exultation
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exultation
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ex ( s ) ultātiōn- (stem of ex ( s ) ultātiō ), equivalent to ex ( s ) ultāt ( us ) (past participle of ex ( s ) ultāre to exult ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
"Woohoo!" That's an expression you might shout in exultation or extreme happiness. On New Year's Eve, Times Square is bursting with exultation as people shout and sing joyfully to ring in the new year. Exultation comes from the Latin exsilire, which means "leap out or up." Think of leaping for joy and you've pretty much captured the sentiment of exultation. This word is used to describe a kind of triumphant joy, the kind you might see at the end of a football game when the winning team is pumping their fists, cheering and dumping Gatorade all over their coach.
Vocabulary lists containing exultation
The Great Gatsby
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Emotions on Display
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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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.
In the half-hour slow movement, harp and violins ascended melodic scales, allowing each step its magical, mystery share of exultation.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2025
Alexa obeyed, and the uplifting ode to happiness from the Broadway classic “Oklahoma!” filled Swerlin’s home with exultation in honor of two lives well lived.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2024
Awash in critical exultation, the movie rolled into theaters on Christmas Day and sold more than $18 million in tickets, a near record for the holiday.
From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2024
Or was it simply an overflow of exultation that they couldn’t audibly express?
From Salon • Nov. 13, 2023
I searched for a word for what I was feeling, for this mix of relief and exultation and serenity, but I couldn’t think of anything.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
