exhilarate
verb
Thomas MatthewsCharles DickensMadeleine B. Stern
Did you know?
Many people find exhilarate a difficult word to spell. It's easy to forget that silent "h" in there, and is it an "er" or "ar" after the "l"? It may be easier to remember the spelling if you know that exhilarate ultimately derives from the Latin adjective hilarus, meaning "cheerful." (This also explains why the earliest meaning of exhilarate is "to make cheerful.") Exhilarate comes from exhilaratus, the past participle of exhilarare, which is formed by combining ex- and hilarare, a verb that derives from hilarus and means "to cheer or gladden." If hilarus looks familiar, that may be because it's also the source of hilarious and hilarity (as well as hilariously and hilariousness, of course).
Examples of exhilarate in a Sentence
Kyle Thomas, People.com, 22 June 2025
And then, the curtain call, to remind you that whatever came before, the actors are fine, drinking in your appreciation and sending you out happy and exhilarated and perhaps full of hope.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
The vision that seems both exhilarating and terrifying marks your best direction.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Hosted by award-winning actor Alan Cumming at an ancient castle set deep in the Scottish Highlands, contestants work together on a series of exhilarating missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000.
—Anne Easton, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for exhilarate
Cite this Entry
“Exhilarate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhilarate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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exhilarate
verb
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