soul of, the

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.

Example Sentences

Xenarios, who died of cancer on Sept. 6 at home in New York at age 79, was the indefatigable soul of the organization, leading it for 40 years until her retirement in 2017.

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“We regard the gardens as the soul of the project,” said Jonathan Goldstein, chief executive of Cain.

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Sir Keir Starmer has said his government is in "a battle for the soul of the country" with Reform UK, as he set out new measures to tackle illegal migration.

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Last year, in many ways, Teoscar Hernández was the heart and soul of the Dodgers.

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He described Mr David's "fervour to live life to the full", saying he was often "the life and soul of the party".

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