VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

soul

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/səʊl/
US/soʊl/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablereligion

    The non-physical part of a person that many believe continues after death.

    Grammar: Often discussed in religion and philosophy: the immortal soul.

    Patterns

    • the soul of someone

    Many religions teach that the soul lives on after the body dies.

    They prayed for the soul of their friend.

    He believed that every person has a soul.

  2. nouncountableliterary

    A person's deepest feelings, character and emotional life.

    Grammar: Often used with possessives: in her soul, with all his soul.

    Patterns

    • in your soul
    • with all your soul

    The music touched her soul.

    He poured his soul into the painting.

    She felt in her soul that she had made the right choice.

  3. nouncountableinformal

    A person, especially one described with sympathy or affection.

    Grammar: Usually follows an adjective: a kind soul, a poor soul. Often in negative sentences: not a soul.

    Patterns

    • a kind soul
    • not a soul

    Not a soul was on the beach at dawn.

    He is a gentle soul who never raises his voice.

    The village was home to about two hundred souls.

  4. noununcountable

    A quality of deep feeling and sincerity, especially in art or performance.

    Grammar: Used without an article: a song full of soul.

    Patterns

    • full of soul
    • lack soul

    His guitar playing has real soul.

    The new building feels efficient but lacks soul.

    The singer gave the old song fresh soul.

  5. noununcountablemusic

    A style of popular music from African American traditions, mixing gospel and rhythm and blues with strong emotional singing.

    Grammar: Often used as a modifier: soul music, a soul singer.

    Patterns

    • soul music
    • soul singer

    She grew up listening to soul records from the 1960s.

    The band plays a mix of funk and soul.

    A soul singer led the evening's concert.

Word forms

pluralsouls

Common combinations

soul mate
They met in college and became soul mates.
soul music
Soul music filled the dance floor.
body and soul
She put body and soul into her training.
search your soul
He had to search his soul before making the decision.
not a soul
There was not a soul on the street.
bare your soul
In the letter she bared her soul.

Synonyms and how they differ

spirit
Can mean the same as soul in religion, but also names energy or mood, which soul does not.
psyche
Is a psychological term for the mind as a whole, and is not religious.
heart
Describes feelings and sincerity in everyday talk and is less spiritual than soul.
essence
Names the central quality of a thing, rather than a personal inner life.

Opposites

bodyflesh

Word family

soulful adjective
expressing deep feeling
soulless adjective
lacking feeling or character
soulmate noun
a person perfectly suited to another
soul-searching noun
deep examination of your feelings and motives

Commonly confused: soul or sole?

soul vs sole

Sole sounds the same in many accents but means only, or the bottom of a foot or shoe, or a flat fish; soul is the spiritual or emotional part of a person.

Practice

The critic said the new stage production was technically perfect but lacked ____.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “soul”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words