soul

Universal Words noun spirit of person 1 [C] the spiritual part of a person, believed to exist after death: He believed his immortal soul was in peril. * The howling wind sounded like the wailing of lost souls (= the spirits of dead people who are not in heaven). inner character 2 [C] a person's inner character, containing their true thoughts and feelings: There was a feeling of restlessness deep in her soul. spiritual / moral / artistic qualities 3 [sing.] the spiritual and moral qualities of humans in general: the dark side of the human soul 4 [U,C] strong and good human feeling, especially that gives a work of art its quality or enables sb to recognize and enjoy that quality: It was a very polished performance, but it lacked soul. 5 [sing.] the ~ of sth a perfect example of a good quality: He is the soul of discretion. person 6 [C] (becoming old-fashioned) a person of a particular type: She's lost all her money, poor soul. * You're a brave soul. 7 [C] (especially in negative sentences) a person: There wasn't a soul in sight (= nobody was in sight). * Don't tell a soul (= do not tell anyone). * (literary) a village of 300 souls (= with 300 people living there) music 8 (also soul music) [U] a type of music that expresses strong emotions, made popular by African American musicians: a soul singer IDIOMS good for the soul (humorous) good for you, even if it seems unpleasant: 'Want a ride?' 'No thanks. Walking is good for the soul.' moreatBAREv., BODY, GOD, HEART, LIFE, SELLv.