Vigorously

How to spell vigorously

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce vigorously

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does vigorously mean?

1. adverbIn a way that shows great energy, force, or determination.

Vigorously in a sentence

• She shook her head vigorously to reject the proposal.

• The spokesman vigorously denied the allegations at the press conference.

Where does vigorously come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin noun vigor, meaning liveliness, activity, or force, which itself grew from the verb vigere, to be lively, to thrive, or to flourish. Old French turned the noun into the adjective vigorous (also spelled vigoreux), describing someone full of strength and energy, and English borrowed that adjective in the 1300s, adding the native adverb ending -ly to produce vigorously. A useful spelling note is that English keeps the British noun as vigour, with the u, yet the adjective and adverb both drop that u, giving vigorous and vigorously in every dialect. The same Latin family also gives us vigil and even, more distantly, vegetable, all carrying that old idea of being alive and active. Knowing that the root is plain vigor, not vigour, is the simplest way to remember why no u appears in the middle of vigorously.

How the word is built

• vigor (from Latin vigor: liveliness, force)
• -ous (full of)
• -ly (adverb suffix)