vigorously

adverb

vig·​or·​ous·​ly ˈvi-g(ə-)rəs-lē How to pronounce vigorously (audio)
Synonyms of vigorously
: in a vigorous manner : with force and energy
He vigorously denied the accusations.
In a medium bowl, vigorously stir together the remaining ingredients, except for the pine nuts, to make the filling.—Mei Chin
Last fall, Democratic congressional staffers vigorously researched what options they have …—Jonathan Schwarz

Synonyms of vigorously

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of vigorously in a Sentence

vigorously shook my hand and told me how happy he was to be there
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The president has continued to vigorously back Paxton throughout the general election, making several trips to Texas to campaign for him. — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 His critics interpreted it as endorsing the massacre of Israeli civilians, though Abu Shehadeh and others vigorously denied that claim. — Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026 Brattin voted for the bill that changed the state’s maps, and vigorously defended it in lawsuits, press conferences and on social media. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 Ida Mae Cullen, the peppery widow of poet Countee Cullen, pipes up to remind the group, vigorously, that the Harlem Renaissance really lasted for just one decade, the 1920s, though its ripples began years before and resonated for decades after. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vigorously

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vigorously was in the 15th century

Rhymes for vigorously

See All Rhymes for vigorously

Browse Nearby Words

vigorous
vigorously
vigorousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vigorously.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vigorously. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All