exuberant
Americanadjective
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effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant.
an exuberant welcome for the hero.
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abounding in vitality; extremely joyful and vigorous.
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extremely good; overflowing; plentiful.
exuberant health.
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profuse in growth or production; luxuriant; superabundant.
exuberant vegetation.
adjective
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abounding in vigour and high spirits; full of vitality
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lavish or effusive; excessively elaborate
exuberant compliments
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growing luxuriantly or in profusion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exuberant
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin exūberant-, stem of exūberāns “abounding,” present participle of exūberāre “to be abundant,” from ex- ex- 1 + ūberāre “to be fruitful” (verb derivative of ūber “fertile”; see also udder)
Explanation
Are you feeling really happy and enthusiastic about something? Describe yourself with the adjective exuberant! Exuberant can be traced back to the same Indo-European root that has brought the word udder. If you picture the plentiful amount of milk a cow can give, it is easy to remember that exuberant always describes something that is abundant or plentiful like exuberant foliage. Abundance also comes into play in its primary use today to mean "very enthusiastic, full of energy or overjoyed." When the bell rings on the last day of school, you will be exuberant.
Vocabulary lists containing exuberant
The Giver
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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Words to Capture Your Joy
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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.
And the report highlighted the dangerous combination of persisting financial vulnerabilities and the "exuberant risk appetite" in financial markets, warning the situation "could unwind abruptly".
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
An elegant rendition of “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from “Hello, Dolly!” united the performers in an exuberant group number.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Over subsequent releases – the exuberant Shooting Star, or the braggadocious Woke Up – they crystallised a musical vision that fused sci-fi aesthetics to the elastic grooves of 90s R&B.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Over the next decade, Earth, Wind & Fire filled the chart with dazzling harmonies and exuberant horn arrangements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
He really knew they were air castles, for at bottom he was hard-headed, not easily taken in even by his own exuberant imagination.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
