animate
Definitions
To bring to life, energize, or make lively.
使有生气；激励；使活跃。
To create as moving images by displaying a sequence of drawings or models.
制作（动画）；用连续画面或模型使其动起来。
Alive; having life.
有生命的；活的。
Root Breakdown
Native Englishanim (life, breath) + -ate (to make) = 'to give life to.' Energizing a dull room or making still drawings move are the same act — breathing life into something that had none. As an adjective it simply means 'living,' the opposite of inanimate.
Root anim still carries 21 more wordsWhy It Means This
The verb and adjective are spelled the same but sound different: to animate /-meɪt/ (give life), and an animate /-mət/ object (living). The 'cartoon' meaning is the literal one — animators give the breath of motion to drawings frame by frame.
Common Collocations
- 1.animate a discussion活跃讨论气氛
- 2.animate a character制作角色动画
- 3.animate a crowd激励人群
Example Sentences
- 1.
Skilled artists animate each character frame by frame.
- 2.
Her enthusiasm animated the entire discussion.