The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Source: tatoeba (2454)
Spirit
/ˈspɪɹɪt/
Synonyms for "spirit" (704 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (141)
Noun(18 words)
abandonabduceabductactionactivityadventuresomenessadventurousnessaffective meaningafflatusaggressionaggressivenessaimairairy nothingalacrityalcoholambitionambitiousnessamphibiananima
Show 102 more words
anima humanaanimal spiritsanimateanimating forceanimationanimusanxietyanxiousnessapparitionappearanceappetiteaqua vitaeardencyardorastralastral bodyastral spiritatmanatmosphereattitudeatuaaudacityauraavidityavidnessaxiombabackboneballsbansheebaringbathmismbearingbeating heartbeingbentbiological clockbiorhythmbloodbody buildbody-buildbogeybonesboozebosombottombrandbraverybreastbreathbreath of lifebreathless impatiencebreezinessbriobrisknessbubblebubblinessbuddhibuilding blockcapersomenesscarry awaycarry offcastcentercenter of lifecharactercharacteristiccharacteristicscheercheerful readinesschutzpahclimatecockles of the heartcoloringcoltishnesscommitmentcommittednesscomplexioncompositionconcentrateconcentrationconfidenceconnotationconsciousnessconsequenceconstituentsconstitutioncontrolcorecouragecrasiscreative thoughtcreativitycrimpcuedaemondaimoniondaringdashdauntlessnessdecoctiondedication
Interjection(1 words)
Strong matches (211)
demondenotationdeparted spiritdesiredevotednessdevotiondevoutnessdharmadiathesisdisembodied spiritdispositiondistillatedistillationdivine afflatusdivine breathdivine sparkdriftdrinkdriveduppy
Show 162 more words
dybbukdynamismeagernessearnestnessebullienceecstasyeffecteffervescenceegoeidolonelanelan vitalelixireloquenceembueenergyenlivenenterpriseenterprisingnessenthusiasmesoteric realityespritesprit de corpsessenceessence of lifeessentialetherethosevil spiritevil spiritsexcitementexhilarateexpressionextensionextractextractionexuberancefabricfaithfaithfulnessfeelfeelingfeelingsfervencyfervidnessfervorfiberfidelityfightfirefire of geniusfirewaterflowerfocusforceforce of lifeforcefulnessformfortitudeforwardnessframeframe of mindfriskinessfrolicsomenessfundamentalfurorfurygaietygallantrygamenessgamesomenessgaynessgeistgeniusget-up-and-getget-up-and-gogetupghostgimpgingergistglowgogo aheadgo-aheadgo-gettinggo-to-itivenessgodgraingrammatical meaninggrateful deadgravamengritgroggross bodygrowth forceguidegumptiongustgustogutgutsgutsinessguttinesshabithanthauntheartheart of heartsheart of oakheartbeatheartbloodheartinessheartstringsheatheatednessheroismhold for ransomhoochhuehumorhumorshustlehypostasisiideaidolumilkillusionimbueimmaterialityimpactimpassionednessimpatienceimpetuosityimpetusimplicationimportimpressimpulseimpulse of lifeinclinationincorporealincorporeal beingincorporeityinfectinforminfuseinfusioninitiativeinjectinmost heartinmost soulinner essenceinner maninner natureinnermost beinginoculateinsideinspirationinspireinspirit
Noun(23 words)
Adjective(5 words)
Verb(1 words)
Related words (352)
inspiriting forceintelligenceintensionintensityintentintentionintentnessintestinal fortitudejivajivatmajoie de vivrejuicekamakeen desirekeennesskernelkhukidnapkindlarva
Show 281 more words
lemureslexical meaninglifelife breathlife cyclelife essencelife forcelife principlelife processlifebloodlinga shariraliquorliteral meaninglivelinessliving forceloyaltylustinessmakeupmanasmanesmanfulnessmanhoodmanlinessmarrowmasanmaterialmaterializationmattermeaningmeatmediummediumismmessagemettlemettlesomenessmightmilieumindmistmoldmoodmoralemotivationmouldmouldermouldymoxiemusenaturenecromancynepheshnervenerve centernitty grittynotenotionnubnucleusnuts and boltsodoronioomphovertonepanachepassionpassionatenesspassionspeppepperpeppinessperkinesspersonapertinencepertnessphantasmphantasmaphantomphysical bodyphysiquepiquancypiss and vinegarpithpizzazzplayfulnesspluckpluckinesspneumapoignancypointpoltergeistpostulatepowerpractical consequencepranapresenceprincipleprinciple of desirepromptnesspropertypsychepungencypurificationpurportpurposepurushapushpushfulnesspushinesspushingnessqualityquickquicknessquidquiddityquintessenceracinessrange of meaningreadinessreal meaningreferencereferentrefinementrelationrelevancerelishresolutenessresolutionresolverevenantrobustnessrollicksomenessrompishnessruachrun away withsandsapsaucesavorscopeseanceseat of lifesecret heartsecret placesecret placesselfsemantic clustersemantic fieldsensesentimentsseriousnessshadeshadowshanghaishapeshrouded spiritsignificancesignificationsignificatumsignifiesinceritysittingskittishnessskyjacksmokesnapsnatchsniffsomatotypesortsoulspan of meaningspark of lifesparklespecterspectral ghostspectrumspicespirit awayspirit upspiritednessspiritismspiritsspiritual beingspiritualismspiritusspooksportivenesssprightlinessspritespunkspunkinessstaminastampstarchstate of mindsthula sharirastout heartstrainstreakstrengthstripestrong drinkstructural meaningstuffstylesubstancesuchnesssumsum and substancesupernatural beingsymbolic meaningsystemtake awaytalentteam spirittempertemperamenttendencytenorthe nitty-grittythe selftheophanythin airthoughttimbretippletonetotality of associationstoughnesstransferred meaningtransporttrue beingtrue grittrue inwardnesstypeumbraunadorned meaningundertoneunsubstantialityup-and-comingnessurgevalorvaluevaporvehemenceveinventuresomenessventurousnessvervevigorvimvis vitaevis vitalisvisceravisionvital energyvital flamevital fluidvital forcevital principlevital sparkvital spiritvitalityvitalsvivaciousnessvivacityvividnesswalking dead manwandering soulwarmthwarmth of feelingwaywillwraithzealzealousnesszestzestfulnesszingzipzombie
Noun(45 words)
Pronoun(1 words)
Adjective(3 words)
lifted energymythological beingoverall energy
Verb(2 words)
quickenspirit up
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: liquor, specter, abandon, abduce, abduct.
- Sentence evidence is available for spirit, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "spirit".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "spirit"
Keep "spirit" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "spirit" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "spirit", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "spirit" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
35 entriesShowing 16 of 35 words.
More specific
22 entriesShowing 16 of 22 words.
Collocations
9 entriesdistilled spiritsholiday spirithuman spiritpublic spiritschool spiritspirit levelspirit of cooperationspirit of inquiryteam spirit
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
7 entriesSample sentences
41 total sentences available.
Your undaunted spirit will carry you through.
Source: tatoeba (9586)
The athlete was full of spirit and confidence.
Source: tatoeba (19278)
Scott is an entrepreneur with much spirit of enterprise.
Source: tatoeba (20731)
Showing 4 of 41 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "spirit"?
Closest matches include liquor, specter, abandon, abduce, abduct.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "spirit"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.