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spirited

American  
[spir-i-tid] / ˈspɪr ɪ tɪd /

adjective

  1. having or showing mettle, courage, vigor, liveliness, etc..

    a spirited defense of poetry.
    Synonyms:
    mettlesome, courageous, vigorous, lively, energetic, active, ardent, vivacious, animated
spirited British  
/ ˈspɪrɪtɪd /

adjective

  1. displaying animation, vigour, or liveliness

  2. (in combination) characterized by mood, temper, or disposition as specified

    high-spirited

    public-spirited
"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonspirited adjective
  • nonspiritedly adverb
  • nonspiritedness noun
  • quasi-spirited adjective
  • quasi-spiritedly adverb
  • spiritedly adverb
  • spiritedness noun
  • unspirited adjective
  • unspiritedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of spirited

First recorded in 1590–1600; spirit + -ed 3

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.

Before dawn on Saturday, US special forces broke into Maduro's compound and spirited him and his wife away.

From BBC

Newcastle held off a spirited comeback from fellow strugglers Gloucester to win 25-19 victory at Kingston Park - their first win in nine outings this season.

From Barron's

OK, maybe that’s going a little too far, but if the animals are just as spirited next year, Americans will probably be gathering around their Thanksgiving tables feeling especially fortunate.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Lakers responded to three blowout losses and a spirited team meeting by playing one of their most complete games of the season Sunday to earn a 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

From Los Angeles Times

U.S. officials were working on legal language to mitigate the risk Boeing components could be spirited from Belarus into Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.