verve

See also Verve

English

Etymology

From French verve (“rapture, animation, spirit, caprice, whim”)

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)v

Noun

verve (uncountable)

1. Excitement of imagination such as that which animates a poet, artist, or musician, in composing or performing
2. artistic energy and enthusiasm
3. vigour, vitality and liveliness
   • 2012 April 9, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1 - 2 Norwich”, BBC Sport:

     After spending so much of the season looking upwards, the swashbuckling style and swagger of early season Spurs was replaced by uncertainty and frustration against a Norwich side who had the quality and verve to take advantage

4. rapture, enthusiasm
5. spirit, energy
   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter XII:

     Normally, this [girl] presents to the world the appearance of one who is feeling that if it isn't the best of all possible worlds, it's quite good enough to be going on with till a better one comes along. Verve, I mean, and animation and all that sort of thing. But now there was a listlessness about her [...]

Translations

excitement of imagination

• Finnish: innostus (fi)
• German: Schwung (de) m, Begeisterung (de) f, Verve (de) f, Enthusiasmus (de) m

• Spanish: nervio (es) m, energía (es) f, fogosidad (es) f

External links

• verve in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• verve in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

---

Dutch

Verb

verve

1. singular present subjunctive of verven

---

French

Etymology

Probably from Late Latin verva, alteration of the plural of Latin verbum.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /vɛʁv/

Noun

verve f (plural verves)

1. eloquence
2. verve, brio

---

Italian

Etymology

French

Noun

verve f (invariable)

1. verve

Synonyms

• brio
• estro
• vivacità