Synonyms

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.

See Examples For:

animal spirits

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

It’s on the supply-side, in a dearth of animal spirits and domestic competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

I was young, and, despite dread, full of animal spirits; it was impossible for me to take a dark view too long.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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