Expressing deep, sincere feeling in a way that seems to come from the inner self.
Reach for it when praising a voice, look, or performance for emotional depth
Kemi gave the old folk song a soulful reading that quieted the entire hall.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
emotional
Fits when strong feeling is simply present
Careful It is neutral and can suggest loss of control, unlike positive soulful praise.
everyday
Fits when intensity and conviction drive the performance
Careful Passion is hotter and more forceful than soulful inward depth.
warm
Fits when sincerity and personal feeling matter most
Careful A heartfelt speech need not have the artistic depth suggested by soulful.
warm
Fits when the audience's emotional response is the evidence
Careful Something can move listeners through story or circumstance rather than soulful delivery.
warm
Fits when truth of feeling matters without artistic flourish
Careful Sincerity alone may sound plain rather than emotionally rich.
professional
Fits when feeling or meaning is communicated clearly
Careful Expression can be lively or technical without deep emotion.
formal
Fits when the work awakens strong feeling in others
Careful Stirring describes effect on an audience, not necessarily the performer's sincerity.
literary
poignant
Fits when beauty is sharpened by sadness or tenderness
Careful Joyful depth without sadness is soulful but not poignant.
soulful voice
Her soulful voice carried the final unaccompanied verse.
soulful performance
The actor's soulful performance found grief beneath the character's jokes.
soulful eyes
The portrait's soulful eyes made the formal pose feel intimate.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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