spirited
adjective
spir·it·ed
ˈspir-ə-təd 
: full of energy, animation, or courage
a spirited discussion
spiritedly
adverb
spiritedness
noun
Did you know?
You may see spirited used to describe a conversation, a debate, a horse, or a campaign. And it often shows up in such words as high-spirited ("bold and energetic"), mean-spirited ("spiteful"), and public-spirited ("generous to a community"), all of which reflect the original meaning of spirit, a notion much like "soul" or "personality".
Examples of spirited in a Sentence
The team put up a spirited defense.
She's a very spirited young lady.
Recent Examples on the Web
White rum lays down a clean, spirited base, while the richness of maple syrup lends a silky depth that softens the citrus bite of fresh lemon juice.
—
Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In the video, she is seen running while having a spirited conversation with Christian, who was filming.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
The cross-examination’s most spirited moment came when Bangs approached the defendant with an autopsy photo.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
The post, shared by u/wasnapping in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, has garnered 43,000 upvotes since it was posted on September 11, stirring a spirited debate about entitlement, etiquette, and the limits of neighborly requests.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spirited
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Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
In the video, she is seen running while having a spirited conversation with Christian, who was filming.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
The cross-examination’s most spirited moment came when Bangs approached the defendant with an autopsy photo.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
The post, shared by u/wasnapping in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, has garnered 43,000 upvotes since it was posted on September 11, stirring a spirited debate about entitlement, etiquette, and the limits of neighborly requests.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spirited
Cite this Entry
“Spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirited. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spirited
adjective
spir·it·ed
ˈspir-ət-əd
: full of courage or energy
a spirited discussion
spiritedly
adverb
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