spirited
Americanadjective
adjective
-
displaying animation, vigour, or liveliness
-
(in combination) characterized by mood, temper, or disposition as specified
high-spirited
public-spirited
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spirited
Explanation
Someone who's spirited is lively or enthusiastic. It can be challenging to babysit a bunch of spirited four-year-olds, but it's also entertaining. You can also call a spirited person energetic, animated, or spunky. Spirited people are often determined, too, like a spirited activist for animal rights or a spirited defender of free school lunches. Long ago, this adjective was also used to mean "possessed by a spirit or ghost." Today's sense of spirited comes from the original meaning of the verb spirit, "to make more active."
Vocabulary lists containing spirited
This Week in Words: March 9 - 15, 2019
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The Red Pencil
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Put on a Bold Face: Synonyms for "Brave"
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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.
After his second meeting as chairman this week, Warsh told reporters he welcomes spirited discussion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Lifted by a spirited second-quarter showing, Mayo emerged for the second half and continued to rattle Kerry, shutting down space and flooding forward in numbers.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
It’s been a spirited rebuttal to what’s felt like a counterattack on the inherent values of the World Cup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
The olive brine at the bottom of the container after the last olive has been spirited away for cocktails and snack plates.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026
Taking a firm grip on the mitten, he flattened his ears in spirited fellowship, dashed down the slope and up to his den.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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.
