Exhilarate
/ɪɡˈzɪl.ə.reɪt/noun
To make someone feel very happy, excited, or elated.
Did you know?Exhilarate comes from Latin exhilarare, built from ex- (“thoroughly”) + hilaris (“cheerful”), and hilaris is the same root behind English hilarious—so joy and laughter are literally family.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hilaros
“cheerful, merry”
Latin
Latin
hilaris
“cheerful, merry”
Latin
Latin
exhilarare
“to gladden greatly, enliven”
Late Latin / Middle English
Anglo-French
exhilarer
“to make cheerful or lively”
16th Century
English
exhilarate
“to gladden, enliven, cheer up”
Modern English
English
exhilarate
“to make someone feel very happy, excited, or elated”