vigour

English

Alternative forms

vigor (US)
vygour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English vigour, from Old French vigour, from vigor, from Latin vigor, from vigeo (“thrive, flourish”), from Proto-Indo-European [Term?].

Related to vigil.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈvɪɡə/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈvɪɡɚ/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -ɪɡə(ɹ)

Noun

vigour (countable and uncountable, plural vigours)

Active strength or force of body or mind; capacity for exertion, physically, intellectually, or morally; energy.
- 1717, John Dryden (tr.), Metamorphoses By Ovid‎, Book the Twelfth:
  The vigour of this arm was never vain
(biology) Strength or force in animal or vegetable nature or action.
A plant grows with vigour.
Strength; efficacy; potency.
- 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the book number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
  But in the fruithful earth: there first receiv'd / His beams, unactive else, their vigour find.

Usage notes

Vigour and its derivatives commonly imply active strength, or the power of action and exertion, in distinction from passive strength, or strength to endure.

Derived terms

envigorate
vigorous
hybrid vigor/hybrid vigour

Related terms

vegetable
vigil

Translations

active strength or force of body or mind; capacity for exertion, physically, intellectually, or morally; force; energy

Azerbaijani: güc (az), şiddət, enerji (az)
Bulgarian: енергия (bg) f (energija), сила (bg) f (sila)
Czech: verva (cs) f, nasazení (cs) n, energie (cs) f, aktivita (cs) f, síla (cs) f
Finnish: puhti (fi), ponsi (fi), voima (fi)
French: force (fr) f, vigueur (fr) f
Galician: vigor (gl) m
Georgian: ძალა (ʒala), ენერგია (energia), მხნეობა (mxneoba)
German: Ausdruckskraft, Energie (de), Leidenschaftlichkeit (de)
Greek: σφρίγος (el) n (sfrígos)
Latgalian: ognums m
Latin: vigor m
Latvian: spars m
Maori: ngao
Polish: animusz (pl) m (literary), bigiel (pl) m (literary)
Portuguese: vigor (pt) m
Romanian: vigoare (ro) f, vitalitate (ro) f
Russian: си́ла (ru) f (síla), эне́ргия (ru) f (enérgija)
Sanskrit: वर्चस् (sa) n (varcas)
Spanish: vigor (es), vivacidad (es) f
Swedish: vigör (sv) c, kraft (sv) c
Ukrainian: сила (uk) f (syla), енергія f (enerhija), енергійність f (enerhijnistʹ), снага f (snaha)

strength or force in animal or force in animal or vegetable nature or action; as, a plant grows with vigor

Bulgarian: сила (bg) f (sila)
Czech: síla (cs) f, verva (cs) f, energie (cs) f, chuť do života f, vitalita (cs) f
Finnish: elinvoimaisuus (fi), tarmokkuus (fi)
French: vigueur (fr) f
Georgian: ძალა (ʒala), ენერგია (energia), მხნეობა (mxneoba)
Romanian: putere (ro) f, forță (ro) f
Spanish: vigor (es) m, lozanía (es) f

strength; efficacy; potency

Bulgarian: енергичност (bg) (energičnost)
Czech: síla (cs) f, energie (cs) f
Finnish: tarmokkuus (fi), vahvuus (fi)
French: force (fr) f, vigueur (fr) f, énergie (fr) f
Georgian: ძალა (ʒala), ენერგია (energia), მხნეობა (mxneoba)
Romanian: forță (ro) f, vigoare (ro) f, energie (ro) f
Spanish: fuerza (es) f, energía (es) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Chinese: 精力，生命力
Czech: vitalita (cs) f
Finnish: pontevuus (fi) (1), tarmo (fi) (1)

Old French

Noun

vigour m (oblique plural vigours, nominative singular vigours, nominative plural vigour)

Alternative form of vigur