Spirit — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈspir-ət/ spir·it

Meaning & Definition of Spirit

Spirit (noun)

  1. an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms
  2. a supernatural being or essence
  3. holy spirit

Spirit (verb)

  1. to infuse with spirit; especially, animate
  2. to carry off usually secretly or mysteriously

Spirit (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an immaterial force within a human being thought to give the body life, energy, and power

    "the theological and philosophical belief that the spirit is superior to the body"

    similar: psyche, soul
    related: life, vitality, being, essence, quintessence
    near: body, flesh

  2. a state of mind dominated by a particular emotion

    "had been in a combative spirit all week"

    similar: cheer, feather, humor, mode, mood, temper, frame of mind
    related: angle, attitude, mind-set, outlook, perspective, slant, standpoint, viewpoint, emotion, feeling, heart, passion, sentiment, strain, belief, conviction, judgment, mind, opinion, expression, tone, vein, character, disposition, identity, individuality, makeup, mettle, personality, selfhood, self-identity, temperament, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitiveness, sensitivity

  3. the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people

    "Hamlet's late father appears to him in the form of a spirit and with the revelation that he was in fact murdered"

    similar: apparition, bogey, familiar spirit, ghost, hant (dialect), haunt (chiefly dialect), materialization, phantasm, phantom, poltergeist, shade, shadow, specter, spook, sprite, vision, visitant, wraith
    related: angel, daimon, familiar, genie, genius, jinni, shaitan, double, doppelgänger, fetch, lemures, manes, incubus, lamia, succubus, vampire, zombie, cacodemon, demon, devil, fiend, ghoul, imp

  4. a distilled beverage that can make a person drunk

    "a hotel bar that's well stocked with spirits"

    similar: alcohol, aqua vitae, ardent spirits, booze, bottle, drink, firewater, grog, hooch (slang), inebriant, intoxicant, John Barleycorn, juice (slang), liquor, lush (slang), moonshine, potable, rum, sauce (slang), stimulant, strong drink, tipple
    related: aperitif, bracer, chaser, digestif, nightcap, belt, load, nip, peg (British), pop, shooter, shot, slug, snifter, snort, tot, whet, cocktail, mixed drink, ale, beer, brew, brewage, brewski (slang), home brew, malt liquor, microbrew, mum, nappy (chiefly Scottish), mead, sake, wine, barley-bree (chiefly Scottish), brandy, gin, liqueur, mao-tai, mescal, schnapps, tequila, vodka, whiskey, Dutch courage
    opposite: nonintoxicant
    near: mocktail, mix, mixer, pop, soda, soda pop, soft drink

Spirit (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in snatch, abscond (with)

    similar: abscond (with), snatch, capture, crimp, impress, seize, shanghai, waylay, hijack, abduct, kidnap, catch, cop (slang), steal, take
    opposite: deliver, ransom, redeem, rescue, restore, return

Related Entry: Spirit (away or off) (verb)

Spirit (away or off) is a different word from Spirit. The synonyms below are for spirit (away or off), not for spirit.

  1. as in kidnap, abduct

    similar: abduct, kidnap, enmesh, ensnare, entangle, entrap, mesh, rend, wrest, clasp, clutch, fasten (on), fist, grasp, grip, hold, latch (on or onto), secure, bay, corner, apprehend, arrest, detain, glove, halter, lasso, rope, bag, capture, catch, collar, cop (slang), corral, get, glom, grab, grapple, hook, land, nab, nail, net, nobble (British slang), rap, seize, snag, snap (up), snare, snatch, trap
    opposite: miss, discharge, free, liberate, release, drop, loosen, unhand

Related Entry: Familiar spirit (noun)

Familiar spirit is a different word from Spirit. The synonyms below are for familiar spirit, not for spirit.

  1. the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people

    "asked the spiritualist to summon the familiar spirit of her late mother for some matrimonial guidance"

    similar: apparition, bogey, ghost, hant (dialect), haunt (chiefly dialect), materialization, phantasm, phantom, poltergeist, shade, shadow, specter, spirit, spook, sprite, vision, visitant, wraith
    related: angel, daimon, familiar, genie, genius, jinni, shaitan, double, doppelgänger, fetch, lemures, manes, incubus, lamia, succubus, vampire, zombie, cacodemon, demon, devil, fiend, ghoul, imp

Related Entry: Free spirit (noun)

Free spirit is a different word from Spirit. The synonyms below are for free spirit, not for spirit.

  1. a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs

    "an artistically inclined free spirit who felt alienated and stifled while growing up in a small town"

    similar: bohemian, boho, counterculturist, deviant, enfant terrible, heretic, iconoclast, individualist, lone ranger, lone wolf, loner, maverick, nonconformer, nonconformist
    related: freethinker, character, codger, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, freak, kook, nut, oddball, screwball, weirdo, eight ball, misfit, outsider, aberrant, anomaly
    opposite: conformer, conformist
    near: adherent, follower, supporter, sheep

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Spirit

The most common words with a similar meaning to Spirit:

Slang: hooch, juice, lush, sauce, cop
Dialect: hant
Chiefly dialect: haunt
psyche, soul, cheer, feather, humor, mode, mood, temper, apparition, bogey, familiar spirit, ghost, materialization, phantasm, phantom, poltergeist, shade, shadow, specter, spook, sprite, vision, visitant, wraith, alcohol, aqua vitae, ardent spirits, booze, bottle, drink, firewater, grog, inebriant, intoxicant, John Barleycorn, liquor, moonshine, potable, rum, stimulant

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Spirit

Words with the opposite meaning of Spirit:

nonintoxicant, deliver, ransom, redeem, rescue, restore, return

Related Words for Spirit

life, vitality, being, essence, quintessence, angle, attitude, mind-set, outlook, perspective, slant, standpoint, viewpoint, emotion, feeling, heart, passion, sentiment, strain, belief, conviction, judgment, mind, opinion, expression, tone, vein, character, disposition, identity

Near Antonyms of Spirit

body, flesh, mocktail, mix, mixer, pop, soda, soda pop, soft drink

Word Forms of Spirit

Inflections: spirited, spiriting, spirits

Origin & Etymology of Spirit

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, espirit, spirit, from Latin spiritus, literally, breath, from spirare to blow, breathe

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Spirit

Words & Phrases Containing Spirit

spirit animal, spirit gum, spirit level, spirit of wine, spirit rapping, spirit varnish, spirit writing, familiar spirit

Frequently Asked Questions about Spirit

What does "Spirit" mean?

"Spirit" means an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Spirit"?

Other words for "Spirit" include psyche, soul, cheer, feather, humor, mode, mood and temper. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Spirit" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Spirit"?

There are 171 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Spirit". Common alternatives include psyche, soul, cheer, feather, humor, mode, mood, temper, apparition and bogey.

What is a slang word for "Spirit"?

Slang words for "Spirit" include hooch, juice, lush, sauce and cop.

What is the opposite of "Spirit"?

Antonyms of "Spirit" include nonintoxicant, deliver, ransom, redeem, rescue, restore and return. Near antonyms include body, flesh, mocktail and mix.

How do you use "Spirit" in a sentence?

Examples of "Spirit" in a sentence: "the theological and philosophical belief that the spirit is superior to the body"; "had been in a combative spirit all week"; "Hamlet's late father appears to him in the form of a spirit and with the revelation that he was in fact murdered".

Is "Spirit" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Spirit" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Spirit" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Spirit" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.