vigor

14 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.

energy

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

vitality stamina zip intensity zeal

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

robustness muscularity heartiness vim dynamism vigour forcefulness gusto

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

Physical strength, energy and good health.

“At eighty he still had the vigor of a much younger man.”

energy vitality stamina robustness muscularity heartiness vim dynamism vigour zip

Opposites

lethargy weakness frailty

2. noun

Force, intensity or determination in the way something is done or expressed.

“The proposal was defended with real vigor at the hearing.”

forcefulness intensity zeal gusto

How to use vigor

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

youthful vigor with renewed vigor hybrid vigor vim and vigor

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.

People also searched

energy weakness intensity zip vitality stamina zeal forcefulness robustness dynamism vim vigour

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of vigor