ebullient

IPA/ɪˈbʌliənt/
KK[ˌɪbˈʌljənt]IPA/ɪˈbʌliənt/

ebullient — adjective

  • ebullientpositive
  • more ebullientcomparative
  • most ebullientsuperlative

1. showing lively happiness, excited energy, and clear confidence

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

showing lively happiness, excited energy, and clear confidence

Example

Jisoo gave an ebullient wave as the train pulled into Busan Station.

ebullient greeting after arrival

Kwame sounded ebullient after his small bakery won the street-food prize.

sound ebullient after success

Common collocations
  • ebullient mood
  • ebullient personality
  • sound ebullient
  • ebullient laughter
  • ebullient crowd
Synonyms
  • exuberant

    is close in meaning but often suggests even more overflowing energy

  • buoyant

    can be lighter in tone and often emphasizes hopefulness

  • cheerful

    is broader and does not always suggest strong excitement

  • vivacious

    often focuses on lively charm, especially in a person's manner

Antonyms
  • subdued

    suggests controlled or quiet feeling rather than overflowing energy

  • gloomy

    adds a dark or unhappy emotional tone

  • flat

    suggests little energy or emotional spark

Grammar Patterns

feel ebullient

sound ebullient

an ebullient personality

an ebullient crowd

Usage Note

Often describes an outwardly bright mood, voice, welcome, or group atmosphere, not just private happiness. It is more vivid and elevated than simply happy or cheerful.

Common Mistakes

She felt very ebulliently after the news.
She felt ebullient after the news.
ebullient is an adjective, so use it after a linking verb here.
The room was full of ebullience people after the win.
The room was full of ebullient people after the win.
use ebullient to describe people or behaviour; ebullience is the noun.

Word family

  • ebullience
    nounC2
  • ebulliently
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Ebullient describes happiness that seems to spill outward in visible energy, confident talk, or excited movement. Exuberant is very close, but it often sounds even bigger and more overflowing. Buoyant can suggest a lighter, more hopeful mood after good news, while ebullient feels more openly animated. Cheerful is the broad everyday word for being happy, so it does not always carry the same intensity. Vivacious often points to lively personal charm, especially in the way someone talks or moves. A student leaving an interview may sound buoyant, but an ebullient welcome from friends feels louder, warmer, and harder to miss.

ebullient ↗exuberant ↗buoyant ↗cheerful ↗vivacious ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feel ebullient
  • sound ebullient
  • an ebullient welcome

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Ebullient comes from a Latin verb meaning 'to bubble out.' English first used it for liquid that boils up, then extended it to people, voices, and scenes that seem to overflow with lively excitement.

First known use

1599

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1