English · Word Candidate

soul

/səʊl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: souls · souling · souled

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The spirit or essence of a person usually thought to consist of one's thoughts and personality, often believed to live on after the person's death.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Linh hồn hoặc bản chất của một người, thường bao gồm suy nghĩ và tính cách

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

1836, Hans Christian Andersen (translated into English by Mrs. H. B. Paull in 1872), The Little Mermaid "Among the daughters of the air," answered one of them. "A mermaid has not an immortal soul, nor can she obtain one unless she wins the love of a human being. On the power of another hangs her ete

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The spirit or essence of anything.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

linh hồn hoặc bản chất của một thứ gì

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

From another point of view, it was a place without a soul. The well-to-do had hearts of stone; the rich were brutally bumptious; the Press, the Municipality, all the public men, were ridiculously, vaingloriously self-satisfied.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Characteristic of or pertaining to African American culture.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

đặc trưng của hoặc liên quan đến văn hóa người Mỹ gốc Phi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

soul music

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To beg on All Soul's Day.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

xin ăn trong Ngày Các Linh Hồn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

All Souls' Day was celebrated by souling, a custom going back to pre-Reformation days: soul cakers and mummers toured the village begging for a soul cake — a plain, round, flat cake seasoned with spices.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “soul” mean?

The spirit or essence of a person usually thought to consist of one's thoughts and personality, often believed to live on after the person's death.

Is “soul” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.