Meaning & use
exalted
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Having a very high rank, status or reputation.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: an exalted position.
Patterns
- an exalted position
- an exalted rank
He rose to an exalted position in the government.
Few ordinary citizens ever meet such exalted guests.
She grew up among people of exalted rank.
adjectivecomparableliterary
Extremely happy, thrilled or lifted in spirit.
Grammar: Can follow be or feel: she felt exalted.
Patterns
- feel exalted
The singer left the stage feeling exalted.
The crowd was exalted by the victory.
In that exalted mood, he forgot all his worries.
adjectivebefore a noundisapproving
Too high or grand to be realistic, used for ideas about oneself.
Grammar: Often in the phrase an exalted opinion of oneself.
Patterns
- an exalted opinion of something
He has an exalted opinion of his own talent.
Her exalted view of the job was soon corrected.
The manager's exalted ideas about the project did not match the budget.
Common combinations
- exalted position
- She held an exalted position in the court.
- exalted rank
- Only those of exalted rank were allowed to enter.
- exalted company
- I felt out of place in such exalted company.
- exalted status
- The artist achieved exalted status in his country.
- exalted opinion
- He had an exalted opinion of his own cooking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lofty
- Lofty describes high ideals or high status, often with a hint of pride, while exalted is more formal and respectful.
- eminent
- Eminent describes someone famous and respected in a field, but not necessarily raised to a high rank.
- elevated
- Elevated is a plain word for raised in level or rank and carries less sense of honor.
- revered
- Revered means deeply respected, and it focuses on feelings of others rather than on rank.
Opposites
Word family
- exalt verb
- to praise highly or raise in rank
- exaltation noun
- great joy, or the act of raising to high rank
- exaltedly adverb
- in an elevated or lofty way (rare)
Commonly confused: exalted or exulted?
exalted vs exulted
Exulted is the past tense of exult, meaning to show great joy. Exalted looks similar but means raised high or praised.
Practice
Which sentence uses exalted in the sense of high rank?
Choose one answer.
Exalted nobles are people of high standing. The other sentences use the word in unnatural or incorrect ways.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exalted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.