exuberant

adjective

ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt 

1

a

: joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic

exuberant praise

an exuberant personality

b

: unrestrained or elaborate especially in style : flamboyant

exuberant architecture

2

: produced in extreme abundance : plentiful

exuberant foliage and vegetation

3

: extreme or excessive in degree, size, or extent

exuberant prosperity

exuberantly adverb

Synonyms of exuberant

• joyful
• effervescent
• lively
• vivacious
• buoyant
• bubbly
• ecstatic

Choose the Right Synonym for exuberant

profuse, lavish, prodigal, luxuriant, lush, exuberant mean giving or given out in great abundance.

profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

Examples of exuberant in a Sentence

Here we are at a jousting tournament in medieval England, and as the armored knights charge each other on horseback the exuberant crowd sings along to the old Queen heavy-metal anthem "We Will Rock You." And does the wave! —David Ansen, Newsweek, 14 May 2001

A few years ago, I learned to expect that at the end of a linguistics class that I was teaching, as I consulted with a few students before we vacated the room, the air would suddenly be lacerated by fat bass tracks and streams of exuberant invective. Tupac, as they say, was in the house. The class that was about to begin was an elective called "The Poetry of Tupac Shakur." —John McWhorter, New Republic, 22 Oct. 2001

They're the hardwood wunderkinds who think NEXT is now: the NBA's teen set. And like puppies, they're winningly exuberant (if not housebroken). Well, maybe not so "winning." —ESPN, 25 Dec. 2000

His exuberant personality makes him fun to be around.

exuberant crowds rushed to greet the returning national champions in collegiate basketball

Recent Examples on the Web

In its early years, the mall hosted a variety of celebrities and entertainment, from walk-around cartoon characters for throngs of exuberant kids to a visit from Chicago radio icon Dick Biondi for autographs. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026

From Dallas-Fort Worth to Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in 2026 with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks and light shows, while others took a more subdued approach. —Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026

Over the years, the show has expanded to other cities, heading to Chicago for the first time to ring in 2026 as the Central time zone locale, with native son Chance the Rapper performing and leading a large crowd through an exuberant countdown to midnight. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026

Written by and costarring Mike White (yes, that Mike White), the music comedy follows the exploits of exuberant guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black), who is fired from his band. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin exuberant-, exuberans, present participle of exuberare to be abundant, from ex- + uber fruitful, from uber udder — more at udder

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for exuberant

• protuberant

Kids Definition

exuberant

adjective

ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt 

: joyfully enthusiastic

exuberance

-b(ə-)rən(t)s

noun

exuberantly adverb

Medical Definition

exuberant

adjective

ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt 

: characterized by extreme proliferation

exuberant granulation tissue

remarkably exuberant metastatic calcification

—Sandy Muspratt