as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
the dance company has an infectious esprit that captivates audiences
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Recent Examples of esprit
This is as it should be, given the virtuosic esprit of Thallon’s performance.
—
Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In power, their Cheka harnessed the esprit of a military-religious order of knights with the atrocious violence of a gangster hit squad.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
As hip-hop rose from an underground phenomenon to a global vernacular, that esprit—of being the best, the baddest, the most beautiful—never vanished.
—Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2021
Each outfit in the show is accompanied by a headpiece that features a corresponding term, such as esprit, vitality, and self-determination.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2021
The assembly has moved online because of the coronavirus, compounding the pandemic's blows to the city's economy and worldly esprit.
—Jennifer Peltz, Star Tribune, 21 Sep. 2020
Longtime residents credit the company for the city’s somewhat international esprit and a level of spoken English beyond even the already-high Finnish norm (the city’s street names—Machine Alley; Adapter Street—are more unambiguous).
—Natasha Frost, Quartz, 29 Oct. 2019
College deans wanted to establish the same esprit-de-corps within houses as could be found in an exclusive fraternity, but that required engineering.
—Carla Yanni, Smithsonian, 6 Sep. 2019
Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In power, their Cheka harnessed the esprit of a military-religious order of knights with the atrocious violence of a gangster hit squad.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
As hip-hop rose from an underground phenomenon to a global vernacular, that esprit—of being the best, the baddest, the most beautiful—never vanished.
—Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2021
Each outfit in the show is accompanied by a headpiece that features a corresponding term, such as esprit, vitality, and self-determination.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2021
The assembly has moved online because of the coronavirus, compounding the pandemic's blows to the city's economy and worldly esprit.
—Jennifer Peltz, Star Tribune, 21 Sep. 2020
Longtime residents credit the company for the city’s somewhat international esprit and a level of spoken English beyond even the already-high Finnish norm (the city’s street names—Machine Alley; Adapter Street—are more unambiguous).
—Natasha Frost, Quartz, 29 Oct. 2019
College deans wanted to establish the same esprit-de-corps within houses as could be found in an exclusive fraternity, but that required engineering.
—Carla Yanni, Smithsonian, 6 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for esprit
Noun
-
Although not invasive, irises do need to be divided every few years to maintain vigor.—
Jamie McIntosh,
The Spruce,
5 May 2026
-
Staging new works or expanding into a new venue can bring a fresh view of a performing arts company and, with this, a confirmation of continuing vigor.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
The Sun came into the second half with a burst of energy sparked by back-to-back buckets from Miller.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Osvald Søe, 20, Wilson Eisner, 24, and Kieran Sargeant, 22, have all contributed to a developmental foundation that gives Varas’ club energy, athleticism, upside, and, at times, understandable volatility.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
For the cover of the May 11 & 18, 2026, special issue, themed around America’s 250th birthday, the cartoonist Barry Blitt portrays George Washington, the country’s first President, caught in the spirit of the moment.—
Françoise Mouly,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Mayor Mamdani was elected with that spirit at the center of his agenda.—
Jonathan Timm,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The Pulitzer board gave out two prizes in the local reporting category, a nod to the dynamism of both local journalism and relatively new newsrooms.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
4 May 2026
-
Ultimately, however, Demers never recorded a season above 40 points and has some limitations in terms of his creative dynamism from the back end.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Recipe information Mix 1 shallot, finely chopped, juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of kosher salt in a bowl and let sit.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
-
Just walking in Dalrymple's Garment District studio got Long's creative juices flowing.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
That means cutting federal regulations driving up housing costs, lowering the tax burden on working families, opposing any new gas or vehicle mileage taxes and cutting reckless spending that drives inflation.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita laid waste to drilling, transport and refining facilities around the Gulf of Mexico coast in 2005, gas prices soared in the South, Midwest and along the East Coast, which depended heavily on crude and refined gas produced in or near the gulf.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Nowadays, films with box-office appeal are audience-tested within an inch of their lives.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Knicks made life difficult for him in the halfcourt, and once that happened, Atlanta’s offense kept running into dead ends.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Esprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/esprit. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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