as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
the dance company has an infectious esprit that captivates audiences
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Recent Examples of esprit
This is as it should be, given the virtuosic esprit of Thallon’s performance.
—
Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In power, their Cheka harnessed the esprit of a military-religious order of knights with the atrocious violence of a gangster hit squad.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
As hip-hop rose from an underground phenomenon to a global vernacular, that esprit—of being the best, the baddest, the most beautiful—never vanished.
—Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2021
Each outfit in the show is accompanied by a headpiece that features a corresponding term, such as esprit, vitality, and self-determination.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2021
The assembly has moved online because of the coronavirus, compounding the pandemic's blows to the city's economy and worldly esprit.
—Jennifer Peltz, Star Tribune, 21 Sep. 2020
Longtime residents credit the company for the city’s somewhat international esprit and a level of spoken English beyond even the already-high Finnish norm (the city’s street names—Machine Alley; Adapter Street—are more unambiguous).
—Natasha Frost, Quartz, 29 Oct. 2019
College deans wanted to establish the same esprit-de-corps within houses as could be found in an exclusive fraternity, but that required engineering.
—Carla Yanni, Smithsonian, 6 Sep. 2019
Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In power, their Cheka harnessed the esprit of a military-religious order of knights with the atrocious violence of a gangster hit squad.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
As hip-hop rose from an underground phenomenon to a global vernacular, that esprit—of being the best, the baddest, the most beautiful—never vanished.
—Outside Online, 28 Oct. 2021
Each outfit in the show is accompanied by a headpiece that features a corresponding term, such as esprit, vitality, and self-determination.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2021
The assembly has moved online because of the coronavirus, compounding the pandemic's blows to the city's economy and worldly esprit.
—Jennifer Peltz, Star Tribune, 21 Sep. 2020
Longtime residents credit the company for the city’s somewhat international esprit and a level of spoken English beyond even the already-high Finnish norm (the city’s street names—Machine Alley; Adapter Street—are more unambiguous).
—Natasha Frost, Quartz, 29 Oct. 2019
College deans wanted to establish the same esprit-de-corps within houses as could be found in an exclusive fraternity, but that required engineering.
—Carla Yanni, Smithsonian, 6 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for esprit
Noun
-
Suckers can be stimulated to grow for a variety of reasons, such as the vigor of a plant’s root system in situations where the plant is grafted (as many non-native witchhazels and tree cultivars are).—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
-
As in as soon as the game was over, with Adebayo marching a phone down to Ware’s locker space at Capital One Arena, with vigor almost as fierce as the dunk itself.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Whereas traditional nuclear fission energy creates power by splitting atoms, fusion uses heat to create energy by melding them together.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
That pattern is associated with better satiety, energy stability, and muscle maintenance, as long as sodium is kept in check when selecting meals.—
Rita Templeton,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
To see him in such high spirits, seemingly not dampened by being rested for the final half-hour as Chelsea continue to manage his minutes, was a rare treat.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The spirit and the symbolism were, at times, undecipherable.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wood brings a fresh start, Fire brings dynamism, Earth offers grounding, Metal brings focus, and Water is a period for emotional awareness.—
Annabel Gat,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Hiring is a sign of dynamism in the economy and belief in the future.—
Sylvan Lane,
The Hill,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mango, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and lime juice come together for an easy tropical topping or side for any flaky white fish.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Once the sauce has come back to the boil, add the prunes along with any resting juices from the pork.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That leads to high temperatures, which create a glowing protostar due to the rapid (kinetic) motion of the internal gas particles, and eventually, after a few tens of millions of years, the core temperatures rise high enough (above 4 million K or so) that nuclear fusion of hydrogen begins.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Signaling the need for change Strazik worked in GE’s aviation engine and gas power businesses before taking over what was then GE Power in 2021.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her life’s work was stolen early Monday when thieves swiped a shipping box containing many of her puppets from outside her Beachwood Canyon apartment.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Food preferences begin in the first years of life, so the findings of the study are alarming, said Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies, Bright Futures, an alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors with a mission of reducing babies’ exposures to neurotoxic chemicals.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Esprit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/esprit. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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