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View synonyms for soul

soul

[ sohl ]

noun

  1. the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

    Synonyms: spirit

  2. the spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come:

    arguing the immortality of the soul.

  3. the disembodied spirit of a deceased person:

    He feared the soul of the deceased would haunt him.

  4. the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.

    Synonyms: heart

  5. a human being; person.
  6. high-mindedness; noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage, etc.
  7. the animating principle; the essential element or part of something.

    Synonyms: heart, core, essence

  8. the inspirer or moving spirit of some action, movement, etc.
  9. the embodiment of some quality:

    He was the very soul of tact.

  10. (initial capital letter) Christian Science. God; the divine source of all identity and individuality.
  11. shared ethnic awareness and pride among Black people, especially Black Americans.
  12. deeply felt emotion, as conveyed or expressed by a performer or artist.


adjective

  1. of, characteristic of, or for Black Americans or their culture:

    soul newspapers.

soul

1

/ səʊl /

noun

  1. the spirit or immaterial part of man, the seat of human personality, intellect, will, and emotions, regarded as an entity that survives the body after death pneumatic
  2. Christianity the spiritual part of a person, capable of redemption from the power of sin through divine grace
  3. the essential part or fundamental nature of anything
  4. a person's feelings or moral nature as distinct from other faculties
    1. Also calledsoul music a type of Black music resulting from the addition of jazz, gospel, and pop elements to the urban blues style
    2. ( as modifier )

      a soul singer

  5. modifier of or relating to Black Americans and their culture

    soul food

    soul brother

  6. nobility of spirit or temperament

    a man of great soul and courage

  7. an inspiring spirit or leading figure, as of a cause or movement
  8. a person regarded as typifying some characteristic or quality

    the soul of discretion

  9. a person; individual

    an honest soul

  10. the life and soul
    See life
  11. upon my soul!
    an exclamation of surprise
“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


Soul

2

/ səʊl /

noun

  1. Christian Science another word for God
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈsoul-ˌlike, adjective
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Other Words From

  • soullike adjective
  • under·soul noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of soul1

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sāwl, sāwol; cognate with Dutch ziel, German Seele, Old Norse sāl, Gothic saiwala
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Word History and Origins

Origin of soul1

Old English sāwol; related to Old Frisian sēle, Old Saxon sēola, Old High German sēula soul
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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with soul , also see bare one's soul ; heart and soul ; keep body and soul together ; kindred spirit (soul) ; living soul .
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Example Sentences

The Senate likes to call itself “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” and the filibuster, at least in myth, is the soul of that deliberation.

From Vox

Likewise, when celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, of Ethiopian and Swedish descent, opened soul food restaurant Red Rooster in Harlem, New York, in 2010, some criticized it for contributing to gentrification by catering to outsiders.

From Eater

All the same, Stone Locals is a compelling depiction of the soul of the sport.

As a Belarusian citizen, my heart hurts, and my soul is tired.

From Ozy

We started with a major open space idea as we sculpted our plan, and it has now rightfully emerged as the soul of the project.

Education controls the transmission of values and molds the spirit before dominating the soul.

But damn, the music is catchy—a neo-soul aural assault of horns, electro swirls, yelps, funky basslines, and harmonized vocals.

Ragtime, blues, country, jazz, soul, and rock and roll were all pioneered or inspired by black artists.

The gathering of the thousands of cops had been a soul-stirring sight.

You mix up English working-class gruffness with African-American soul from the Deep South.

But the liberal soul deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand.

Words are often everywhere as the minute-hands of the soul, more important than even the hour-hands of action.

Monotheism is strictly inconsistent with the supremacy of “merits” which is the very soul of Oriental religion.

Some critics feel that, despite much that is desirable in her work, the soul is lacking in the women she paints.

David says, that his soul was full of trouble, and his life drew near unto the grave.

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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.

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