soulful

[ sohl-fuhl ]

adjective

1. of or expressive of deep feeling or emotion:

   soulful eyes.

soulful

/ ˈsəʊlfʊl /

adjective

1. ironic.
   expressing profound thoughts or feelings

   soulful music

Derived Forms

• ˈsoulfulness, noun
• ˈsoulfully, adverb

Other Words From

• soulful·ly adverb
• soulful·ness noun
• un·soulful adjective
• un·soulful·ly adverb
• un·soulful·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of soulful¹

First recorded in 1860–65; soul + -ful

Example Sentences

The cast is uniformly excellent, including the peacocking Washington, chewing the scenery, and the soulful Mescal, looking like the statue of David come to life in fierce, brutal form.

From Los Angeles Times

Also hotly-tipped are London jazz ensemble Ezra Collective, who won the Mercury Prize in 2023 for their soulful and ebullient album Where I'm Meant To Be.

From BBC

One of the many guests to pop up on Tyler, the Creator’s aforementioned “Chromakopia” is the 23-year-old British singer Lola Young, who adds soulful backing vocals to the wrenching “Like Him.”

From New York Times

Lady Gaga performed a soulful version of “God Bless America” and spoke about empowering women, revving up the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times

Portuguese Catholic parishes and Portuguese halls — where weddings, festas and soulful fado concerts take place — dot the tiny towns that stretch from roughly Bakersfield to Redding.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• expressive
• impassioned
• passionate
• stirring
• touching