spirit 1 of 2

Definition of spiritnext
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as in soul
an immaterial force within a human being thought to give the body life, energy, and power the theological and philosophical belief that the spirit is superior to the body

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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spirit

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word spirit distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of spirit are courage, mettle, resolution, and tenacity. While all these words mean "mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship," spirit also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one's own or keep up one's morale when opposed or threatened.

her spirit was unbroken by failure

When might courage be a better fit than spirit?

While the synonyms courage and spirit are close in meaning, courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.

the courage to support unpopular causes

When could mettle be used to replace spirit?

The words mettle and spirit can be used in similar contexts, but mettle suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience.

a challenge that will test your mettle

In what contexts can resolution take the place of spirit?

Although the words resolution and spirit have much in common, resolution stresses firm determination to achieve one's ends.

the resolution of pioneer women

How are the words tenacity and resolution related as synonyms of spirit?

Tenacity adds to resolution implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat.

held to their beliefs with great tenacity

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spirit
Noun
Division 1 In the spirit of the Highlanders, Helix High School senior Delise Jartu played bagpipes in a Scottish outfit before the game. Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026 The Roosevelt Room Offers $9 classic margaritas and $10 mezcal margaritas all day, with an emphasis on balanced, spirit-forward cocktails. Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
Em embodies that spirit perfectly. Mandeep Rai, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026 Residents, businesses and fans are invited to show their team spirit through generosity. Jake Allen, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spirit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spirit
Noun
  • But what absorbs him most is the intense kinship that the San feel with the elephants, to the point where, at a bonfire dance, a kind of cross-species migration of souls seems to take place.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
  • That contrast, natural and refined, is what gives it soul.
    Gabi De la Rosa, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Flexibility and efficiency Hitachi’s dual-mode excavator marries eco-friendliness and efficiency in a single design.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
  • From there, the Longhorns were in cruise control mode.
    David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • What begins as a journey for father and son to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye, quickly turns into a fantastical adventure the tests their relationship and digs up ghosts from Kratos' past.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
  • In times of crumble and collapse, buildings and governments may fall, but stories are the ghosts that whisper to us from the rubble.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • First off, the guy on the sidewalk outside the liquor store was a drunk, not an oracle.
    David Sedaris, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
  • After a 10-year fight, his father was granted Pennsylvania’s first liquor license for a country club in 1959.
    Brad Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The location right in the heart of the Qianhai financial district, which captures the city’s overall ascent from a humble fishing village to a thriving business and technological hub.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Detectives have asked residents of the Catalina Foothills neighborhood where Guthrie lived to submit any suspicious behavior captured on security cameras for the entire month before the abduction.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Read full review To experience Rosewood’s flagship hotel is to see it as the essence of a resurgent Hong Kong.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026
  • And timing is of the essence as Lunar missions tend to have narrow windows.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Light transforms art, deepening texture, shifting color, and altering mood throughout the day.
    Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Davis is a curious sort of colorist, using a limited palette that works overtime in the production of moods.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • As the 14-year-old child of a poor family in 1858, Saint Bernadette experienced numerous apparitions of a young woman in a cave or grotto, seemingly the Virgin Mary, asking for a chapel to be built on the site.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Our Lady, a revered apparition of the Virgin Mary, asked why Flores-Gomez had stopped singing to her.
    Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 20 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spirit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spirit. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

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