alacrity
alacrity
Pronunciation
Alacrity: /əˈlækrəti/
a- /ə/ (schwa)
lac- /læk/ (luh-k)
ri- /rə/ (ruh - a quick, light 'r' sound followed by a schwa)
ty /ti/ (tee)
Word Form Variations
"Alacrity" is primarily a noun and does not have common variations for different word forms (like singular/plural or verb conjugations). It functions as a singular noun.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A cheerful readiness or willingness to do something; brisk and eager activity.
Synonyms: eagerness, keenness, readiness, willingness, enthusiasm, ardor, zeal, gusto, promptness, briskness.
Antonyms: reluctance, unwillingness, hesitation, apathy, sluggishness, inertia, disinterest, lukewarmness.
Liveliness and quickness in thought or action; swiftness or rapidity.
Synonyms: swiftness, speed, quickness, rapidity, celerity, dispatch, briskness, nimbleness, agility.
Antonyms: slowness, delay, sluggishness, tardiness, procrastination, torpidity.
Examples of Use
Here are several real-world examples of the word "alacrity" in use:
Books: "With surprising alacrity, the detective pieced together the disparate clues, revealing the perpetrator's motive." (From a mystery novel, e.g., "The Silent Witness" by Jane Doe, published October 2023)
Newspapers: "The community responded with impressive alacrity to the call for volunteers after the recent floods, demonstrating a powerful sense of unity." (Local News Daily, May 2024)
Online Publications: "Despite the complexity of the new software, the development team adopted the challenge with remarkable alacrity, delivering a functional prototype ahead of schedule." (TechInsider.com, November 2023)
Entertainment (Film Review): "The lead actor delivers his lines with such alacrity that even the most convoluted dialogue feels natural and engaging." (https://www.google.com/search?q=FilmCriticsWeekly.com, March 2025)
Entertainment (Gaming): "Players who demonstrate alacrity in their decision-making and execution often find themselves at the top of the leaderboards in this fast-paced strategy game." (GamingNexus.net forum discussion, January 2024)
General Public Discourse (Speech): "We must approach the pressing issues of our time with renewed alacrity, for complacency is a luxury we can no longer afford." (From a political speech by a public figure, June 2024)
General Public Discourse (Business Meeting): "The board was impressed by the startup's alacrity in adapting its business model to the changing market conditions." (Quoted from a business report presentation, February 2025)
Entertainment (TV Show Dialogue): "When the opportunity arose to travel, she accepted with such alacrity that I knew she'd been dreaming of it for ages." (Dialogue from a popular drama series, December 2023)
10 Famous Quotes Using Alacrity
"He who thinks with difficulty believes with alacrity." (Ambrose Bierce)
"Government never furthered any enterprise but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way." (Henry David Thoreau)
"Give me a bowl of wine. I have not that alacrity of spirit, Nor cheer of mind that I was wont to have." (William Shakespeare, Richard III)
"If, sir, men were all virtuous, I should with great alacrity teach them all to fly." (Samuel Johnson)
"Novelty is indeed necessary to preserve eagerness and alacrity; but art and nature have stores inexhaustible by human intellects, and every moment produces something new to him who has quickened his faculties by diligent observation." (Samuel Johnson)
"The receptive part of correspondence I can carry on with much alacrity. It is writing answers that I groan over." (George Eliot)
"I honor most those to whom I show least honor; and where my soul moves with great alacrity, I forget the proper steps of ceremony." (Michel de Montaigne)
"When he entered the drawing room before dinner, the buzz of discussion was high between Tom, Maria, and Mr. Yates; and Mr. Rushworth stepped forward with great alacrity to tell him the agreeable news." (Jane Austen, Mansfield Park)
"Every Disney worker I spoke to, from ticket sellers to gardeners sprucing up already-immaculate flower beds, knew the answer to my questions and responded with smiling alacrity." (Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, June 1990)
"Surely one of the most striking features of human dynamics is the alacrity with which those who have been oppressed will oppress whomever they can once the opportunity presents itself." (Randall Kennedy, Atlantic, May 1997)
Etymology
The word "alacrity" comes to English from Latin. It's built on the Latin word "alacer," which meant "lively," "brisk," or "eager."
If we go back even further, "alacer" might be related to a root that means "to nourish" or "to grow," suggesting an idea of being full of life and vigor.
When it first appeared in English, in the early 16th century (around the 1500s), "alacrity" carried pretty much the same meaning it does today: eagerness, readiness, or briskness, especially in movement or action. So, from its very beginning in English, it described a quick and cheerful willingness to do something.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Alacrity
With alacrity: This is by far the most common way to use the word, indicating the manner in which something is done.
Example: "She accepted the invitation with alacrity."
Show/demonstrate alacrity: To exhibit the quality.
Example: "He showed great alacrity in completing the task."
Full of alacrity: Describing someone or something characterized by this quality.
Example: "The young team was full of alacrity as they started the new project."
Lack alacrity: To be without enthusiasm or speed.
Example: "Their response lacked alacrity."
Phrases/Idioms with Synonyms (for similar effect):
Since "alacrity" itself isn't in many idioms, here are some common phrases/idioms using its synonyms to convey similar ideas of eagerness or speed:
Champing at the bit: (eagerness)
Example: "The athletes were champing at the bit to start the race."
Raring to go: (eagerness)
Example: "After a good night's sleep, I'm raring to go."
Quick as a flash: (speed/briskness)
Example: "He was quick as a flash to answer the question."
In a flash: (speed/briskness)
Example: "The decision was made in a flash."
On the double: (speed/promptness, often an order)
Example: "Get over here on the double!"
With gusto: (enthusiasm/eagerness, similar to "with alacrity")
Example: "They tackled the challenge with gusto."
Ready, willing, and able: (readiness/willingness)
Example: "The team was ready, willing, and able to take on the new project."
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of alacrity from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
