exultant
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exultant
1645–55; < Latin ex ( s ) ultant- (stem of ex ( s ) ultāns ), present participle of exultāre to exult; see -ant
Explanation
Use the adjective exultant to describe the triumphant feeling you get when you succeed at something. The kids who win the Little League championship game will be exultant. The kid who's elected sixth grade president will feel exultant, and so will a singer who's just given the performance of her lifetime. Exultant describes an excitement that's a combination of pride, happiness, and triumph. The word exultant comes from the Latin exsilire, "to leap up," from the prefix ex-, "up or out," plus salire, "to leap." In other words, when you're exultant, you're jumping for joy.
Vocabulary lists containing exultant
Words to Capture Your Joy
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The Alchemist
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Mythology
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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.
Jimmy Fallon looked exultant when he greeted Nathy Peluso on his show last December, after she had performed a couple of songs off “Grasa,” her Latin Grammy-winning second album.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2025
Most of Thomas’ paintings pile on vivid color, brash patterning and lots of sparkling rhinestones, taking an exultant step toward rectifying the omission.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2024
On Wednesday, Niño again interjected in a lulled moment, urging everyone to engage in some exultant stretching.
From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2024
An exultant Milei signed his autograph on 500-peso bills, which are worth less than $1 in the black market, a reflection of how the local currency has depreciated over the past year.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023
It might have been nothing more than a coincidence, but nevertheless, I felt an exultant smile overflow my face.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
