Definition

1. Noun:
   • The immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life: The spiritual or non-physical part of a person, often regarded as immortal and distinct from the body.
   • A human being; a person: Used to refer to an individual, often with a focus on their existence or presence.
   • The central, vital, or animating part of something; its essential nature or quality: The core element that gives something its character, energy, or feeling.
   • Deep feeling or emotion: A capacity for or expression of strong, sincere emotion.
   • A secular form of gospel music that was a major Black musical genre in the 1960s and 1970s: Characterized by its emotional intensity and roots in African American culture.

Examples of Usage

• As the immaterial essence:
  • Many religions believe the soul lives on after death.
  • She felt the poem spoke directly to her soul.
• As a human being:
  • Not a soul was seen on the deserted street.
  • The ship carried over five hundred souls.
• As the central, vital part:
  • Honesty is the very soul of their friendship.
  • The old theater has lost its soul since the renovation.
• As deep feeling or emotion:
  • She sang the ballad with great soul.
  • His apology lacked soul; it felt insincere.
• As a music genre:
  • Aretha Franklin is known as the Queen of Soul.
  • They spent the evening listening to classic soul records.

Advanced Usage

• "To bare one's soul": To reveal one's most private thoughts and feelings.
  • In her memoir, she bares her soul to her readers.
• "The life and soul of the party": A person who is the most lively and entertaining person at a social gathering.
  • He's always the life and soul of the party with his jokes and stories.
• "To sell one's soul": To compromise one's principles or integrity for personal gain, especially wealth or power.
  • The character in the story sold his soul to the devil for knowledge.

Variants and Related Words

• Soulful (adj): Expressing or appearing to express deep, often sad, feeling.
  • He gave a soulful performance on the saxophone.
• Soulless (adj): Lacking character, feeling, or human qualities; dull and mechanical.
  • He worked in a soulless office building.

Synonyms

• Spirit: The non-physical part of a person (e.g., ).
• Essence: The intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something (e.g., ).
• Individual; person: A human being (e.g., ).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Not a soul: No person at all.
  • There wasn't a soul in the library.
• To keep body and soul together: To manage to survive, especially with very little money or food.
  • He took odd jobs just to keep body and soul together.

Related Idioms

• Heart and soul: With all one's energy and enthusiasm.
  • She put her heart and soul into the project.
• A lost soul: A person who seems lonely, confused, or without purpose.
  • He wandered the streets like a lost soul after losing his job.
• Soul-searching: Deep and careful thought about one's feelings and motives.
  • After the argument, he did some serious soul-searching.

Noun

1. a secular form of gospel that was a major Black musical genre in the 1960s and 1970s
   • soul was politically significant during the Civil Rights movement
2. the human embodiment of something
   • the soul of honor
3. deep feeling or emotion
4. a human being
   • there was too much for one person to do
5. the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life