Definition of exhilarate
exhilarated
;exhilarating
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exhilarate was our Word of the Day on 12/27/2013. Hear the podcast!
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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
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U2's opening set, on a smaller stage closer to the crowd, was exhilarating.
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There’s something really exhilarating and really visceral about the rawness of opera.
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Boise Gay Pride Parade in 1990 — the first of its kind in our state — was hope-inspiring and exhilarating.
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Perez smacked a 412-foot home run to provide the exhilarating winning margin in a 6-4 victory as the Royals continued to rehabilitate their season.
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Keyboard whiz/composer Emborg teams up with gifted chromatic harmonica master Mathias Heise (echoes of the late virtuoso Toots Thielemans) to create 10 joyous tracks in an exhilarating new jazz hybrid.
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Zuro executed the ploy to perfection, strolling off first base just enough to force Lemont's catcher to abandon the plate, allowing Corona to slide safely for an exhilarating 4-3 comeback win.
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Putting pool-hopping days in the past While the thrill of sneaking into a private pool can be exhilarating, getting tossed out by bouncers is a real bummer.
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Putting pool-hopping days in the past While the thrill of sneaking into a private pool can be exhilarating, getting tossed out by bouncers is a real bummer.
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).
Origin and Etymology of exhilarate
Latin exhilaratus, past participle of exhilarare, from ex- + hilarare to gladden, from hilarus cheerful — more at hilarious
EXHILARATE Defined for English Language Learners
exhilarate
playDefinition of exhilarate for English Language Learners
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: to cause (someone) to feel very happy and excited
EXHILARATE Defined for Kids
exhilarate
playDefinition of exhilarate for Students
exhilarated
;exhilarating
: to make cheerful or excited
Learn More about exhilarate
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See words that rhyme with exhilarate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exhilarate Spanish Central: Translation of exhilarate Nglish: Translation of exhilarate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exhilarate for Arabic speakers
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