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
Linda, a spirited connector, ran yoga classes and helped found a public service group, Rural Voices of Utah.
—
Stephen Trimble, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Altman has also hosted smaller groups of friends at his properties, gatherings that have included, in at least one instance, a spirited game of strip poker.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Before her political career, Metayer Bowen was a confident, spirited teenager whose smile lit up the room, said Jessica Mund, a fellow classmate at Coral Springs Charter School.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
In these cases, the shots are so open that the defender has to try a frantic, sleight-of-hand technique, one of his many patented flails that are always spirited and sometimes, when a rogue face gets in the way, dangerous.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spirited
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Stephen Trimble, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Altman has also hosted smaller groups of friends at his properties, gatherings that have included, in at least one instance, a spirited game of strip poker.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Before her political career, Metayer Bowen was a confident, spirited teenager whose smile lit up the room, said Jessica Mund, a fellow classmate at Coral Springs Charter School.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
In these cases, the shots are so open that the defender has to try a frantic, sleight-of-hand technique, one of his many patented flails that are always spirited and sometimes, when a rogue face gets in the way, dangerous.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 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 12 Apr. 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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