soulful

adjective

soul·​ful ˈsōl-fəl 

: full of or expressing feeling or emotion

soulful music

soulfully

ˈsōl-fə-lē 

adverb

soulfulness noun

Examples of soulful in a Sentence

a handsome actor with soulful eyes

Recent Examples on the Web

But even those fans of her socially clumsy and feverishly party-planning mayor’s assistant Patricia on that series may not be prepared for her soulful, wrenching work in Mike Leigh’s latest film. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026

Far from sounding preachy, the song employs Lafourcade’s serene vocal style and Santana’s soulful guitar as an invitation to reconcile. — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2026

The outdoors lent a wry, soulful grandeur to the characters’ expletive-riddled bickering. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026

While Wolf has been known to traverse genres on her records, often leaning into the maximalism of funk, soulful dance, R&B and bedroom-pop to indie-rock — Mud was a sonic departure for her that leaned more Americana. — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for soulful

• doleful

Kids Definition

soulful

adjective

soul·​ful ˈsōl-fəl 

: full of or expressing feeling

soulful music

soulfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

soulfulness noun