Synonyms for spirit
Most common
soul animal spirits essence enthusiasm heart ghost attitude inner man
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Soul
soul, enthusiasm, life, animal spirits, essence, liveliness, mind, mood, genius, nature, sense, tone, zeal, strength, feeling, flavor US, flavour UK, disposition, vigor US, vigour UK, energy, frame of mind, mettle, vivacity
3. Heart
heart, courage, quintessence, heart strings, bravery, distillation, valor US, valour UK, resolution, marrow, intrepidity, meat
Definitions
- n. 1
Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
- n. 2
The soul of a person or other creature.
- n. 3
A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
He has seen spirits roam the house.
- n. 4
A feeling of passion. Enthusiasm.
School spirit is at an all-time high.
Related words
- Word family
- spirited spiritism spiritist spiritless spiritous spiritual spirituality
- Phrases
- free spirit wood spirit white spirit spirit away rectified spirit spirit of turpentine spirit way team spirit
- Is a kind of
- alcoholic beverage being creature entity
- Other spellings
- spir't
Forms
- Plural
- spirits → souls, enthusiasms, lifes, essences…
Choose the right word
In the figurative sense, spirit denotes animation, excitability, perhaps impatience; as, a lad of spirit; he sang with spirit; he replied with spirit.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- soul What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul.
- essence What do you think is the essence of the training?
- enthusiasm He destroyed all of my enthusiasm to learn Berber.
- heart The frightened boy's heart palpitated with terror.
- ghost Have Tom and Mary ever told you any ghost stories?
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| spirit | steady | |
| soul | rising | |
| essence | rising | |
| enthusiasm | steady | |
| heart | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- life1, mind1, soul1, meat1, tone1, mood1, zeal1, gist1
- 5 letters
- heart1, sense1, ghost1, demon2, valor2, vigor2
- 6 letters
- energy3, nature2, vision2, genius2, intent2, flavor2, liquor2, marrow2, sprite1, vigour, valour, mettle2
- 7 letters
- feeling2, alcohol3, courage2, essence2, phantom2, flavour, bravery3, spectre2, specter2, purport2
- 8 letters
- strength1, attitude3, revenant, vivacity, phantasm3
- 9 letters
- principle3
- 10 letters
- resolution4, enthusiasm5, apparition4, liveliness3
- 11 letters
- disposition4, intrepidity5
- 12 letters
- intelligence4, distillation4, quintessence3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (demon2 = 2 syllables).