spirited 1 of 2

adjective

ˈspir-ə-təd How to pronounce spirited (audio)
Definition of spiritednext
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

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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

spirited

2 of 2

verb

past tense of spirit
as in snatched

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
Adjective
The Egyptian star’s wish became reality just hours later, when Argentina outlasted a spirited Cape Verde side in extra time to set up a matchup against Egypt in the round of 16 in Atlanta at noon Tuesday. — Amna Subhan, AJC.com, 6 July 2026 And when Cape Verde’s Deroy Duarte evened the score with a right footed shot from a difficult angle at the 59-minute mark, the stunned stadium went silent, minus two small spirited clots of Cape Verde fans in the East end zone seats. — Miami Herald, 4 July 2026 Orange-pineapple juice blends with sweet tea to make a spirited cocktail that will hit the spot on game day or a pool day. — Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 4 July 2026 Roberts doffed his cap in gratitude for a spirited postgame ovation from the fans here, almost all of them Dodgers fans. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spirited
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spirited
  1. fiery
  2. lively
  3. snatched
  4. passionate
  5. energetic
  6. captured
  7. spunky
  8. animated
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
Verb
  • None of this is surprising coming from EA, of course, the company that snatched up Codemasters at the start of the decade for its F1 license, then summarily shut down everything the studio did beyond F1.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 8 July 2026
  • The couple, who are parents to 1-year-old Jack, snatched up the luxe four-bedroom property last month.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 8 July 2026
Definition of snatched
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
Adjective
  • Even small toe-taps or a light head bob accompanies the least energetic.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
  • Adrian, creative and energetic from childhood on—and raised in the presence of movie cameras—became a filmmaker himself, fusing a passion for extreme skiing with his cinematic sensibility.
    — Marina Harss, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Definition of energetic
Verb
  • The mother-daughter duo was captured sharing a giggly moment during the men’s finals.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 14 July 2026
  • Airline tracking website Flightradar24 captured the message, which was created during a flight on Saturday morning local time.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of captured
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
  • The three episodes of this outstanding series that were made available cements the claim that some of the most creative animated storytelling is being generated from anime.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • As an animated franchise, How to Train Your Dragon has shown admirable profitability and cultural staying power.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of animated

Browse Nearby Words

spirit (away or off)
spirited
spirited (away or off)
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Cite this Entry

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

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