exhilaration

noun

ig-ˌzi-lə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exhilaration (audio)
Definition of exhilarationnext
1
as in thrill
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings the lavish spectacle results in one exhilaration after another

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in ecstasy
a state of overwhelming usually pleasurable emotion the exhilaration of victory that spectators get to witness at the Olympic Games

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exhilaration The games are known for the exhilaration of the first-person shootouts, organic open-world playgrounds, unique stories, and memorable antagonists. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 July 2026 But when the exhilaration of change had ceased, London was no good. — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomáš Hertl roared in exhilaration. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 2 June 2026 Only a few will experience the exhilaration of victory. — Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for exhilaration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhilaration
  1. thrill
  2. ecstasy
  3. kick
  4. joy
  5. elation
  6. happiness
  7. euphoria
  8. heaven
Noun
  • By having the courage to avoid ecstatic thrills and powerful peaks, Bowery Electric forces you to abide with the sound and absorb it without being able to do anything with it.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • For Parker, the enduring thrill is in what these imaginative collaborations might bring to the ballet.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of thrill
Noun
  • Her eyes were cast upward, as the saint’s had been, in her own private ecstasy.
    — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • St Rita de Cascia in ecstasy in front of the figure of Christ on the cross, 19th century.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ecstasy
Noun
  • There’s always been rage in Team Dresch’s music, but the main emotion that comes across is communal joy — that’s part of the kick of their excellent new album Furthermore.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Jordan Davis of the Eagles leaped and blocked the kick, scooped the ball and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown that sent the Rams to a 33-26 defeat.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of kick
Noun
  • The joy of being in DTLA is proximity to transit, putting Santa Monica, Pasadena, and everywhere in between within easy reach without necessarily needing Ubers or a rental car.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • What’s made this franchise so beloved has been its willingness to go on that journey with its young characters, maturing and deepening and changing without losing that initial childlike sense of hope and joy.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of joy
Noun
  • And just like in the original movie, there was disappointment along with elation.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2026
  • It is disjointed beyond belief, a wrestling match between dismay and elation.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of elation
Noun
  • Still, some royal observers don’t think their happiness will last.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The happiness was real, for a time, but the two artists, each with his own distinct problems and needs, were not going to be happy together, or with anyone else, for long.
    — Alan Hollinghurst, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of happiness
Noun
  • Over the course of more than twelve hours, the actor pings between heartache and euphoria.
    — Brian Raftery, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But as the initial euphoria of the rescue has subsided, officials have begun to raise difficult questions and trade accusations about the security blunders that could have led to a major disaster.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of euphoria
Noun
  • This world’s heavens are lit with cosmic rays, its cityscapes otherworldly — everything seems to service an unabashed romanticism.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And thanks to Tucson’s extraordinarily dark heavens, the Sonoran skyscape takes center stage with Peace Among the Stars.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of heaven

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Cite this Entry

“Exhilaration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhilaration. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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