lively

Etymology 1

From Middle English lyvely, lifly, from Old English līflīċ (“living, lively, long-lived, necessary to life, vital”), equivalent to life + -ly. Cognate with Scots lively, lifely (“of or pertaining to life, vital, living, life-like”). Doublet of lifely.

adj

1. Full of life; energetic.
   But with the lively [Giovani] Dos Santos pulling the strings behind strikers [Roman] Pavlyuchenko and [Jermain] Defoe, Spurs controlled the first half without finding the breakthrough their dominance deserved. 29 September 2011, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 – 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2018-11-27
2. Bright, glowing, vivid; strong, vigorous.
   The colours of the prism are manifestly more full, intense, and lively that those of natural bodies. 1704, Isaac Newton, Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light
   His faith must be not only living, but lively too. 1688, Robert South, Sacramental Preparation: Set forth in a Sermon on Matthew 5, 12.
3. (archaic) Endowed with or manifesting life; living.
   c. 1600, Philemon Holland chaplets of gold and silver resembling lively flowers and leaves
4. (archaic) Representing life; lifelike.
   I spied the lively picture of my father. 1632, Philip Massinger, Nathan Field, The Fatal Dowry
5. (archaic) Airy; animated; spirited.
6. (of beer) Fizzy; foamy; tending to produce a large head in the glass.

noun

1. (nautical, informal) Term of address.
   Speak the word, my livelies, and I'll pilot her in. 1846, Herman Melville, Typee

Etymology 2

From Middle English lyvely, lifly, from Old English līflīċe, equivalent to life + -ly.

adv

1. Vigorously.
2. Vibrantly, vividly.
3. (obsolete) In a lifelike manner.
   the Painter Protogenes […] having perfected the image of a wearie and panting dog, […] but being unable, as he desired, lively to represent the drivel or slaver of his mouth, vexed against his owne worke, took his spunge, and moist as it was with divers colours, threw it at the picture […]. , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.220-1