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

Enter Ned Sampson, an ebullient, well-meaning, and overly earnest Softees salesman extraordinaire who’s transferred from Chicago to Toledo to run TTT. —Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025

But with all that being said, New Village Arts’ production is a likable, amusing and earnest staging with four ebullient actors directed with playfulness and energy by Desireé Clarke Miller. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025

Cabaret-meister de Pury, ebullient as ever, raised the magic gavel in celebration. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Liu and cinematographer Ante Cheng capture the couple and the city with an ebullient dynamism, making the urban vistas and the crowded streets of Chinatown seem almost idyllic. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025

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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