soul

soul — noun

1. the invisible spiritual self within a human being that many faiths and tradition

1.nounB2
Definition

the invisible spiritual self within a human being that many faiths and traditions believe lives on after physical death

Example

The priest told Hugo that Grandma's soul had gone to a peaceful place.

soul as spiritual essence in religious context

Many cultures around the world believe the soul lives on after death.

Common collocations
  • immortal soul
  • human soul
  • save your soul
  • rest my soul
Synonyms
  • spirit

    more general term for non-physical part; can also mean ghost or energy

  • essence

    more abstract; the fundamental nature of something, not limited to persons

Usage Note

Frequently used in religious, philosophical, or spiritual contexts. The opposite concept is the body (physical form).

Common Mistakes

The team showed great soul during the match.
The team showed great spirit during the match.
'spirit' is used for energy and enthusiasm in groups; 'soul' refers to a person's spiritual essence.

2. the quality of emotional depth and genuine feeling that a person or a piece of a

2.noun
Definition

the quality of emotional depth and genuine feeling that a person or a piece of art shows

Example

Reema's performance was full of soul and moved many people in the crowd to tears.

uncountable: full of soul

The singer's voice had so much soul that everyone stopped to listen.

Common collocations
  • full of soul
  • with soul
  • put your soul into
  • no soul
Synonyms
  • feeling

    more general; less intense than soul

  • passion

    emphasizes strong enthusiasm rather than deep emotion

  • depth

    focuses on complexity, not just emotional quality

Usage Note

Uncountable — do not say 'a soul' or 'souls' for this meaning. Often used with 'full of', 'with', or 'put your whole soul into'.

Common Mistakes

Her paintings have a lot of souls.
Her paintings have a lot of soul.
in this sense, 'soul' is uncountable and never takes a plural form.

3. a style of popular music that conveys deep emotion, first developed and performe

3.nounA2
Definition

a style of popular music that conveys deep emotion, first developed and performed by African American artists in the mid-20th century

Example

Soul became a major musical genre across the United States during the nineteen sixties.

Gabriela loves listening to soul because the melodies are so warm and emotional.

soul as a music genre

Common collocations
  • soul music
  • soul singer
  • classic soul
  • soul band
  • soul record
Synonyms
  • R&B

    a related genre that blends soul with rhythm and blues

  • gospel

    religious music that influenced the development of soul

Usage Note

Often shortened form of 'soul music'. This sense is usually capitalized in historical references (Soul) but lowercase in everyday use.

4. someone who has a specific type of character, especially when that quality is ob

4.nounB2
Definition

someone who has a specific type of character, especially when that quality is obvious in how they treat others

Example

My grandfather was a kind soul who helped everyone in the neighborhood.

countable noun with preceding adjective: kind soul

A few brave souls stayed outside in the heavy rain to watch the match.

Common collocations
  • kind soul
  • brave soul
  • poor soul
  • trusting soul
  • old soul
Synonyms
  • person

    neutral, no emotional coloring

  • individual

    more formal; emphasizes separateness

  • character

    often implies an unusual or interesting person

Usage Note

Almost always requires a preceding adjective (kind soul, brave soul, poor soul). Rarely used without a modifier.

Common Mistakes

He is a soul.
He is a kind soul.
in this sense, 'soul' must be preceded by an adjective that describes the person's character.

5. a person — used in negative contexts to mean 'no one' or 'anyone at all'

5.nounB2
Definition

a person — used in negative contexts to mean 'no one' or 'anyone at all'

Example

Not a single soul was visible on the streets after midnight in the storm.

negative construction: not a single soul

The old house had been empty for years with no soul living there at all.

Common collocations
  • not a soul
  • no soul
  • any soul
  • living soul
  • single soul
Synonyms
  • nobody

    direct synonym for 'not a soul'; more common in everyday speech

  • anyone

    used in questions and negatives like 'any soul'

Grammar Patterns

not a + soul

no + soul

any + soul

Usage Note

Almost always used in negative expressions: 'not a soul', 'no soul', 'never a soul'. Rarely if ever used in positive statements for this meaning.

Common Mistakes

A soul was in the room.
Not a soul was in the room.
this sense requires a negative construction to mean 'nobody'.

6. a deep sense of identity, pride, and connection to the culture and heritage of A

6.noun
Definition

a deep sense of identity, pride, and connection to the culture and heritage of African American people

Example

The museum exhibition celebrated soul through music, dance, and storytelling.

Hugo wrote his thesis on the meaning of soul in modern African American art.

soul as cultural identity and pride

Common collocations
  • Black soul
  • soul culture
  • pride of soul
  • soul identity
Synonyms
  • heritage

    broader term; includes traditions and history, not just emotional connection

  • identity

    focuses on self-concept rather than cultural pride

  • Black pride

    a related concept with a stronger political dimension

Usage Note

Less common in everyday conversation; found most often in discussions of African American cultural identity, art, and history. Overlaps conceptually with noun sense 2 (DEEP FEELINGS) but specifically links the emotion to African American heritage.

Idioms

bare your soul

idiom

to tell someone your deepest and most private feelings, without hiding anything

Karim finally bared his soul to his best friend about the fear he had been hiding.

In her diary, the young writer bared her soul about growing up in a small town.

heart and soul

idiom

with all your energy, enthusiasm, and complete dedication

Nadia threw herself heart and soul into organizing the community charity event.

The dance teacher loves her students heart and soul and never misses a class.

keep body and soul together

idiom

to manage to stay alive with only just enough food, money, or clothing

During the hard winter, the old man worked odd jobs just to keep body and soul together.

As a young student in the city, Wei took three part-time jobs to keep body and soul together.

sell your soul (to/for)

idiom

to give up your moral values or principles in exchange for money, success, or power

The journalist sold her soul for fame and started publishing stories she knew were false.

Some critics say the band sold their soul when they signed the big record deal.

the life and soul of the party

idiom

the most lively, energetic, and entertaining person at a social event

Aoi was the life and soul of the party, telling jokes and getting everyone to dance.

Without Gabriela's funny stories, the evening would have been dull — she is the life and soul.

soul mate

idiom

a person who you feel a very strong natural connection with, especially in a romantic relationship

Christopher says he knew Reema was his soul mate on their very first date.

The old couple who had been married for sixty years described each other as soul mates.

bare your soul (to somebody)

idiom

To share your most personal and secret feelings with someone.

Maya bared her soul to her best friend after the breakup.

Why did you bare your soul to a stranger on the bus?

body and soul

idiom

With all your effort and attention; completely.

Diego threw himself body and soul into the project.

She loved him body and soul, without any hesitation.

good for the soul

idiom

Beneficial for your mental or spiritual well-being, even if unpleasant.

A cold shower in the morning is good for the soul.

Sara thinks volunteering at the shelter is good for the soul.

the life and soul of the party, etc.

idiom

The most lively and entertaining person at a social event.

Aiden was the life and soul of the party last night.

Who is the life and soul of your office gatherings?

sell your soul (to the devil)

idiom

To do anything, even immoral acts, for money, success, or power.

The politician sold his soul to the devil for a higher position.

Min refused to sell her soul for a promotion she didn't deserve.

soul — adjective

Word family

  • soulful
    adjectiveB2
  • soulfully
    adverbB2
  • soulfulness
    nounC1
  • soulless
    adjectiveC1
  • soullessly
    adverbC1
  • soullessness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Soul and spirit both refer to the non-physical part of a person, but they differ in use. Spirit often emphasizes energy, courage, or a supernatural force — you talk about 'team spirit' or 'the spirit of the law.' Soul focuses on the moral and emotional core: your deepest feelings and identity. Psyche is a more technical term from psychology, referring to the mind, personality, and unconscious processes, rather than anything spiritual. Essence is the broadest term — it refers to the fundamental nature of anything, not just people. In everyday English, soul appears most often in religious and emotional contexts ('my soul felt at peace'), while spirit is common in both religious and motivational phrases ('school spirit,' 'fighting spirit'). A concrete example: 'She poured her soul into the song' suggests deep emotion, whereas 'She performed with spirit' suggests energy and enthusiasm.

spirit ↗psycheessence ↗mind ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Soul comes from Old English sāwol, which meant the spiritual or immaterial part of a person. This word shares roots with Old Saxon sēola, Old High German sēula, and Gothic saiwala. The original Germanic form may have been connected to the sea (saiw-) — some scholars think ancient Germanic peoples imagined the soul rising from the sea or returning to it after death. The word entered English before the 9th century and has kept its core spiritual meaning ever since, though it later developed figurative uses for emotional depth (15th century) and for describing a person's character (16th century).