What does verve mean?
Word: Verve
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Verve means great energy and enthusiasm in the way someone does something.
Synonyms: energy, enthusiasm
How do you spell verve?
Syllables: verve
Tricky part: This short word is easy to leave unfinished. The spelling carries on to one more letter after the sound has stopped.
Watch out for: verv, vervee
Memory tip: Someone with this quality never stops short, so the word finishes with one last kick: a silent e.
Verve in a sentence
Example 1: Meera danced the bhangra with so much verve that the crowd joined in.
Example 2: The new coach brought fresh verve to our morning practice.
Example 3: He tells his stories with wit and verve.
Fun Fact
English borrowed this word from French, and it goes back to the Latin for words: it first described a talent for lively writing, and only later energy in general.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word verve as used in the sentence:
The school band played the closing march with real verve.
a) zest
b) gusto
c) vigour
d) lethargy
Show answer
d) lethargy. A band short of energy and interest would show lethargy, the opposite of the word in the sentence.
Mingle-Mangle
Rearrange the jumbled letters in the sentence to form the right word:
The young tabla player took the stage with great rvvee at the annual day.
a) verge
b) verse
c) verve
d) nerve
Show answer
c) verve. The jumble has two v's, and only one option does.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
v_r_e
a) e, v
b) u, v
c) e, f
d) i, v
Show answer
a) e, v. An e follows the opening letter, and a second v comes just before the end.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning.
1. exuberence 2. verve 3. vitallity 4. vivasity
a) cheerful, overflowing high spirits
b) a lively spirit in how a task is done
c) the strength to stay active and alive
d) a bright, lively manner
Show answer
b) a lively spirit in how a task is done. Exuberance takes an a, vitality has one l, and vivacity needs a c.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A critic says a singer performed with verve. What is the critic praising?
a) her long and costly dress
b) her soft and careful breathing
c) her lively, spirited delivery
d) her neat and tidy songbook
Show answer
c) her lively, spirited delivery
2. Which speaker would you describe as having verve?
a) one who waits in silence for the bell
b) one who reads in a flat voice, eyes down
c) one who bounds on stage with eyes shining
d) one who mumbles a few lines and sits
Show answer
c) one who bounds on stage with eyes shining
