vigor
8 synonyms and 3 antonyms for vigor, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Physical strength, energy and good health.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
Physical strength, energy and good health.
“At eighty he still had the vigor of a much younger man.”
Opposites
2. noun
Force, intensity or determination in the way something is done or expressed.
“The proposal was defended with real vigor at the hearing.”
How to use vigor
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Slightly formal or literary; in casual speech 'energy' is far more common.
Etymology
From Latin vigor 'liveliness, activity', from vigere 'to be lively or flourish'.
Full origin of vigor →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between vigor and vigour?
None in meaning. 'Vigor' is the American spelling and 'vigour' the British and Commonwealth one, following the same pattern as color and colour. Both derive from the same Latin word, which had no u.
Why is the adjective 'vigorous' spelled without a u even in British English?
Because the u in 'vigour' comes from the Old French spelling of the noun, while adjectives formed with -ous were built on the Latin stem. The same happens with humour and humorous, glamour and glamorous.
What does hybrid vigor mean?
It is the tendency of the offspring of two different inbred lines to be larger, healthier or more productive than either parent. Plant breeders exploit it heavily in crops such as maize, and it is also called heterosis.