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.
Exuberance seized the sector in 2023 and 2024, when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Exuberance faded in Asia, however, as Japanese stocks slipped and the yen rallied after the country’s finance minister promised to intervene to support the falling currency.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
Exuberance can signal a market crest preceding a sharp decline.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025
Exuberance among investors about massive AI spending has helped all three tech firms outperform the broader S&P 500 index.
From BBC • Oct. 29, 2025
Milton's Exuberance of Imagination has poured forth such a Redundancy of Ornaments on this Seat of Happiness and Innocence, that it would be endless to point out each Particular.
From The Spectator, Volume 2. by Addison, Joseph
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.
