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Exult leaped into English in the 16th century as a verb meaning "to leap for joy." George Chapman used it that way in a translation of Homer's Iliad: "To drive his chariot through the waves. From whirl pits every way the whales exulted under him," he interprets. This use of the verb skipped around in English until the 18th century, when it gracefully exited the everyday lexicon, leaving the verb's other meaning—"to be extremely joyful; to rejoice"—to stay the course. Exult springs from Latin saltare ("to leap"), also the source of saltation, a word for leaping as well as dancing. Another etymological cousin of exult is sally, meaning "to leap out" or "to set out," as in "After the storm passed, the hikers sallied forth."
Examples of exult in a Sentence
David Aldridge, New York Times, 13 May 2025
In Orange County, people in and around the OCC baseball program exulted.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The broken family exults in its own debasement just like the protesters and activist judges who pursue self-annihilation as liberation.
—Armond White, National Review, 19 Mar. 2025
Close chances and corresponding roars continued, the crowd exulting in a moment long overdue.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exult
Cite this Entry
“Exult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exult. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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