Spirited

'spɪrɪtɪd

adjectivemedium📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

Displaying or characterized by courage, energy, liveliness, or determination.

'spɪrɪtɪd

adjectivepositivemedium
General

Showing courage, energy, and determination.

The spirited young woman quickly rose through the ranks.

💡 Simply: Imagine your best friend is always up for anything, always ready with a laugh, and never backs down from a challenge. That's a spirited person! They're energetic and brave, like a superhero ready for action.

👶 For kids: When someone is spirited, it means they have a lot of energy and are happy and brave.

More Examples

2

The children put up a spirited defense against the playground bullies.

3

Her spirited performance won the hearts of the audience.

How It's Used

General conversation

"A spirited debate about the upcoming election."

Sports

"The team played with spirited determination, even when losing."

Literature

"The spirited heroine faced many challenges."

From Middle English 'spiritede,' past participle of 'spiriten' meaning 'to fill with spirit,' ultimately from Latin 'spiritus' meaning 'breath, soul.'

The term 'spirited' gained prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe individuals exhibiting a passionate or determined character, often in contrast to more passive personalities.

Memory tip

Think of a *spirit* - something alive with energy! A spirited person is full of that inner drive.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"breath, soul"

spirited debatespirited performancespirited defensespirited discussionspirited opposition

Common misspellings

spiritidspirittedspirted

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written