exhilarate

verb

ex·​hil·​a·​rate ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrāt How to pronounce exhilarate (audio)
exhilarated; exhilarating

transitive verb

: to make (someone) very happy and excited or elated
was exhilarated by her success
It's a demanding dining experience that may exhaust and exasperate some customers, but exhilarate those who desire a challenge more than comfort.Thomas Matthews
Uncle George tells stories … and exhilarates everybody with his good humour and hospitality.Charles Dickens
When antislavery senator Charles Sumner was honored in a demonstration that exhilarated antebellum Boston, Louisa was there …Madeleine B. Stern
exhilarative adjective

Did you know?

Many people find exhilarate a difficult word to spell. It's easy to forget that silent "h" in there, and is it an "er" or "ar" after the "l"? It may be easier to remember the spelling if you know that exhilarate ultimately derives from the Latin adjective hilarus, meaning "cheerful." (This also explains why the earliest meaning of exhilarate is "to make cheerful.") Exhilarate comes from exhilaratus, the past participle of exhilarare, which is formed by combining ex- and hilarare, a verb that derives from hilarus and means "to cheer or gladden." If hilarus looks familiar, that may be because it's also the source of hilarious and hilarity (as well as hilariously and hilariousness, of course).

Examples of exhilarate in a Sentence

the exhilarating feeling of flying that hang gliding offers the climactic moment of commencement ceremonies usually exhilarates graduates and proud parents alike
Recent Examples on the Web The arcade hit raced to the Atari 2600 and proved just as exhilarating at home, satiating gamers' need for speed, even without a steering wheel. Aaron Morales, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024 Administrative power is like off-road driving -- exhilarating for those in the driver’s seat but unnerving for the rest of us. Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 22 Feb. 2024 There’s no question technology stocks are exhilarating. Larry Light, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024 For her part, Ms. Mason was exhausted and exhilarated after the final gathering. Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jan. 2024 My mission: enable people to access financial security | My Billionaire Business In the dynamic context of leadership, guiding others toward their full potential is an exhilarating challenge. Xavier Preterit, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Vogue spoke to Jamison about drawing inspiration from Elizabeth Hardwick, writing about motherhood, and the exhilarating, exhausting work of revision. Emma Specter, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2024 Here, the Nightcrawler actor plays an ex-UFC fighter who takes down his enemies with exhilarating MMA skills, as seen in the first footage from the film. Ew Staff, EW.com, 5 Jan. 2024 Team Simon duo Billy & Emily England floored the judges with its exhilarating roller-skating act, which saw Billy spin his sister Emily around at breakneck speed. USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exhilarate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin exhilaratus, past participle of exhilarare, from ex- + hilarare to gladden, from hilarus cheerful — more at hilarious

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exhilarate was in 1540

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Dictionary Entries Near exhilarate

Cite this Entry

“Exhilarate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhilarate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exhilarate

verb
ex·​hil·​a·​rate ig-ˈzil-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce exhilarate (audio)
exhilarated; exhilarating
: to cause to feel cheerful or lively : put into high spirits
the fresh air exhilarated us
exhilarative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on exhilarate

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