animus means the basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions. It carries an Arena rating of 1588, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, animus ranks #2,317 of 14,444 for Most Exacting Words, #2,328 of 14,438 for Most Storied Words, #2,592 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #2,737 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words.
animus is pronounced /ˈæ.nɪ.məs/.
Why “animus” is a great word
A deep-seated and personal feeling of strong hostility or ill will, often rooted in prejudice. From the Latin animus ('mind, rational soul, spirit, courage, anger'), from Proto-Italic *anamos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos, from *h₂enh₁- ('to breathe'). Unlike 'animosity,' which suggests a general, longstanding bitterness, or 'enmity,' which denotes a formal and often mutual state of opposition, animus is a specific, sharp-edged prejudice—a one-sided and motivating spite. It is the deliberate omission of a name from an invitation, the quiet certainty that another's success diminishes your own, the cold gleam in a rival's eye that seeks not truth but the pleasure of the wound. Animus breathes where reason has not yet arrived, the animating breath forged into a weapon of quiet, relentless intent.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin animus (“the mind, in a great variety of meanings: the rational soul in man, intellect, consciousness, will, intention, courage, spirit, sensibility, feeling, passion, pride, vehemence, wrath, etc., the breath, life, soul”), from Proto-Italic *anamos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos, from *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe”). Closely related to Latin anima, which is a feminine form.
noun
- The basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions.
- A feeling of enmity, animosity or ill will.“The current row arose swiftly, sparked both by historical animus and jockeying over future power and place in Asia - and it surprised many observers in the depth of antipathy on both sides.”
- Intention, motivation (of a legal person).
- The masculine aspect of the feminine psyche or personality.“In the Jungian model of the psyche, the male has an internalized female counterpart, the anima; while the female has an internalized masculine counterpart, the animus.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.