exhilaration

Meaning

1. 1noununcountable

   A strong feeling of excitement, energy, and happiness, often after physical exertion or a thrill.

   Grammar: Uncountable; used with 'a feeling of' or 'the exhilaration of' but not with 'a' alone.

   Patterns

   • the exhilaration of something
   • a feeling of exhilaration
   • in exhilaration

   The exhilaration of crossing the finish line made all the training worth it.

   She felt a rush of exhilaration as the roller coaster plunged downward.

   His exhilaration after the concert was obvious to everyone.

Common combinations

pure exhilaration

The skydiver described the experience as pure exhilaration.

a sense of exhilaration

There was a sense of exhilaration in the air after the team won.

feel exhilaration

You feel exhilaration when you finally solve a difficult problem.

exhilaration of victory

The athletes celebrated with the exhilaration of victory.

Synonyms and how they differ

excitement

Excitement is a more general term for aroused emotion; exhilaration specifically adds a sense of physical energy and joy.

thrill

A thrill is a sudden wave of excitement, often from risk; exhilaration can last a bit longer and feels more uplifting.

euphoria

Euphoria is an extreme, often unrealistic happiness; exhilaration is usually tied to a real, energetic moment.

Opposites

Word family

exhilarate verb

To make someone feel very happy and energetic.

exhilarating adjective

Causing strong feelings of excitement and happiness.

exhilarated adjective

Feeling very excited and happy.

Commonly confused: exhilaration or exaltation?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “exhilaration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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