exhilaration

American  

[ig-zil-uh-rey-shuhn] / ɪgˌzɪl əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. exhilarated condition or feeling.

   Synonyms:

   hilarity, jollity, joyousness, animation

2. the act of exhilarating.

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Etymology

Origin of exhilaration

First recorded in 1615–25, exhilaration is from the Late Latin word exhilarātiōn- (stem of exhilarātiō ). See exhilarate, -ion

Explanation

Exhilaration is great joy, and excitement and liveliness! When you ride an ocean wave, hear a favorite song, or have a long and uncontrollable laugh with friends, there's a feeling of exhilaration, an overflow of happiness. Most people have moments of exhilaration (egg-zill-uh-RAY-shun), sometimes during life's big moments, like a graduation or wedding, and often while just walking down the street and feeling great about the day and being alive. And exhilaration is contagious: when you witness someone else's exhilaration, it usually makes you full of warmth and joyousness too. Some synonyms of exhilaration also sound close to it, like "exultation," "exaltation," and "elation." As they say, it's all good.

Example Sentences

In the popular overture, elicitation of tumult concludes, with startling exhilaration, in the kind of grand Beethovenian triumph that never fails to excite.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

She and Dan’s father are pushing him toward college and a stable career, but, like Tamma, Dan is addicted to the exhilaration and challenge of climbing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

I fell into the same rhythm: starting over, drenched in sweat, sheer exhilaration, “sign me up.”

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026

But the exhilaration felt in such moments had been matched by the "anger and profound sadness" felt in others.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

My reddening face revealed both my exhilaration and my embarrassment.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Related Words

• elation
• euphoria
• high spirits
• hilarity
• joy