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

The Weapons and Barbarian writer-director’s exhilarating, goofy franchise debut is remarkably straightforward, taking audiences on a propulsive ride along with a poor sap who is about to have the worst day in his life. — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

That’s made for an exhilarating first impression and a potentially stunning complement to quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium. — Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

How to pack Living on the road for an entire year was exhilarating. — Sara Sturek, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026

Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham have been an exhilarating watch across the early weeks of the Premier League season, but the free-flowing attacking football at Craven Cottage has come at a cost. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Sep. 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