vigour

English

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)

1. Active strength or force of body or mind; capacity for exertion, physically, intellectually, or morally; energy.
   • 1717, John Dryden (tr.), Metamorphoses By Ovid‎^[1], 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.

2. (biology) Strength or force in animal or vegetable nature or action.

   A plant grows with vigour.

3. 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

• envigorate
• vigorous
• hybrid vigor/hybrid vigour
• vim and 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)
• 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)

Old French

Noun

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

1. Alternative form of vigur