spirited

adjective

spir·​it·​ed ˈspir-ə-təd 

: full of energy, animation, or courage

a spirited discussion

spiritedly adverb

spiritedness noun

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

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

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

Mirković, a 6-foot-9 forward from Nikšić, Montenegro, is a social media clip waiting to happen, goofy, spirited and just off-the-cuff enough to become a fan favorite. —Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026

About the only noticeable hiccup over an otherwise spirited weekend of NCAA women’s college basketball at Golden 1 Center occurred Sunday afternoon. —Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026

Heat players and coaches pointed to a spirited locker room at halftime as one of the reasons for Monday’s bounce-back victory. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026

Right now in America, when our discourse has gotten so crass and mean-spirited that to show the underlying kindness of this show is really resonating. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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