exhilarating · adj — refreshingly thrilling. It carries an Arena rating of 1542, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, exhilarating ranks #5,608 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #5,827 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #6,525 of 17,172 for Most Beautiful Words, #6,725 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words.
Why “exhilarating” is a great word
Causing one to feel an intense, cheerful animation that fills the spirit with invigorated joy. From the Latin exhilarare ("to make cheerful or lively"), from ex- ("thoroughly") + hilarare ("to make cheerful"), from hilaris ("cheerful"). Unlike "exciting," which raises the pulse with stimulation, or "soothing," which offers calm relief, exhilarating is the euphoric lift that follows the thrill—the wind rushing past on a bicycle descent, the sudden, expansive view from a mountain summit, the laughter that bursts out after a plunge into cold water, all merging into a pure and grateful aliveness. It is the body alight, made radiant with the sheer delight of being.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
By surface analysis, exhilarate + -ing.
adj
- Refreshingly thrilling.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.