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

This remote and truly wild escape is both a breath of fresh air and an exhilarating adventure, with six million acres of wilderness ripe for exploring. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2026

Outdoor Experiences The city skyline is iconic from any angle, but experiencing it from the water delivers an exhilarating new perspective—and makes for a thrilling way to connect with fellow adventurers. — Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026

This is an exhilarating way to execute a heady conceptual premise, elevated by a brutal wit and crisply staged action sequences. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

So much so, conversations could take an unexpected but exhilarating turn. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 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