exalt

verb

ex·​alt ig-ˈzȯlt 

exalted; exalting; exalts

transitive verb

1

: to raise in rank, power, or character

2

: to elevate by praise or in estimation : glorify

3

obsolete : elate

4

: to raise high : elevate

5

: to enhance the activity of : intensify

rousing and exalting the imagination

—George Eliot

intransitive verb

: to induce exaltation

exalter noun

Synonyms

• aggrandize
• canonize
• deify
• dignify
• elevate
• ennoble
• enshrine
• ensky
• enthrone
• glorify
• magnify

Examples of exalt in a Sentence

His behavior has exalted the power and prestige of his office.

The essay exalts the simple beauty of the country.

We exalt thee, O Lord.

He shamelessly exalts his own role in the peace process.

Recent Examples on the Web

In panel discussions, roundtables, and closed-door meetings, analysts exalted the virtues of the United States as an investment destination and excoriated Europe as overregulated, uncompetitive, and incapable of innovating. —Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025

The story of Combs’s rise and fall exposes the many fractures in a legacy that pop culture was always eager to exalt. —Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025

The tourist destination exalted for its sandy beaches and busy marina is replete with a former medieval royal retreat, Nossa Senhora da Luz Fort and the Citadel Palace. —Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025

Venus is exalted — working at its fullest potential — in Pisces, making its journey all the more pivotal and auspicious. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin exaltare, from ex- + altus high — more at old

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for exalt

• asphalt
• assault
• basalt
• cobalt
• default
• gestalt
• alt
• fault
• gault
• halt
• malt
• sault

Kids Definition

exalt

verb

ex·​alt ig-ˈzȯlt 

1

: to raise in rank, power, or character

2

: to praise highly : glorify

exalter noun

Medical Definition

exalt

transitive verb

ex·​alt ig-ˈzȯlt 

: to cause (virulence) to increase

virulence exalted by addition of mucin to a bacterial culture

also : to increase the virulence of

exalt a virus by repeated rapid passage through susceptible hosts