spunky

adjective

ˈspəŋ-kē How to pronounce spunky (audio)
Definition of spunkynext
as in spirited
marked by a lively display of strong feeling a spunky determination to make the best of a bad situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 spunky As the sports and dorm director, Coach Walter Oakes has a spunky vibe that ignites students’ interest. — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, Susan was a spunky fan favorite on the inaugural Golden Bachelor season. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 The mop-haired actor plays Joey, a spunky boy onboard who bonds with Maddie over having absent parents in the military. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for spunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spunky
  1. spirited
  2. fiery
  3. passionate
  4. peppery
  5. brisk
Adjective
  • The end result is spirited but uneven, a show wherein some very big singing nearly succeeds in drowning out needling plot contrivances and characterizations as thin as a wanted poster.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The results again were heartening, with Conwell at times forging a spirited undersized backcourt chemistry with starting point guard Davion Mitchell, and at other times injecting a vigor into the second unit with Pelle Larsson.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of spirited
Adjective
  • The mood at Pleasantdale Elementary School was somber Thursday, as the school community grieved the loss of two students who died in a fiery train crash in Western Springs the day before.
    — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Run by the ever-battling twin brothers Patrius and Argentio Peck, the magazine is a fiery nest of secrets that Batter must learn to navigate to survive.
    — Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of fiery
Adjective
  • Their love story is passionate, funny, intellectual, and deeply alive, until a single, tragic wave on a beach in Oaxaca changes everything.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2026
  • As the National Transportation Safety Board investigates what weather, mechanical or tactical factors caused the crash, family members and former mentors are remembering the young pilot as passionate and talented beyond her 20 years.
    — Zoey Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of passionate
Adjective
  • The brisket came with a smoky taste and the rajas added a peppery flavor that had a kick but wasn’t too spicy.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Ida Mae Cullen, the peppery widow of poet Countee Cullen, pipes up to remind the group, vigorously, that the Harlem Renaissance really lasted for just one decade, the 1920s, though its ripples began years before and resonated for decades after.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of peppery
Adjective
  • On a brisk Saturday in October, more than 80 people try to shuffle into the small Corner Bookstore in New York City's Upper East Side.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Ticket sales have been so brisk that Center Theatre Group has already booked the show again for next season.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of brisk

Browse Nearby Words

spunkiness
spunky
spur
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spunky. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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