exuberance
Americannoun
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Also exuberancy. the state of being exuberant.
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an instance of this.
His pranks are youthful exuberances.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exuberance
From the Latin word exūberantia, dating back to 1630–40. See exuberant, -ance
Explanation
Use exuberance to describe joyful enthusiasm and liveliness. You appreciate the natural exuberance of small children, but you prefer to enjoy it from a distance. The noun exuberance comes from the adjective exuberant, which itself came from a Latin word that originally described an overflowing supply of milk from the udder of a cow or goat! The word still means "overflowing," not with milk but with joy and enthusiasm. After your winning home run, the fans ran onto the field and, in their exuberance, carried you off on their shoulders . . . before you touched home plate.
Vocabulary lists containing exuberance
An Inspirational Back-to-School Word List
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Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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The Things They Carried
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some Chinese stocks are already mimicking the U.S. exuberance for AI, bringing their valuations far beyond bargain territory.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
To some, it was an example of terrible corporate governance and a sign of irrational market exuberance.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
“Larry had a youthful, maybe childish exuberance in the way he voiced the character, and I wanted the character to connect with kids,” adds Duffield.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
For the Spurs players, the instant exuberance was understandable, but embarrassment should have quickly descended on them as they listened to their supporters chanting "We Are Staying Up".
From BBC • May 24, 2026
Homo sapiens was about to put an end to this biological exuberance.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
