spirited

1 of 3

adjective

spir·​it·​ed ˈspir-ə-təd 

: full of energy, animation, or courage

a spirited discussion

spiritedly adverb

spiritedness noun

spirited

2 of 3

past tense and past participle of spirit entry 2

spiritedness

3 of 3

noun

plural -es

: the quality or state of being spirited : animation, liveliness, vivacity

her natural spiritedness detested the monotony

—George Meredith

—often used in combination

mean-spiritedness

public-spiritedness

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

Adjective

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

Examples of spirited in a Sentence

Adjective

The team put up a spirited defense.

She's a very spirited young lady.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Amid the Bengals’ spirited last-minute rally, Jaguars cornerback Rayuan Lane III came up with the game-sealing tackle of Brown on fourth-and-10 at the Jacksonville 12. — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Johnny Depp is back in action – and his latest transformation quickly stirred up a spirited reaction. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Democrats are hoping to win statewide in Texas for the first time since 1994, and have launched spirited campaigns for both governor and Senate. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Even before its launch, the series stirred spirited discussion from enthusiasts of the book overs Kazan’s decision to center the story’s chilling antagonist Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh. — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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