soul of, the

Idioms  

1. The essence of some quality, as in You can trust her; she's the soul of discretion, or He's the very soul of generosity but he can be cranky at times. This idiom was first recorded in 1605.

2. see soul of.

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Example Sentences

Baseball’s obsession with velocity has dampened the soul of the sport.

From Los Angeles Times

Rob added: “He was the heart and soul of the film and any time I would get an opportunity to work with him I would do it, but I do understand him wanting to forge his own way. I do know what that’s about, I went through it, and he’s brilliant and talented and he’s going to figure out his path.”

From Los Angeles Times

The soul of the book lives in the gifts Mr. Apatow gleaned from pursuing his comedic heroes.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Covid-19 spread, he and his companions encountered travel restrictions and shuttered lodgings, anathema to his creed of mobility: “I wanted my face, the landscape of the soul, to look upon the landscapes that are the soul of the world.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“I don’t have a score until I’m really in touch with the essence of the film, poetically, and then the armature of the score. The decisions I make all have to be in concert with the soul of the film. And if I don’t have that, I don’t have a score.”

From Los Angeles Times