Skip to main content
team spirit

team spirit

11 2.4
A feeling of pride and support that helps a group work well together
  • noun
  • /tim ˈspɪrɪt/
: espíritu de equipo
  • It's not the adulation, the cheering, the popularity that we want; it's team spirit.
  • show team spirit
  • build team spirit
  • foster team spirit

But again, it's, it's, you know, it's team spirit's always easy when when you're successful.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • I'm just trying to get some team spirit going here.

  • What about your team spirit?

  • Looks like they have some team spirit.

  • I thought you kids were all about team spirit.

  • I love the team spirit.

  • Last year, the team spirit was not good.

    Academic text (2006)
  • For me, it's about team spirit and not making excuses, never giving up, and stuff like that.

    Blog text (9)
  • For her hard work and team spirit, Trina has been awarded a yellow shirt.

  • It's a brand-new season and a new team spirit, as novice owner Roger Dorn has made two very savvy front office moves.

  • The majority of the rally was positive, demonstrating camaraderie and team spirit among its members.

Synonyms

morale
vsteam spirit
149 3.8

How confident and motivated a person or group feels

captures ongoing pride and mutual support rather than a temporary confidence level
esprit de corps
vsteam spirit
  • Formal
2 7.9

A strong feeling of pride, loyalty, and togetherness that makes group members support each other

supports cooperation and mutual help rather than driving achievement

Antonyms

160 4.2

A strong disagreement that separates people in a group

4 6.4

A situation when people or groups do not agree

How Spirited

solidarity
98 5.2
team spirit
11 2.4
camaraderie
41 6.5
morale
149 3.8
indifference
66 4.6

Surface Forms

team spirit singular
team spirits plural

Morphology

team + spirit

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'team' (a group) with 'spirit' (morale, energy or character): together they denote the collective morale or enthusiasm of a group. This composition follows a common noun+noun pattern and has close equivalents in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'espíritu de equipo', French 'esprit d'équipe'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely understand it.

Etymology

Team spirit may come from the image of a group sharing the same invisible energy, with team meaning the group and spirit meaning their lively energy. Imagine players cheering and helping each other; that shared energy makes them work as one, so 'team spirit' means 'a feeling of pride, enthusiasm, and mutual support'.