elation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- self-elation noun
Etymology
Origin of elation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English elacioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin ēlātiōn-, stem of ēlātiō “ceremonial carrying out, elevation, ecstasy”; equivalent to elate + -ion
Explanation
If you experience sudden very high spirits, possibly even a feeling of lightness, you are feeling great elation. Elation is more than mere happiness — it is extreme, exhilarating joy. It has a sense of rising or expanding, even to the point of light-headedness. To help remember it, think of the (unrelated) word inflation, which has a similar sound. When you inflate a tire, you pump it up. When you are filled with elation, you are also, in a sense, "pumped up."
Vocabulary lists containing elation
Emotions on Display
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Refugee
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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.
Post-victory elation, however, was short-lived: In mid-2023, Calamia had to tirelessly defend their right to use testosterone, which they’d been taking since 2019 as part of their gender transition, to the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Life waxes and wanes between peace and tumult, elation and despair.
From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026
When Tremlett got Michael Beer out to win the match, it was a moment of pure elation, just incredible.
From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025
She was a great listener and there for me—from elation to tears.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025
With something close to elation I saw him pull up a large, gray lump of bread which he held up.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
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.
