Meaning & use
elated
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Filled with great happiness and excitement, usually because something good has just happened.
Grammar: Describes how a person feels: she was elated. Often followed by at, by or about, or by a clause with that.
Patterns
- be elated at/by/about something
- be elated that something
She was elated when she saw her name on the winners' list.
The fans were elated by the late goal.
He felt elated after finishing the marathon.
Word forms
| comparative | more elated |
|---|---|
| superlative | most elated |
Common combinations
- absolutely elated
- We were absolutely elated at the news of the baby.
- feel elated
- I felt elated after the interview went so well.
- elated at
- They were elated at the result.
- elated by
- The crowd was elated by the singer's final song.
- elated mood
- He was in such an elated mood that he sang all the way home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overjoyed
- Overjoyed is very close, but it suggests deep personal gladness, while elated often has a lifted, excited feel.
- thrilled
- Thrilled is more common in speech and can describe small pleasures, whereas elated sounds a bit stronger and more formal.
- ecstatic
- Ecstatic is stronger still, close to wild delight, so elated is the more moderate word.
- jubilant
- Jubilant often describes a group celebrating a victory aloud, while elated can be quiet and personal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: elated or deflated?
elated vs deflated
Deflated is nearly the opposite: suddenly disappointed after having felt hopeful.
Practice
Maria was ___ at the news that she had won the scholarship.
Choose one answer.
Elated means extremely happy because of good news. Deflated and sorrowful describe the opposite feelings, and ordinary is not a feeling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “elated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.