animal spirits

NOUN

liveliness

Synonyms

WEAK

bounce energy exuberance frolicsomeness life nervous spirits sportiveness spriteliness vitality vivacity zing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But if the war is wrapped up soon, Walsh sees animal spirits returning to boost both stock and bond markets.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

None of this means that the investment markets’ performance is always driven by animal spirits.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

Many banks on Wall Street had started 2025 talking about animal spirits in the form of increased mergers and acquisitions and capital markets activity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

There is some space for green shoots to sprout now, or at least for the animal spirits of the economy to emerge from non-stop chaos.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

I was young, and, despite dread, full of animal spirits; it was impossible for me to take a dark view too long.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides