spirited

adjective

spir·​it·​ed ˈspir-ə-təd How to pronounce spirited (audio)
: 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 But a spirited State of the Union address last week seemed to temper some concerns for now about his ability to do the job. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 The episode — which included Sweeney appearing as a Hooters waitress in a skit that has already been watched 3.7 million times on YouTube — set in motion a spirited debate online. Leah Dolan, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 O’Dowd mounted a spirited rally, but fell short against Bishop Montgomery-Torrance. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 At its 1928 Carnegie Hall premiere, Gershwin’s iconic masterpiece was a spirited composition, meant to reflect the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds on the streets of Paris with instruments that include real Parisian taxi horns, a trumpet, saxophone and snare drum. Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 From the vibrant streets of Rio de Janeiro to the spirited parades of Barranquilla, Colombia, Carnival is a testament to the power of music, dance and extravagant costumes, and comes together in a dazzling display of creativity and celebration. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2024 This select group of women — or WAGs, as the gossip media likes to call them — definitely seemed eager to win accolades for offering up the best and most uniquely glamorous and spirited style statement of the day. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024 The matches and lessons can turn spirited quickly, especially with a little wine or a Pimm’s Cup in the mix. Chris MacIas -, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024 The sport's Hall of Fame standards and elections are the stuff of heated debate among baseball writers and aficionados, and this year's outcome will surely cause spirited disagreement. David Faris, theweek, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spirited.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spirited was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near spirited

Cite this Entry

“Spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirited. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spirited

adjective
spir·​it·​ed ˈspir-ət-əd How to pronounce spirited (audio)
: full of courage or energy
a spirited discussion
spiritedly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on spirited

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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