Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

soul

Pronunciation: /səʊl/
Translate soul | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of soul

noun

  • 1the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
  • a person’s moral or emotional nature or sense of identity:in the depths of her soul, she knew he would betray her
  • 2 [mass noun] emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, especially as revealed in a work of art or an artistic performance:their interpretation lacked soul
  • black American culture or ethnic pride.
  • short for soul music.
  • 3the essence or embodiment of a specified quality:he was the soul of discretion brevity is the soul of wit
  • an individual person:I’ll never tell a soul it was bad news for some poor soul
  • a person regarded with affection or pity:she’s a nice old soul

Phrases

lost soul

a soul that is damned.
chiefly humorous a person who seems unable to cope with everyday life: a few lost souls wander aimlessly down to the front and stare up at the stage

upon my soul!

dated an exclamation of surprise.

Derivatives

souled

adjective
[in combination]:she was a great-souled character

Origin:

Old English sāwol, sāw(e)l, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ziel and German Seele

soul in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of soul in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More words in this category

Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

logomachy

/ ləˈgɒməki /
noun
an argument about words …