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.
The adrenaline-fueled exuberance of Rose's side in the first half appeared to catch up with them in the second, but their desire to compete never wavered.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Everyone’s enthusiasm feels revelatory: We’re watching kids embrace their sense of play and a gray-haired woman who understood the need to keep that exuberance going like a well-tended flame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
But a surge of stock sales is a phenomenon sometimes witnessed near the end of bull markets, as companies take advantage of investor exuberance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Greenspan is most well-known for his 1996 speech in which he mused about irrational exuberance in the financial markets.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
“I was like everyone else. I once told a friend of mine, in a moment of exuberance, ‘I’m gonna be the healthiest old man you ever met!’
From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
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.
