spirited

Everyday

1. Spirited means full of energy, courage and liveliness: "a spirited little pony". tree →
2. A spirited effort or defence is a brave and lively one, even if it does not win. tree →
3. Spirited away (verb) means taken away quickly and secretly, as if by magic. tree →
4. In words like high-spirited, mean-spirited, public-spirited, it tells what kind of mood or heart someone has. tree →

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 →
• Our team put up a spirited fight but lost 2–1. tree →
• She is a spirited girl who loves adventure. tree →
• The class had a spirited debate about homework. tree →
• The children were high-spirited after the trip. tree →
• It was mean-spirited to laugh at his mistake. tree →
• The jewels were spirited away in the night. tree →
• The animal was fiery and spirited; they galloped round the lawn. tree →

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.