exhilarated
/ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-təd/ (ame, mw)
exhilarated — adjective
- exhilaratedpositive
- more exhilaratedcomparative
- most exhilaratedsuperlative
1. feeling a powerful rush of happiness and energy, usually because something excit
feeling a powerful rush of happiness and energy, usually because something exciting or satisfying has just happened
After winning the relay race, Theo felt exhilarated and hugged his teammates.
feel exhilarated after [achievement]
The crowd was exhilarated by the band's final song, cheering for several minutes.
passive: be exhilarated by [stimulus]
Ravi came back from the mountain hike exhilarated, describing the sunrise in detail.
Wei felt exhilarated by the view of the whole city from the tower.
After her first solo concert, Mei-Lin felt exhilarated and could not stop smiling.
- elated
even stronger, suggesting triumphant happiness; 'elated' focuses more on pride and joy, while 'exhilarated' emphasises energy and a physical rush
- thrilled
more common in everyday speech; 'thrilled' can be used for less intense situations (e.g. 'thrilled about the gift'), whereas 'exhilarated' requires a genuinely exciting or challenging trigger
- ecstatic
extremely intense, almost overwhelming joy; 'ecstatic' is less tied to physical energy and more to pure happiness or relief
文法句型
be exhilarated by [stimulus]
feel exhilarated after [event]
return / come back exhilarated
用法筆記
Stronger and more physical than 'excited' or 'happy'; it implies a sudden burst of energy and joy that follows a specific high-intensity experience — such as a performance, race, adventure, or stunning view. The word is most naturally used predicatively (feel exhilarated / be exhilarated) rather than directly before a noun.