- 1[countable] 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). Topic CollocationsReligionbeing religious
- believe in God/Christ/Allah/free will/predestination/heaven and hell/an afterlife/reincarnation
- be/become an agnostic/an atheist/a believer/a Buddhist/Christian/Hindu/Muslim, etc.
- convert to/practice a religion/Buddhism/Catholicism/Christianity/Islam/Judaism, etc.
- go to church/temple (= the synagogue)
- go to the local church/mosque/synagogue
- belong to a church/a religious community
- join/enter the Church/a convent/a monastery/the clergy/the priesthood/a religious sect/a cult
- praise/worship/obey/serve/glorify God
- attend/hold/conduct/lead a service
- perform a ceremony/a rite/a ritual/a baptism/the Hajj/a bar mitzvah/a bat mitzvah
- carry out/perform a sacred/burial/funeral/fertility/purification rite/the last rites
- go on/make a pilgrimage
- celebrate Christmas/Diwali/Easter/Eid/Hanukkah/Passover/Ramadan
- observe/break the Sabbath/a fast/Ramadan
- deliver/preach/hear a sermon
- lead/address the congregation
- say/recite a prayer/blessing
- preach/proclaim/spread the word of God/the Gospel/the message of Islam/a message
- study/follow the dharma/the teachings of Buddha
- read/study/understand/interpret scripture/the Bible/the Koran/the Gospel/the Torah
- be based on/derived from divine revelation
- commit/consider something heresy/sacrilege
- seek/find/gain enlightenment/wisdom
- strengthen/lose/question your faith
- keep/practice/abandon the faith
- save/purify/lose your soul
- obey/follow/keep/break/violate a commandment/Islamic law/Jewish law
- be/accept/do God's will
- receive/experience divine grace
- achieve/attain enlightenment/salvation/nirvana
- undergo a conversion/rebirth/reincarnation
- hear/answer a prayer
- commit/confess/forgive a sin
- do/perform penance
inner character - 2[countable] a person's inner character, containing their true thoughts and feelings There was a feeling of restlessness deep in her soul.
- 3[singular] the spiritual and moral qualities of humans in general synonym psyche the dark side of the human soul
- 4[uncountable, countable] strong and good human feeling, especially that gives a work of art its quality or enables someone to recognize and enjoy that quality It was a very polished performance, but it lacked soul.
- 5[singular] the soul of something a perfect example of a good quality He is the soul of discretion. person
- 6[countable] (becoming old-fashioned) a person of a particular type She's lost all her money, poor soul. You're a brave soul.
- 7[countable] (especially in negative sentences) a person There wasn't a soul in sight (= no one was in sight). Don't tell a soul (= do not tell anyone). (literary) a village of 300 souls (= with 300 people living there)
- 8(also soul music) [uncountable] a type of music that expresses strong emotions, made popular by African American musicians a soul singer Idioms
spirit of person
to tell someone your deepest and most private feelings
with all your energy She committed herself body and soul to fighting for the cause.
used to show respect when you are talking about someone who is dead
good for you, even if it seems unpleasant “Want a ride?” “No thanks. Walking is good for the soul.”
with a lot of energy and enthusiasm They threw themselves heart and soul into the project.
to stay alive with just enough of the food, clothing, etc. that you need synonym survive They barely have enough money to keep body and soul together.
to do anything, even something bad or dishonest, in return for money, success, or power
Check pronunciation: soul