Sprightly
/ˈspraɪt.li/noun
Full of energy, liveliness, or cheerful vitality.
Did you know?Sprightly is historically tied to the same root as sprite, and that word once meant a spirit or supernatural being, giving this cheerful adjective a faint ghostly shadow.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
sprītan
“to sprout or spring up”
Middle English
ME
spritely / sprightly
“lively, nimble, brisk”
Late Middle English
ME
sprite
“a spirit, ghost, or supernatural being”
Early Modern English
English
sprightly
“lively, active, full of spirit”
Modern English
English
sprightly
“cheerful and energetic”