[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/spirited/)

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# spirited

adjective (spirited, more spirited, most spirited); also the past form of the verb spirit ("spirited away")

«spirited» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Spirited means full of energy, courage and liveliness: "a spirited little pony". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#m1)
2. A spirited effort or defence is a brave and lively one, even if it does not win. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#m2)
3. Spirited away (verb) means taken away quickly and secretly, as if by magic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#m3)
4. In words like high-spirited, mean-spirited, public-spirited, it tells what kind of mood or heart someone has. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#m4)

### In the lessons

In stories spirited characters are bold and do not give up; a spirited horse is hard to control. In sport reports "a spirited performance" praises a team that tried hard. Phrases: high-spirited, free-spirited, mean-spirited, public-spirited, a spirited debate, spirited away.

### Examples

- The spirited pony galloped across the field. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x1)
- Our team put up a spirited fight but lost 2–1. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x2)
- She is a spirited girl who loves adventure. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x3)
- The class had a spirited debate about homework. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x4)
- The children were high-spirited after the trip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x5)
- It was mean-spirited to laugh at his mistake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x6)
- The jewels were spirited away in the night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x7)
- The animal was fiery and spirited; they galloped round the lawn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/#x8)

### Note

Spirited is the opposite of dull or weak. High-spirited = lively and excited; low-spirited = sad. Mean-spirited = unkind, not about energy at all — a common trap.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «spirited» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spirited/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«spirited» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/spirited.html) on Mova free.