1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

exhilarate 1 of 3

verb (1)

ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrāt How to pronounce exhilarate (audio)
Definition of exhilaratenext
1
as in to thrill
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings the exhilarating feeling of flying that hang gliding offers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to excite
to fill with great joy the climactic moment of commencement ceremonies usually exhilarates graduates and proud parents alike

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exhilarating

2 of 3

adjective

ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ How to pronounce exhilarating (audio)
as in exciting
causing great emotional or mental stimulation no recording can capture the exhilarating feeling of being at a live rock concert

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exhilarating

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of exhilarate
1
as in thrilling
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings the exhilarating feeling of flying that hang gliding offers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intoxicating
to fill with great joy the climactic moment of commencement ceremonies usually exhilarates graduates and proud parents alike

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exhilarate
Verb
That meant her action sequences, while exhilarating for the actress, were quite minimal. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026 The ease of Letty’s romance with Montgomery’s character is positively exhilarating by comparison, and Brown makes the most of the contrast. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 July 2026
Adjective
So much so, conversations could take an unexpected but exhilarating turn. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 But luckily, the rest of women’s soccer didn’t get the memo, because the last few weekends of domestic and international games have been nothing short of exhilarating. — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
Ozzy, who commanded audiences with his unpredictable, exhilarating live performances, was also known for his sharp sense of humor. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 For nearly two decades, Justin Bieber has cut a tumultuous, highly scrutinized, and often exhilarating path through pop music and global celebrity. — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for exhilarate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhilarate
  1. thrill
  2. excite
  3. electrify
  4. delight
  5. elate
  6. intoxicate
Verb
  • They’re thrilled to be owning a team and to be in Pittsburgh, to be a part of everything here.
    — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Winkler added that Ritter had been thrilled to have another hit show on the airwaves.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of thrill
Verb
  • What excites me is the competitive side of it having to make a move, back your decision and keep pushing yourself when the game shifts.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • If Linde's earnings are growing this robustly while revenue barely grew, investors should be excited by the prospect of revenue acceleration over the next few years.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of excite
Verb
  • Meta worked extensively with Idaho Power to electrify the site, Davis said.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Lady Mayor, the third woman to hold the office, enlisted the team at Electrogenic to electrify the 1973 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of electrify
Verb
  • Joy has done nothing but delight us, so a villain Gen shall become.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Here, misfits are welcome, and bric-a-brac is part of the appeal; the wonderfully bizarre name and devil-may-care attitude have been confusing (and delighting) first-timers for more than 70 years.
    — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of delight
Verb
  • There were decisions that would elate or devastate players.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 24 May 2026
  • This helped convince the administration to shift to their side, elating students, especially Simpson.
    — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of elate
Verb
  • But for those like Sybylla, who have trouble living within today’s constraints, tomorrow’s unknown possibilities are intoxicating.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors said boater Richard Stevenson, of Lisle, was intoxicated and traveling at about 80 mph in July on the river when his pontoon hit a boat carrying Magdalena Jablonska of Des Plaines, decapitating her, authorities said.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of intoxicate

Browse Nearby Words

exhibits
exhilarate
exhilarated
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Exhilarate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhilarate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of churlish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All