spirited
adjective
spir·it·ed
ˈspir-ə-təd 
: full of energy, animation, or courage
a spirited discussion
spiritedly
adverb
spiritedness
noun
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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".
Examples of spirited in a Sentence
The team put up a spirited defense.
She's a very spirited young lady.
Recent Examples on the Web
And when Cape Verde’s Deroy Duarte evened the score with a right footed shot from a difficult angle at the 59-minute mark, the stunned stadium went silent, minus two small spirited clots of Cape Verde fans in the East end zone seats.
—
Miami Herald,
4 July 2026
Roberts doffed his cap in gratitude for a spirited postgame ovation from the fans here, almost all of them Dodgers fans.
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
But a spirited run by Golden State at the end of the second period woke up the Ballhalla faithful and left the East Coast visitors scrambling for answers.
—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 June 2026
There may have been worse Casa Amor behavior in the history of Love Island, but this outing is feeling especially mean-spirited.
—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spirited
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Miami Herald,
4 July 2026
Roberts doffed his cap in gratitude for a spirited postgame ovation from the fans here, almost all of them Dodgers fans.
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
But a spirited run by Golden State at the end of the second period woke up the Ballhalla faithful and left the East Coast visitors scrambling for answers.
—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 June 2026
There may have been worse Casa Amor behavior in the history of Love Island, but this outing is feeling especially mean-spirited.
—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spirited
Cite this Entry
“Spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirited. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spirited
adjective
spir·it·ed
ˈspir-ət-əd
: full of courage or energy
a spirited discussion
spiritedly
adverb
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