exhilaration
Americannoun
-
exhilarated condition or feeling.
- Synonyms:
- hilarity, jollity, joyousness, animation
-
the act of exhilarating.
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.
Vocabulary lists containing exhilaration
Lord of the Flies
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Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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The Pearl
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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.
Exhilaration washed over me: I was a kid and had found my employer for the rest of my life!
From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2021
Exhilaration and relief accompany each successful arrival at a new port, and each new port serves as a narrative gateway, extending the story as you set about solving the population’s problems or accepting hitchhiking travellers.
From The New Yorker • Dec. 17, 2019
Exhilaration was in the air in New York.
From The Guardian • Nov. 9, 2016
Exhilaration so easily accessed is explained in the engineering details.
From Forbes • Aug. 1, 2015
It was like riding a roller coaster and relaxing enough to let the initial panic turn into something else: Exhilaration.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.
