exhilarating

adjective

ex·​hil·​a·​rat·​ing ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ How to pronounce exhilarating (audio)
: causing strong feelings of happy excitement and elation : thrilling
an exhilarating experience
… an exhilarating ride that allows participants to catch an aerial view like they've never seen before.Kathryn M. Roy
… I would like to convey the sense of flight as it was almost at the very beginning of itself, when everything about it was miraculous and dangerous and exhilarating.James Dickey
… an exhilarating career full of deals sealed at three-martini lunches.Andrea Cooper
exhilaratingly adverb
an exhilaratingly funny performance

Examples of exhilarating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web My mother would love Caitlin Clark! Clark, of course, is the basketball phenomenon who is electrifying fans across the country with her deadeye 3-point shooting, mind-blowing passing and exhilarating team play. Susan Koch, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2024 For her, the challenges associated in collaborating with newer women auteurs is exhilarating and gratifying as well. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024 During the one-hour performance, attendees had the opportunity to witness a familiar tale told through exhilarating circus acts. Josh Rivera, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Even a small side table or red lamp can introduce this exhilarating color into a neutral decor and brighten your winter days. Vicki Payne, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 That was just another day in Tobago, a free-spirited Caribbean island with an uncanny habit for drawing you out of your comfort zone and into exhilarating escapades of adventure. Dominic Kocur, theweek, 22 Jan. 2024 As his obligations mounted, many critics expressed dismay that Mr. Ozawa, once so exhilarating, seemed increasingly to coast on perfunctory and often artistically unreflected performances. Tim Page, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Clark is the basketball phenomenon who is electrifying fans across the country with her deadeye 3-point shooting, mind-blowing passing and exhilarating team play. Susan Koch, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2024 The game was a close one until the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs went on to score 21 points (three touchdowns) in an exhilarating finish, breaking the hearts of San Francisco fans in the process. Aj Willingham, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exhilarating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exhilarating was in 1634

Dictionary Entries Near exhilarating

Cite this Entry

“Exhilarating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhilarating. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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