exhilarate

verb ex·hil·a·rate \ ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrāt \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: exhilarate in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of exhilarate

exhilarated; exhilarating

transitive verb

1 : to make cheerful and excited : enliven, elate

was exhilarated by her success

2 : refresh, stimulate

—

exhilaratingly

play \ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

—

exhilarative

play \ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiv\ adjective

See exhilarate defined for English-language learners

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exhilarate was our Word of the Day on 12/27/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of exhilarate in a Sentence

the exhilarating feeling of flying that hang gliding offers
the climactic moment of commencement ceremonies usually exhilarates graduates and proud parents alike

Recent Examples of exhilarate from the Web

The action in Starlink feels great, with intuitive controls and boss battles that can feel both exhausting and exhilarating.

— andrew webster, The Verge, "Starlink is like a kid-friendly No Man’s Sky with awesome spaceship toys," 11 June 2018
The exhibit zooms us back to a time when getting behind the wheel was exhilarating.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "Accelerating style: Streamlined cars, designed to go fast, arrive at Portland Art Museum (photos)," 6 June 2018
For coaches of both teams, the Camden Yards experience was just as exhilarating.

— katherine fominykh, baltimoresun.com, "After year off, President's Cup returns to Camden Yards for a dream-making game," 6 June 2018
The upside is people often want to be a part of something that is new, fresh, and exhilarating.

— danielle young, The Root, "ColorComm’s Young, Fabulous and Fly Creator Lauren Wesley Wilson Shares Her Goals For Black Women in Business," 2 June 2018
Starting in early February, the Ramblers won 14 consecutive games, dancing their way through the NCAA postseason tournament with surprising poise and exhilarating last-second shots.

— ted gregory, chicagotribune.com, "Becoming a bobblehead without getting big-headed: Sister Jean dishes on Loyola's NCAA run, her abrupt fame and her advice to Charles Barkley," 25 May 2018
His tone hovers somewhere at the intersection of exhilarated, exhausted and horrified.

— julia felsenthal, Vogue, "The New York Times," 25 May 2018
Well, Itzkoff has delivered a breathtakingly good biography, exhilarating a lot of the time, yet disturbing, too, and one of the best books ever written about anyone who sees no way out of life except by trying to make people laugh.

— david thomson, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Robin,’ by Dave Itzkoff," 10 May 2018
Sly Stone is one of rock 'n' roll’s towering figures, with a troubling personal story as compelling as his exhilarating music.

— melinda newman, Billboard, "Sly Stone Steps Back Into the Spotlight in New Documentary From Network Entertainment: Exclusive," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exhilarate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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" is ultimately derived 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).