spirited

/ˈspɪrɪdɪd/

/ˈspirɪtɪd/

Someone who's spirited is lively or enthusiastic. It can be challenging to babysit a bunch of spirited four-year-olds, but it's also entertaining.

You can also call a spirited person energetic, animated, or spunky. Spirited people are often determined, too, like a spirited activist for animal rights or a spirited defender of free school lunches. Long ago, this adjective was also used to mean "possessed by a spirit or ghost." Today's sense of spirited comes from the original meaning of the verb spirit, "to make more active."

Definitions of spirited

1. adjective

   displaying animation, vigor, or liveliness
   synonyms:

   lively

   full of life and energy

   energetic

   possessing or exerting or displaying energy

   enthused, enthusiastic, keen

   having or showing great excitement and interest

   boisterous, knockabout

   full of rough and exuberant animal spirits

   con brio

   with liveliness or spirit

   dashing, gallant

   lively and spirited

   ebullient, exuberant, high-spirited

   joyously unrestrained

   feisty, plucky, spunky

   showing courage

   impertinent, irreverent, pert, saucy

   characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality

   lively, racy

   full of zest or vigor

   mettlesome

   having a proud and unbroken spirit

   resilient

   recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like

   snappy, whipping

   smart and fashionable

   sprightly

   full of spirit and vitality

   vibrant, vivacious

   vigorous and animated

   barmy, yeasty, zestful, zesty

   marked by spirited enjoyment

   antonyms:

   spiritless

   lacking ardor or vigor or energy

   dull

   lacking in liveliness or animation

   unenthused, unenthusiastic

   lacking excitement or ardor

   apathetic

   showing little or no emotion or animation

   bloodless

   without vigor or zest or energy

   dispirited, listless

   marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm

   heartless

   devoid of courage or enthusiasm

   thin

   lacking spirit or sincere effort
2. adjective

   made lively or spirited
   “a spirited debate”

   synonyms: enlivened

   alive, animated

   having life or vigor or spirit
3. adjective

   marked by lively action
   “a spirited dance”

   synonyms: bouncing, bouncy, peppy, zippy

   lively

   full of life and energy
4. adjective

   willing to face danger
   synonyms: game, gamey, gamy, gritty, mettlesome, spunky

   brave, courageous

   possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching