exuberant
ig-ZOO-bur-unt
/ɪɡˈzjuː.bər.ənt/
Full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness; overflowing with life.
Implies an overflowing, high-energy abundance of personality, health, or joy.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'ex-' (thoroughly) + 'uber' (udder, fertile). Originally described farmlands yielding overwhelmingly rich crops before shifting to human spirits.
Word relationships
- ebullient: 'Ebullient' suggests a bubbling over of excitement, while 'exuberant' stresses lush, unrestrained abundance.
- subdued: 'Subdued' means quiet, restrained, or quieted down.
Commonly confused with
- exorbitant: 'Exorbitant' means unreasonably high in price or amount, not full of joy.
Word family
- exuberance (noun): The quality of being full of energy and cheerfulness.
- exuberantly (adverb): In an exuberant manner.
Collocations
- exuberant personality
- exuberant praise
- exuberant energy
- exuberant spirit
Idioms & expressions
- bursting with joy
Example sentences
- "The exuberant puppies bounded across the yard, tumbling over one another in wild joy." Childlike energy and spirit
Memory hook
EXUBERANT sounds like EX-UBER-ANT — an extra energetic ant carrying giant supplies with joy. Overflowing like a fertile harvest.
When not to use
Do not use to describe subdued, quiet, or formal expressions of happiness.
Fun facts
- Because of its root 'uber' (meaning udder/fertile), exuberant was first used in English to describe rich foliage and fertile soil.
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.