name · noun · verb · 26 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈspɪɹɪt/
US:/ˈspɪɹɪt/
US:/ˈspiɹɪt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Scotland, Wales:/ˈspɪɾɪt/
rhymes with -ɪɹɪt
CMU ARPABET:S P IH1 R AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:S P IH1 R IH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
Ellipsis of Holy Spirit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The soul of a person or other creature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
A wandering spirit haunts the island.
He has seen spirits roam the house.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A feeling of passion.
Enthusiasm.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
School spirit is at an all-time high.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A feeling of passion.
Energy; ardour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
The manner or style of something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, plural-normally, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, in-plural, often, uncountable
Examples
to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
Topics: alchemy, pseudoscience
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
Stannic chloride.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: business, dyeing, manufacturing, textiles
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
noun
Meaning 15
The essence behind historical development of both individual and society evolving towards the Absolute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: Hegelian
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
verb
Meaning 16
To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
17
verb
Meaning 17
Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
18
noun
Meaning 18
a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys-der.? Latin spīrō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin spīritus Old French espiritbor. Middle English spirit English spirit From Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spīrō (“to breathe, blow, respire”). In this sense, displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gāst), whence modern English ghost. Doublet of spiritus, spirytus, sprite, spright, and esprit.
Across languages
Translations
419 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afar:
rooci
— soul
Afrikaans:
gees
— soul
Albanian:
shpirt
— soul
Albanian:
avë
— soul
Albanian:
ama
— soul
Southern Altai:
кут
(kut)
— soul
Southern Altai:
тын
(tïn)
— soul
Southern Altai:
ээ
(ee)
— soul
Arabic:
رُوح
(rūḥ)
— soul
Arabic:
روح
(rōḥ)
— soul
Arabic:
روح
(rūḥ)
— soul
Aramaic:
ܪܘܚܐ
(rūḥā)
— soul
Jewish Babylonian Aramaic:
רוּחָא
(rūḥā)
— soul
Armenian:
հոգի
(hogi)
— soul
Asturian:
espíritu
— soul
Azerbaijani:
ruh
— soul
Bangi:
molimo
— soul
Bashkir:
рух
(rux)
— soul
Bashkir:
эйә
(eyə)
— soul
Belarusian:
душа́
(dušá)
— soul
Belarusian:
дух
(dux)
— soul
Bengali:
রূহ
(rūh)
— soul
Bhojpuri:
आत्मा
(ātmā)
— soul
Breton:
spered
— soul
Bulgarian:
душа́
(dušá)
— soul
Bulgarian:
дух
(duh)
— soul
Burmese:
ဝိညာဉ်
(wi.nyany)
— soul
Catalan:
esperit
— soul
Chamicuro:
sana'ne
— soul
Cheyenne:
mȧhta'sóoma
— soul
Cheyenne:
séo'ȯtse
— soul
Chinese Mandarin:
靈魂 /灵魂
(línghún)
— soul
Chuukese:
ngun
— soul
Czech:
duše
— soul
Czech:
duch
— soul
Danish:
ånd
— soul
Dutch:
geest
— soul
Esperanto:
spirito
— soul
Estonian:
hing
— soul
Finnish:
henki
— soul
French:
esprit
— soul
West-Frisian:
geast
— soul
Friulian:
spirt
— soul
Gagauz:
duh
— soul
Gagauz:
ruh
— soul
Galician:
espírito
— soul
Galician:
esprito
— soul
Georgian:
სული
(suli)
— soul
German:
Geist
— soul
Old High German:
ferah
— soul
Old High German:
geist
— soul
Gothic:
𐌰𐌷𐌼𐌰
(ahma)
— soul
Greek:
πνεύμα
(pnévma)
— soul
Ancient Greek:
φρόνημα
(phrónēma)
— soul
Ancient Greek:
πνεῦμα
(pneûma)
— soul
Gujarati:
આત્મા
(ātmā)
— soul
Hebrew:
רוּחַ
(rúakh)
— soul
Hindi:
आत्मा
(ātmā)
— soul
Hindi:
प्राण
(prāṇ)
— soul
Hindi:
रूह
(rūh)
— soul
White Hmong:
dab
— soul
Hungarian:
szellem
— soul
Hungarian:
lélek
— soul
Icelandic:
andi
— soul
Indonesian:
jiwa
— soul
Indonesian:
roh
— soul
Ingrian:
henki
— soul
Interlingua:
spirito
— soul
Old Irish:
spirut
— soul
Italian:
spirito
— soul
Japanese:
精神
(seishin)
— soul
Kazakh:
рух
(rux)
— soul
Khmer:
ព្រលឹង
(prɔɔlɨng)
— soul
Korean:
정신
(jeongsin)
— soul
Korean:
넋
(neok)
— soul
Korean:
얼
(eol)
— soul
Northern Kurdish:
ruh
— soul
Kyrgyz:
рух
(ruh)
— soul
Ladin:
spirt
— soul
Lao:
ຈິດ
(chit)
— soul
Lao:
ວິນຍານ
(win nyān)
— soul
Latgalian:
gors
— soul
Latgalian:
dvēsele
— soul
Latin:
spīritus
— soul
Latin:
animus
— soul
Latvian:
gars
— soul
Latvian:
dvēsele
— soul
Lingala:
molimo
— soul
Lingala:
elimo
— soul
Lithuanian:
dvasia
— soul
Lithuanian:
šmėkla
— soul
Luganda:
omwoyo
— soul
Luxembourgish:
Geescht
— soul
Luxembourgish:
Séil
— soul
Macedonian:
душа
(duša)
— soul
Macedonian:
дух
(duh)
— soul
Malay:
semangat
— soul
Malay:
roh
— soul
Maltese:
ruħ
— soul
Māori:
wairua
— soul
Māori:
apahau
— soul
Eastern Mari:
ӧрт
(ört)
— soul
Mongolian:
сүнс
(süns)
— soul
Norwegian Bokmål:
sjel
— soul
Norwegian Bokmål:
kjerne
— soul
Occitan:
esperit
— soul
Church Slavic:
доуша
(duša)
— soul
Church Slavic:
духъ
(duxŭ)
— soul
Old English:
gāst
— soul
Old Saxon:
gēst
— soul
Old Turkic:
𐱅𐰃𐰤
(tïn)
— soul
Ossetian:
уд
(ud)
— soul
Pashto:
روح
(roh)
— soul
Dari:
رَوَان
(rawān)
— soul
Dari:
رُوح
(rūh)
— soul
Iranian Persian:
رَوَان
(ravân)
— soul
Iranian Persian:
روح
(ruh)
— soul
Polish:
dusza
— soul
Polish:
duch
— soul
Portuguese:
espírito
— soul
Quechua:
nuna
— soul
Romanian:
suflet
— soul
Romanian:
spirit
— soul
Romanian:
duh
— soul
Russian:
душа́
(dušá)
— soul
Russian:
дух
(dux)
— soul
Saho:
rooxe
— soul
Sardinian:
ispìritu
— soul
Scottish Gaelic:
anam
— soul
Scottish Gaelic:
aigne
— soul
Scottish Gaelic:
spiorad
— soul
Serbo-Croatian:
душа
— soul
Serbo-Croatian:
ду̏х
— soul
Serbo-Croatian:
duša
— soul
Serbo-Croatian:
dȕh
— soul
Sicilian:
spìritu
— soul
Slovak:
duša
— soul
Slovak:
duch
— soul
Slovene:
duša
— soul
Slovene:
duh
— soul
Somali:
ruux
— soul
Sotho:
moya
— soul
Spanish:
espíritu
— soul
Spanish:
alma
— soul
Spanish:
pneuma
— soul
Sranan Tongo:
kra
— soul
Sranan Tongo:
yeye
— soul
Sranan Tongo:
sili
— soul
Swahili:
roho
— soul
Swedish:
ande
— soul
Tagalog:
espiritu
— soul
Tagalog:
kaluluwa
— soul
Tagalog:
diwa
— soul
Tagalog:
batlaya
— soul
Tajik:
рӯҳ
(rüh)
— soul
Telugu:
గుండె ధైర్యము
(guṇḍe dhairyamu)
— soul
Thai:
จิต
(jìt)
— soul
Thai:
จิตวิญญาณ
(jìt-win-yaan)
— soul
Thai:
วิญญาณ
(win-yaan)
— soul
Turkish:
ruh
— soul
Turkish:
tin
— soul
Ottoman Turkish:
روح
(ruh)
— soul
Turkmen:
ruh
— soul
Ukrainian:
душа́
(dušá)
— soul
Ukrainian:
дух
(dux)
— soul
Urdu:
رُوح
(rūh)
— soul
Urdu:
آتْما
(ātmā)
— soul
Uyghur:
روھ
(roh)
— soul
Uzbek:
ruh
— soul
Venetan:
spirito
— soul
Vietnamese:
hồn
— soul
Welsh:
ysbryd
— soul
Woiwurrung:
murup
— soul
Woiwurrung:
naRun
— soul
Yámana:
kašpíx
— soul
Yiddish:
גײַסט
(gayst)
— soul
Yiddish:
רוח
(ruekh)
— soul
Zulu:
umoya
— soul
ǃXóõ:
ǃnáã-sé
— soul
ǃXóõ:
ǃnáã
— soul
Afrikaans:
gees
— supernatural being
Albanian:
hije
— supernatural being
Arabic:
رُوَح
(ruwaḥ)
— supernatural being
Arabic:
روح
(rūḥ)
— supernatural being
Aramaic:
ܪܘܚܐ
(rūḥā)
— supernatural being
Jewish Babylonian Aramaic:
רוּחָא
(rūḥā)
— supernatural being
Asturian:
espíritu
— supernatural being
Bashkir:
әруах
(ərwax)
— supernatural being
Belarusian:
пры́від
(prývid)
— supernatural being
Belarusian:
дух
(dux)
— supernatural being
Bulgarian:
привиде́ние
(prividénie)
— supernatural being
Bulgarian:
дух
(duh)
— supernatural being
Catalan:
esperit
— supernatural being
Chichewa:
mzimu
— supernatural being
Chinese Mandarin:
幽靈 /幽灵
(yōulíng)
— supernatural being
Chinese Mandarin:
鬼魂
(guǐhún)
— supernatural being
Maore Comorian:
djini
— supernatural being
Czech:
duch
— supernatural being
Danish:
ånd
— supernatural being
Dutch:
geest
— supernatural being
Esperanto:
spirito
— supernatural being
Estonian:
vaim
— supernatural being
Finnish:
henki
— supernatural being
Finnish:
haamu
— supernatural being
Finnish:
henkiolento
— supernatural being
French:
esprit
— supernatural being
Gagauz:
ruh
— supernatural being
Galician:
espírito
— supernatural being
Georgian:
სული
(suli)
— supernatural being
German:
Geist
— supernatural being
Greek:
πνεύμα
(pnévma)
— supernatural being
Ancient Greek:
φάσμα
(phásma)
— supernatural being
Hebrew:
רוּחַ
(rúakh)
— supernatural being
Hindi:
प्रेत
(pret)
— supernatural being
Hindi:
भूत
(bhūt)
— supernatural being
Hindi:
अदृश्य
(adŕśya)
— supernatural being
Hungarian:
szellem
— supernatural being
Indonesian:
ruh
— supernatural being
Ingrian:
henki
— supernatural being
Irish:
sprid
— supernatural being
Old Irish:
spirut
— supernatural being
Italian:
spirito
— supernatural being
Japanese:
精霊
(seirei)
— supernatural being
Japanese:
妖怪
(yōkai)
— supernatural being
Karok:
ikxaréeyav
— supernatural being
Korean:
귀신
(gwisin)
— supernatural being
Korean:
굿것
(gutgeot)
— supernatural being
Korean:
요괴
(yogoe)
— supernatural being
Korean:
유령
(yuryeong)
— supernatural being
Korean:
정령
(jeongnyeong)
— supernatural being
Latin:
genius
— supernatural being
Latin:
spīritus
— supernatural being
Latin:
animus
— supernatural being
Malay:
semangat
— supernatural being
Manchu:
ᡶᠠᠶᠠᠩᡤᠠ
(fayangga)
— supernatural being
Manchu:
ᡥᡠᡨᡠ
(hutu)
— supernatural being
Māori:
apahau
— supernatural being
Māori:
ngingongingo
— supernatural being
Māori:
wairua
— supernatural being
Māori:
apa
— supernatural being
Māori:
tiramākā
— supernatural being
Māori:
aparangi
— supernatural being
Navajo:
níłchʼi
— supernatural being
Ojibwe:
manidoo
— supernatural being
Old English:
gāst
— supernatural being
Dari:
مِینو
(mīnō)
— supernatural being
Iranian Persian:
مینو
(minu)
— supernatural being
Polish:
duch
— supernatural being
Portuguese:
espírito
— supernatural being
Romanian:
duh
— supernatural being
Russian:
привиде́ние
(prividénije)
— supernatural being
Russian:
дух
(dux)
— supernatural being
Scottish Gaelic:
taibhse
— supernatural being
Scottish Gaelic:
spiorad
— supernatural being
Scottish Gaelic:
tannasg
— supernatural being
Scottish Gaelic:
sgàile
— supernatural being
Serbo-Croatian:
ду̏х
— supernatural being
Serbo-Croatian:
dȕh
— supernatural being
Slovak:
duch
— supernatural being
Slovene:
duh
— supernatural being
Spanish:
espíritu
— supernatural being
Spanish:
luá
— supernatural being
Sranan Tongo:
winti
— supernatural being
Swahili:
pepo
— supernatural being
Swahili:
roho
— supernatural being
Swedish:
ande
— supernatural being
Swedish:
vålnad
— supernatural being
Tagalog:
espiritu
— supernatural being
Tagalog:
multo
— supernatural being
Telugu:
అత్యుత్సాహవంతుడు
(atyutsāhavantuḍu)
— supernatural being