exhilarating

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

Synonyms

• exciting
• breathtaking
• thrilling
• interesting
• intriguing

Examples of exhilarating in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Heading west up that ridge amid the long shadows and golden light of the early morning sun is exhilarating, and the view at the summit is worth every step. —John Meyer, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2025

Now, with a mix of global icons and emerging trailblazers releasing music that spans urbano, pop, música mexicana, and beyond, this year’s race in the general categories should be just as exhilarating. —Thania Garcia, Variety, 8 Aug. 2025

The result is a timeless, adrenaline binge that’s one of the most exhilarating games of the year — in two dimensions or otherwise. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025

Tapping the deep emotional ties between Mustang and its drivers, Ford drew on the brand’s heritage, design language, and power/trim lineup (good, great, exhilarating). —Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for exhilarating

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