exhilarating

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​hil·​a·​rat·​ing ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ 

: 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

ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

an exhilaratingly funny performance

exhilarating

2 of 2

present participle of exhilarate

Synonyms of exhilarating

Adjective

• exciting
• breathtaking
• thrilling
• interesting
• intriguing

Examples of exhilarating in a Sentence

Adjective

no recording can capture the exhilarating feeling of being at a live rock concert

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

United are far from exhilarating, far from compelling and better duly, belatedly, narrowly arrives, which ensures that Moyes is pleased, but with a caveat. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

In a match with numerous long rallies, that point might have been the most exhilarating. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

But the real exhilarating and exultant joy is that of the chase — two very different men forced on the run. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Summer also brings opportunities to hike across glaciers and explore Eyjafjallajökull by snowmobile, offering an exhilarating way to experience this untamed terrain firsthand. — Gwen Nicol, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1634, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for exhilarating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating