1
as in fiery
marked by a lively display of strong feeling
the town meeting featured a spirited debate about the proposed ban on skateboarding in the plaza downtown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lively
having much high-spirited energy and movement
a team known for its spirited and in-your-face basketball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 spirited
ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
Ultimately, players voted to end the strike; but owners, recognizing their leverage and being what many would call mean-spirited, refused to allow players to compete in that weekend’s games.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May 2026
The winning bid of $157 million, which came after a spirited 10 minute bidding war that saw auctioneer Adrien Meyer counting up the bids in $1 million increments barely above a whisper, went to a buyer represented by Christie’s global president Alex Rotter.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 18 May 2026
Whatever those fans yelled at Leonsis, however mean-spirited the social media posts were, the moment has shifted.
—Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spirited
Adjective
Simpson doesn’t appear to have mounted a spirited defense.
—ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
Ultimately, players voted to end the strike; but owners, recognizing their leverage and being what many would call mean-spirited, refused to allow players to compete in that weekend’s games.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May 2026
The winning bid of $157 million, which came after a spirited 10 minute bidding war that saw auctioneer Adrien Meyer counting up the bids in $1 million increments barely above a whisper, went to a buyer represented by Christie’s global president Alex Rotter.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 18 May 2026
Whatever those fans yelled at Leonsis, however mean-spirited the social media posts were, the moment has shifted.
—Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spirited
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spirited
Adjective
-
Output and downtime tug hard as the intuitive Moon activates your 6th House of Work and Health, opposing fiery Mars in your 12th House of Solitude.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
These fiery thighs are easy to make.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hotel San Luis Obispo is located in the very walkable downtown, and the lobby bursts with energy on weekend evenings, thanks to its lively restaurant and bar.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
25 May 2026
-
Caught up in a lively dialogue?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Tom Quinn’s indie outfit snatched up Fjord for domestic release ahead of this year’s festival.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2026
-
The Broadview facility was filled with dozens of immigrants who’d been snatched off the streets.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Krista Macco was surprised, given how passionate Argent had been about the project.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
-
Even as public scrutiny of the congressman's absence reached a fever pitch on May 20, the speaker gave a passionate defense of the New Jersey lawmaker.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Green auroras, the most common type, form when energetic particles excite oxygen atoms about 60 to 150 miles (100 to 250 km) above Earth.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 May 2026
-
Conversations with partners, friends and spouses will be lively and energetic.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Helicopter footage captured by NBC4 showed police tape cordoning off a section of the residential street, where a large number of emergency responders were gathered.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
That task was best tackled by the great Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade, whose tribute, published in the Jornal do Brasil, captured the nuances of the collective mood.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The service Expect friendly, warm service from the spunky staff, plus a sense of freedom to do your thing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Stressing the omnipresent influence of the Portuguese colonizers, chorizo cooks with red kidney beans and black-eyed peas in a spunky chile-vinegar tomato sauce in a Goan adaptation of Brazilian feijoada.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
In recent years, Hollywood decided adult comedies were not good bets in movie theaters, and instead focused heavily on superheroes and animated films.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
22 May 2026
-
Toons boom across the Croisette this year, with colorful features opening Critics’ Week, closing Directors’ Fortnight, and appearing across nearly every section — further cementing Cannes’ status as a premier launchpad for animated cinema.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spirited. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
