exhilarating

adjective

ex·​hil·​a·​rat·​ing ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ 

: causing strong feelings of happy excitement and elation : thrilling

an exhilarating experience

… an exhilarating ride that allows participants to catch an aerial view like they've never seen before.

—Kathryn M. Roy

… I would like to convey the sense of flight as it was almost at the very beginning of itself, when everything about it was miraculous and dangerous and exhilarating.

—James Dickey

… an exhilarating career full of deals sealed at three-martini lunches.

—Andrea Cooper

exhilaratingly

ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

an exhilaratingly funny performance

Synonyms of exhilarating

• exciting
• breathtaking
• thrilling
• interesting
• intriguing

Examples of exhilarating in a Sentence

no recording can capture the exhilarating feeling of being at a live rock concert

Recent Examples on the Web

While much of the country has since become firmly established on the international travel map, Asturias has retained that exhilarating sense of discovery. — Nigel Hack, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2026

The superstar striker, who scored two goals in the exhilarating match, was spotted the following night, all dressed up and ready to go. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026

After an exhilarating five and a half weeks, the 2026 World Cup is nearing the championship match. — India Roby, Architectural Digest, 15 July 2026

These are two iconic circuits, featuring some of the fastest and most exhilarating corners on the calendar. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for exhilarating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating