soul
noun /səʊl/
/səʊl/
Idioms - [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).
- 'Repent now if you want to save your soul,' he cried.
- soul of somebody a prayer for the soul of the deceased
- They believe that ghosts are the wandering souls of the departed.
Collocations ReligionReligionBeing religious- believe in God/Christ/Allah/free will/predestination/heaven and hell/an afterlife/reincarnation
- be/become a believer/an atheist/an agnostic/a Christian/Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist, etc.
- convert to/practise a religion/Buddhism/Catholicism/Christianity/Islam/Judaism, etc.
- go to church/(North American English) temple (= the synagogue)
- go to the local church/mosque/synagogue/gurdwara
- belong to a church/a religious community
- join/enter the church/a convent/a monastery/a religious sect/the clergy/the priesthood
- praise/worship/obey/serve/glorify God
- attend/hold/conduct/lead a service
- perform a ceremony/a rite/a ritual/a baptism/the Hajj/a mitzvah
- carry out/perform a sacred/burial/funeral/fertility/purification rite
- go on/make a pilgrimage
- celebrate Christmas/Easter/Eid/Ramadan/Hanukkah/Passover/Diwali
- 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
- study/follow the dharma/the teachings of Buddha
- read/study/understand/interpret scripture/the Bible/the Koran/the gospel/the Torah
- be based on/derive from divine revelation
- commit/consider something heresy/sacrilege
- seek/find/gain enlightenment/wisdom
- strengthen/lose your faith
- keep/practise/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
Extra ExamplesTopics Religion and festivalsb2- May God have mercy on my soul.
- an argument for the immortality of the soul
- The dog was howling like a soul in torment.
- The messenger god, Hermes, leads dead souls into the underworld.
- Missionaries saw it as their task to save souls.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- eternal
- immortal
- dead
- …
- save
- sell
- a/the battle for somebody’s soul
- a/the struggle for somebody’s soul
- have mercy on somebody’s soul
- …
- [countable] a person’s inner character, containing their true thoughts and feelings
- music that soothes your soul
- The eyes are the windows to the soul.
- in somebody's soul There was a feeling of restlessness deep in her soul.
Homophones sole | soulsole soul/səʊl//səʊl/- sole adjective
- John Dashwood is the sole male heir, so inherits the entire estate.
- sole noun
- Many jazz shoes come with a rubber sole.
- soul noun
- Deep in her soul she knew she had to return to her country.
Extra Examples- He let out an anguished cry from the depths of his soul.
- I searched my soul for any malice that could have provoked his words, but found none.
- The plea touched him to his very soul.
- She was a part of his soul.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- very
- whole
- inner
- …
- lose
- bare
- search
- …
- in your soul
- body and soul
- from the depths of somebody’s soul
- in the depths of somebody’s soul
- …
- [singular] the spiritual and moral qualities of humans in general synonym psyche
- the dark side of the human soul
- In my view, fine art feeds the mind and soul.
Extra Examples- Laughter is good for the soul.
- a battle for the soul of the country
- [uncountable] strong and good human feeling, especially that gives a work of art its quality or enables somebody to recognize and enjoy that quality
- It was a very polished performance, but it lacked soul.
Extra Examples- In the process of being made into a film, the story seemed to have lost its soul.
- She sang the song with passion and soul.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + soul- have
- lack
- with soul
- [singular] the soul of something a perfect example of a good quality
- He is the soul of discretion.
- [countable] (becoming old-fashioned) a person of a particular type
- She's lost all her money, poor soul.
- You're a brave soul.
Extra Examples- a kind old soul
- A few brave souls queued all night to get tickets for centre court.
- It means bad news for some poor soul.
- They recognized each other as kindred souls.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- little
- old
- good
- …
- not tell
- not a soul in sight
- [countable] (especially in negative sentences) a person
- There wasn't a soul in sight (= nobody was in sight).
- Don't tell a soul (= do not tell anyone).
- (literary) a village of 300 souls (= with 300 people living there)
Extra Examples- I don't know a single soul in this town.
- There was no other living soul to be seen.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- little
- old
- good
- …
- not tell
- not a soul in sight
- (also soul music)[uncountable] a type of music that expresses strong emotions, made popular by African American musicians
- a soul singer
CultureSoul music developed out of gospel music and rhythm and blues in the 1950s and 1960s. The most famous form of soul music was Motown. Well-known soul singers include James Brown, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Roberta Flack and Stevie Wonder.Topics Musicb2
spirit of person
inner character
spiritual/moral/artistic qualities
person
music
Word OriginOld English sāwol, sāw(e)l, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ziel and German Seele.
Idioms
bare your soul (to somebody)
- to tell somebody your deepest and most private feelings
body and soul
- with all your energy
- She committed herself body and soul to fighting for the cause.
God rest his/her soul | God rest him/her
- (old-fashioned, informal) used to show respect when you are talking about somebody who is dead
good for the soul
- (humorous) good for you, even if it seems unpleasant
- ‘Want a ride?’ ‘No thanks. Walking is good for the soul.’
heart and soul
- with a lot of energy and enthusiasm
- They threw themselves heart and soul into the project.
keep body and soul together
- 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.
the life and soul of the party, etc.
- (British English) the liveliest and funniest person at a party, etc.
sell your soul (to the devil)
- to do anything, even something really bad or dishonest, in return for money, success or powerTopics Successc2