spiritedness en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree English spirited Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English spiritedness From spirited + -ness.
Meanings
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(in-compounds, sometimes, uncountable) The property of being spirited, of having spirit.
At the end of a ride I appreciate this horse's stamina, but at the beginning of the ride I could do without his excessive spiritedness.
I can't stand her mean-spiritedness. She won't even find time to visit her grandmother in hospital.