movement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.