a. Now rare. Also 5 spryght-. [f. SPRIGHT sb.1 Cf. SPIRITFUL a.]
1. Of persons: Full of spirit; animated, lively.
1595. Shaks., John, IV. ii. 177. Spoke like a sprightfull Noble Gentleman.
1607. Beaum. & Fl., Woman-Hater, IV. iii. I could be far more sprightful, had I eaten.
1658. Bromhall, Treat. Specters, I. 112. The servant … recovering life, and becoming as sprightful as ever he was.
1692. O. Walker, Grk. & Rom. Hist., 253. Julia Mœsa,… Subtil, Prudent, and Sprightful Woman.
1780. Mrs. H. Cowley, Belle’s Stratagem, 45. Parson Dobbins was the sprightfuller man of the two.
transf. 1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. iii. 226. Our sprightfull Pulse the Tide doth well resemble.
† b. Of horses: Spirited. Obs.
a. 1635. Randolph, in R. Dover, Ann. Dubr. (1636), C iv b. A noble Swayne, That spurr’d his spright-full Palfrey ore the playne.
1656. Cowley, Pindar. Odes, Extasie, ix. The Horses were … The noblest, sprightfulst breed.
1674. Flavel, Husb. Spiritualized, ix. 105. If one should give thee a handsom and sprightful horse.
2. Of actions, sounds, etc.: Marked by spirit, animation or liveliness.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, II. xiv. 40. Light aires turne vs into sprightfull actions; which breathe away in a loose laughter.
1638. Mayne, Lucian (1664), 238. Who … thinke they haue done nothing great or sprightfull.
1681–4. J. Scott, Chr. Life, 8. The constant, free, and sprightful Exercise of his Faculties.
1807–8. W. Irving, Salmag. (1824), 321. Striking up the right jolly and sprightfull tune of Ca Ira.
1898. J. M. Cobban, Angel of Covenant, i. 3. ‘See, Alec!’ she cried in that sweet, sprightful voice which always moved me and laid hold of me like the music of small silver bells.
† 3. Of liquids, etc.: Impregnated with spirit; spirituous. Obs.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 238. These bodies … are full of blacke, thicke and sprightfull blood.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Farew. Tower Bottles, Wks. III. 125/1. Few Ships my visitation did escape, That brought the sprightfull liquor of the Grape.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 113. The Pear-tree bears almost its weight of Sprightful Winy Liquor.
Hence Sprightfully adv.; Sprightfulness.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. iii. 3. The Duke of Norfolke, *sprightfully and bold, Stayes but the summons of the Appealants Trumpet.
1611. Cotgr., Vivement, liuelily, quickly, lightly, sprightfully.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, II. xxxix. 299. He so sprightfully carried himself.
1905. Westm. Gaz., 23 Sept., 12/1. The girl … who ‘enjoys life sprightfully, daringly, and glowingly.’
1648. J. Beaumont, Psyche, XV. ci. He who our brave *sprightfulness could make Of dull and sleepy nothing.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, I. ix. 35. In the Competitorship for Sprightfulness, we find one … surpassed by the other.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 16. 1/2. That sprightfullness of Thought, he had been formerly Master of.
1898. J. M. Cobban, Angel of Covenant, 10. Ye knew not … the wit and sprightfulness of his speech.
