vigour

Alternative forms

vigor (US)
vygour (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English vigour, from Old French vigour, from vigor, from Latin vigor, from vigeō (“thrive, flourish”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be lively”).

Related to vigil, vegetable, vajra, and waker.

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
- 1953 April, “Arrears of Station Maintenance”, in Railway Magazine, page 217:
  Mr. Elliot's frank statement that "sloth and untidiness are indefensible" is a sign that the task will be tackled with vigour.
(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 page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
  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

Related terms

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), жизненост (bg) f (žiznenost)
Czech: verva (cs) f, nasazení (cs) n, energie (cs) f, aktivita (cs) f, síla (cs) f
Esperanto: vigleco, vervo (eo)
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)
Italian: vigore (it) m
Latgalian: ognums m
Latin: vigor m
Latvian: spars m
Maori: ngao
Ottoman Turkish: قوت (kuvvet), درمان (derman), طاقت (takat)
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)