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Suffix · forms adjectives

-spirited

having a spirit or energy of a specified kind; describing the vitality, moral disposition, or social orientation of a person

In Spanish: de espíritu / de ánimoLiterary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated June 2026

What this suffix does

-spirited forms compound adjectives that describe the quality, force, or moral direction of a person's spirit — their energy, disposition, and fundamental orientation to life. High-spirited, free-spirited, mean-spirited, public-spirited, low-spirited — each compound captures a different dimension of how someone is animated from within. These are among the most literary compound elements in English because "spirit" carries both the sense of vital energy and of moral character. A person's spirit is their essence; -spirited compounds judge and describe that essence.

How it is pronounced

-spirited

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word
With -spirited
In a phrase
  • highhigh-spiritedThe high-spirited students filled the classroom with energy before the lesson had even started.
  • freefree-spiritedThe free-spirited musician had travelled through twelve countries before settling briefly in one city to record her album.
  • meanmean-spiritedThe mean-spirited criticism attacked the writer's intentions rather than engaging with her actual arguments.
  • publicpublic-spiritedThe public-spirited businessman donated the land for a park rather than developing it for profit.
  • lowlow-spiritedHe was low-spirited for weeks after the project was cancelled, struggling to find enthusiasm for anything new.

Common mistakes

high-spirited = arrogant or self-important
high-spirited = lively, enthusiastic, and full of energy

"High-spirited" describes someone who is lively, energetic, and enthusiastic — often used of children, horses, and vigorous adults. It does not imply arrogance or pretension. The "high" refers to the level of energy and vitality, not to social status or self-regard. A high-spirited person is enjoyable to be around; an arrogant person is not.

mean-spirited = meaning stingy/miserly
mean-spirited = petty, unkind, and motivated by small-minded malice

"Mean-spirited" captures a specific kind of pettiness: not just unkind but actively motivated by a desire to diminish, hurt, or belittle others in small ways. It is stronger than just "mean" because the "spirited" element implies this is a fundamental disposition of the person's character, not a momentary lapse. It is almost always used in criticism.

A trick to remember it

"Spirit" in English carries both the sense of vital energy (high-spirited, free-spirited) and of moral character (mean-spirited, public-spirited). This dual meaning makes -spirited compounds unusually rich. When you describe someone as "free-spirited" you are saying something about their energy AND their values — their refusal to be constrained by convention. "Mean-spirited" says something about both their emotional energy (small, contracted, resentful) and their moral orientation (toward diminishing others).

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Fill in: "The ___ documentary refused to acknowledge any merit in the opposing argument." (petty, unkind, motivated by a desire to belittle)

Hint: Mean (petty, unkind) + spirited = whose spirit is directed toward belittling others.

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"The free-spirited traveller had no fixed address and no fixed plans, only a direction." What does "free-spirited" suggest?

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Fill in: "The ___ volunteers worked through the weekend to restore the flooded community centre." (oriented toward the public good; generous toward the community)

Hint: Public + spirited = whose spirit is directed toward the public good.

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -spirited mean in English?

The suffix -spirited having a spirit or energy of a specified kind; describing the vitality, moral disposition, or social orientation of a person In Spanish it usually maps to de espíritu / de ánimo.

Can you give an example of a word with -spirited?

"high" becomes "high-spirited". It is a typical example of the -spirited suffix.

Other useful suffixes

  • -hearted

    having a specified disposition, spirit, or emotional character

  • -minded

    having a particular way of thinking, values, or mental outlook

  • -willed

    having a will of a specified strength or character; describing the force, direction, or quality of a person's determination

Learn every English suffix

-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.

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