HIGH-SPIRITED Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

high-spirited

adjective

ˈhī-ˈspir-ə-təd

Definition of high-spirited

as in joyful

joyously unrestrained a high-spirited crowd loudly cheering the basketball team on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in spirited

marked by a lively display of strong feeling the band struck up a high-spirited march as the President's motorcade approached

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-spirited

Adjective

The singer leaned all the way into the feel-good and joyful song, dropping pink, white and orange balloons from the ceiling as confetti shot in the air.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2026
We were treated to a commercial-free evening of exciting entertaining, educational, emotional and joyful programming.

— Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2026

Definition of joyful

Adjective

But as soon as Rena Owen comes to the fore as Tala, Moana’s spirited grandmother (an elderly rebel who’s going to set this tale in motion), her playful aging-hippie spark connects.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 July 2026
Off a counterattack following an Argentina corner, Mo Salah made a spirited run down the middle of the pitch.

— NBC News, NBC news, 7 July 2026

Definition of spirited

Adjective

In the 2003 film, the Dan Band’s sweaty, inappropriately exuberant version of the ’80s power ballad upstages Will Ferrell’s wedding.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
The film appears to mark a departure from Impacciatore’s recent roles that are imbued in her goofy, exuberant persona.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 July 2026

Definition of exuberant

Adjective

The actress and comedian, 46, turned up the heat in a fiery red dress at the 2026 ESPYS.

— Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
The satellites would only survive about 20 minutes before ultimately plunging to their fiery doom reentering Earth’s atmosphere.

— Lee Billings & Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026

Definition of fiery

Adjective

Inside, a lively party plays out — a cacophony of voices, skin, shimmer, bottles, joy and hormones on repeat.

— Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
From creators Liz Heldens and Matt Ward, the as-yet-untitled series follows Heidi (Banks), who is fresh off a messy divorce and sets out to secure a lively second act for herself and her kids.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 July 2026

Definition of lively

Adjective

Zann eventually got a call from casting director Meredith Layne and a screenplay with lines that were instantly familiar from her time voicing Rogue, the spunky heroine whose touch can be deadly, in the ‘90s.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
The spunky comedy streaming service couldn’t hit the mainstream enough to attract voters, despite some very funny programming.

— William Earl, Variety, 8 July 2026

Definition of spunky

Adjective

Astrologically, this is happening while both Luna and Venus journey through the dazzling and vivacious sign of Leo, making this cosmic close-up all the more fitting when considering this Fire sign’s majestic archetype.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
What happens when a vivacious, perky, wannabe actress moves across the hall from two Caltech physicists whose idea of a big Saturday night is a rousing game of Dungeons and Dragons?

— Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026

Definition of vivacious

Adjective

Yet what elevates The Daily Show, and produced so many offspring, is that its point of view is obvious and passionate—without shading into outright campaigning.

— Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Playing in front of a passionate home Mexican crowd, Jimenez had an excellent tournament, leading the line for Javier Aguirre’s side.

— Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of passionate

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.

Browse Nearby Words

high-speed

high-spirited

high-spiritedly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“High-spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-spirited. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of high-spirited

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on high-spirited

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quid pro quo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes