Meaning & use
ebullient
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Very happy, excited, and full of energy, in a way that is lively and hard to contain.
Grammar: Used mostly before a noun (an ebullient mood) or after linking verbs (she was ebullient).
Patterns
- an ebullient person
- be ebullient about something
After the team won, the coach was ebullient and hugged everyone.
Her ebullient personality made her the center of every party.
The crowd was ebullient as the band came on stage.
adjectivecomparable
Showing lively excitement or high spirits in a way that is expressed openly.
Grammar: Can describe things like a mood, atmosphere, or style, not just people.
Patterns
- an ebullient mood
- ebullient enthusiasm
The ebullient atmosphere in the room lifted everyone's spirits.
His ebullient style of speaking kept the audience awake.
Word forms
| comparative | more ebullient |
|---|---|
| superlative | most ebullient |
Common combinations
- ebullient mood
- The ebullient mood in the office made the long day pass quickly.
- ebullient personality
- Her ebullient personality is perfect for a job in sales.
- ebullient about
- He was ebullient about the chance to study abroad.
- ebullient enthusiasm
- The students greeted the news with ebullient enthusiasm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exuberant
- Very similar, but often suggests wild, energetic movement as well as happy feelings.
- buoyant
- Suggests a light, cheerful mood that lifts you up; less intense than ebullient.
- vivacious
- Used mainly of people, especially women, and means lively and attractive in a charming way.
Opposites
Word family
- ebullience noun
- The quality of being full of cheerful energy.
- ebulliently adverb
- In a lively, enthusiastic way.
Commonly confused: ebullient or ebullient vs. buoyant? ebullient or ebullient vs. effluent?
ebullient vs ebullient vs. buoyant
Both mean cheerful, but buoyant often describes objects that float or prices that rise, while ebullient is only about lively happiness.
ebullient vs ebullient vs. effluent
Effluent is a noun meaning liquid waste; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with happiness.
Practice
Choose the best word to complete the sentence: After the final whistle, the winning team's fans were _____ and sang in the streets.
Choose one answer.
Ebullient means full of cheerful energy, which fits fans celebrating. Effluent is a noun for waste water; reluctant means unwilling; indifferent means not interested.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ebullient”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.