Meaning & use
soulfulness
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Meaning
noununcountableapproving
The quality of showing deep, sincere feeling, especially in a performance, a look or a piece of art.
Grammar: Uncountable: there is soulfulness in her voice, not a soulfulness.
Patterns
- the soulfulness of something
- soulfulness in something
The soulfulness of her singing silenced the room.
There was a quiet soulfulness in the old man's eyes.
Critics praised the soulfulness of the cello solo.
Common combinations
- a depth of soulfulness
- The ballad has a depth of soulfulness that moved the crowd.
- the soulfulness of a voice
- The soulfulness of her voice made the song unforgettable.
- quiet soulfulness
- A quiet soulfulness runs through his poems.
- convey soulfulness
- Few players convey soulfulness as well as he does.
- rich soulfulness
- The album is full of rich soulfulness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- emotion
- Emotion is a general word for any feeling, whereas soulfulness is deep, sincere feeling shown in expression.
- depth of feeling
- Depth of feeling is a plainer phrase for the same idea and fits ordinary speech better.
- expressiveness
- Expressiveness is about how clearly feeling is shown, not how deep or sincere it is.
- pathos
- Pathos is narrower, evoking pity or sadness, while soulfulness can be joyful or calm.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: soulfulness or soulmate?
soulfulness vs soulmate
A soulmate is a person you feel a deep connection with; soulfulness is a quality, not a person.
Practice
The audience was moved by the ____ of the singer's performance.
Choose one answer.
Soulfulness means deep sincere feeling, which would move an audience. Soullessness is the opposite and the others do not describe emotional depth.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “soulfulness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.