animal spirits

American

noun

exuberance arising from an excess of energy; vivacity and good humor.

The children romped on the lawn, full of animal spirits.

animal spirits British

plural noun

cheerful and exuberant boisterousness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of animal spirits

First recorded in 1535–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Notice the break above a short term downtrend on the ratio chart against the S&P 500, which is another good sign of returning animal spirits.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

None of this means that the investment markets’ performance is always driven by animal spirits.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

There is some space for green shoots to sprout now, or at least for the animal spirits of the economy to emerge from non-stop chaos.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

Hartnett also referenced the troubles in credit and private equity as examples of peak liquidity and animal spirits.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025

In her animal spirits there was an affluence of life and certainty of flow, such as excited my wonder, while it baffled my comprehension.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023