soulful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of soulful
Explanation
The adjective soulful is used to describe things that express strong emotion, especially a kind of sadness or tenderness. You might enjoy soulful poetry — or you might just find it corny. If you meet a sad-looking dog with big, soulful eyes at your local animal shelter, you'll have a hard time not taking him home with you. Those soulful eyes might seem to be saying, "You are the companion I've been waiting for all my life." (Although they might actually be saying, "Mmm, you smell like bacon.") This adjective is also good for describing music that moves you deeply.
Vocabulary lists containing soulful
"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou
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Road Home
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Betty Before X
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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.
Around 163 million people tuned in to last year's contest, which offered songs ranging from ebullient bangers to soulful ballads.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
It’s a faithful facsimile—with a singular ingredient absent: the soulful performance of Al Pacino in the central role of the hapless bank robber Sonny.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
It can turn a rancorous conversation into a more soulful and forgiving one.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
In nonfiction, a soulful look at how we interact with the natural world leads to an equally soulful look at why the American West’s human diversity enriches us all.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
Mademoiselle had glided from the Chopin into the quivering love notes of Isolde’s song, and back again to the Impromptu with its soulful and poignant longing.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
