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".

Synonyms of spirited

• fiery
• passionate
• spunky
• brisk
• fervent
• high-spirited

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

James Gray’s Paper Tiger, the biggest American film in this year’s Hollywood-lite Cannes Film Festival, debuted on Saturday night to a spirited, six-minute standing ovation. —Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026

Whatever those fans yelled at Leonsis, however mean-spirited the social media posts were, the moment has shifted. —Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 14 May 2026

The onsite eatery’s delectable dumpling soup and terrific teriyaki salmon more than make up for the spirited sin of their signature cocktail being made the wrong booze. —David Dickstein, Oc Register, 13 May 2026

Despite the setback, Larson vowed to deliver a spirited campaign for the August 11 primary. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing spirited

• high-spirited
• low-spirited
• mean-spirited
• poor-spirited
• public-spirited

Rhymes for spirited

• dispirited

Kids Definition

spirited

adjective

spir·​it·​ed ˈspir-ət-əd 

: full of courage or energy

a spirited discussion

spiritedly adverb