spirited

1 of 3

adjective

spir·​it·​ed ˈspir-ə-təd 

: full of energy, animation, or courage

a spirited discussion

spiritedly adverb

spiritedness noun

spirited

2 of 3

past tense and past participle of spirit entry 2

spiritedness

3 of 3

noun

plural -es

: the quality or state of being spirited : animation, liveliness, vivacity

her natural spiritedness detested the monotony

—George Meredith

—often used in combination

mean-spiritedness

public-spiritedness

Did you know?

You may see spirited used to describe a conversation, a debate, a horse, or a campaign. And it often shows up in such words as high-spirited ("bold and energetic"), mean-spirited ("spiteful"), and public-spirited ("generous to a community"), all of which reflect the original meaning of spirit, a notion much like "soul" or "personality".

Synonyms of spirited

Adjective

• fiery
• passionate
• spunky
• brisk
• high-spirited
• fervent
• peppery

Examples of spirited in a Sentence

Adjective

The team put up a spirited defense.

She's a very spirited young lady.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

During a long first-half drive against San Francisco, Dobbins paced the sideline and, at one point, exchanged spirited words with running backs coach Lou Ayeni. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Stepping out for a spirited and sporty New York City date night, the happy couple were spotted cheering on the New York Yankees, watching as the baseball team faced off against the Tampa Bay Rays on their home turf at Yankee Stadium. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

If the measure passes, expect a highly spirited game of hide-the-loot. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Amid the Bengals’ spirited last-minute rally, Jaguars cornerback Rayuan Lane III came up with the game-sealing tackle of Brown on fourth-and-10 at the Jacksonville 12. — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1601, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing spirited

• high-spirited
• low-spirited
• mean-spirited
• poor-spirited
• public-spirited

Rhymes for spirited

• dispirited

Kids Definition

spirited

adjective

spir·​it·​ed ˈspir-ət-əd 

: full of courage or energy

a spirited discussion

spiritedly adverb