as in lively
in a quick and spirited manner
the children ran pertly towards the playground and each chose a swing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pertly
Adverb
-
The voice cast from the first installment keeps the film lively.—
Zaki Hasan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
31 Mar. 2026 -
Young hunters can also expect pennies, treats and other surprises along the route—enough to keep the afternoon lively.—
Debby Rice,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Doncic playfully slapped Maxi Kleber on the back of the head when Kleber was shooting during a Game 4 timeout.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Penguins darted beneath us, marine iguanas grazed on algae, and sea lions twirled playfully in the water.—
David Morris,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Still, while these surfaces are clearly meant to reflect deeper emotional and cultural truths, Coppola’s mining of them is done glancingly, airily.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Pertly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pertly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
