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

That includes here the fabulous jazz pianist and conductor Adrian Galante, a breakout young Australian equally as adept on the clarinet and an ebullient specialist in this genre of music. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

Judy wasn't a standout character, which was too bad, because that ebullient Mary Katherine Gallagher energy would have been right at home on Twin Peaks. —Drew MacKie, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026

Over an ebullient little bouncy bit of house, an aerobics instructor encourages movement as Idehen encourages Movement politics. —Jesse Dorris, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026

Nazar brings some swagger to the room, Oliver Moore is an ebullient and chatty guy, and Wyatt Kaiser and Spencer Knight have become thoughtful, respected voices in the room. —Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 5 Mar. 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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!