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 comes from the Latin adjective hilarus, meaning "cheerful." (This also explains why the earliest meaning of exhilarate is "to make cheerful.") Exhilarate comes from exhilaratus, a form of exhilarare, which combines ex- and hilarare, a verb from hilarus that 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
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
To be in Fort Worth for the better part of the last eight, nine months was exhilarating.
—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
His wealth explosion has inspired his devotees, exhilarated his investors, vexed the skeptical and enraged those calling for higher taxes on the ultra-rich.
—
Chase Peterson-Withorn,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
The band, expanded to include touring keyboardist Loren Gold, seemed exhilarated, if a little stiff at times, a first-night quibble that will surely self-correct.
—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for exhilarate
Cite this Entry
“Exhilarate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhilarate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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exhilarate
verb
