ebullient

adjective

ebul·​lient i-ˈbu̇l-yənt 

-ˈbəl-

1

: boiling, agitated

2

: characterized by ebullience : having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm

ebullient performers

ebulliently adverb

Did you know?

Someone who is ebullient is bubbling over with enthusiasm, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that ebullient comes from the Latin verb ebullire, which means "to bubble out." When ebullient was first used in the late 1500s its meaning hewed closely to its Latin source: ebullient meant "boiling" or "bubbling," and described things like boiling water and boiling oil instead of someone's bubbly personality. Only later did the word's meaning broaden beyond describing the liveliness of a boiling liquid to encompass emotional liveliness and enthusiasm.

Examples of ebullient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ebullient parody’s obvious antecedent is Airplane! —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026

Noisy, ebullient, ferocious and free, Dance! —Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026

The Tonys will afford this titan the same respect his feline friends do on stage in this ebullient revival. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026

Their giddy, ebullient speech, as Campagne literally leaped into his co-star’s arms, was a joyful high in the ceremony. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin ebullient-, ebulliens, present participle of ebullire to bubble out, from e- + bullire to bubble, boil — more at boil

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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