Word: exhilaration

Associations

Exhilaration means a feeling of excitement or happiness. It is often linked to moments of joy or a burst of energy.

Example 1: "The exhilaration of winning the game was felt by the entire team." Here, exhilaration is linked to the joy of victory.
Example 2: "She felt a rush of exhilaration as she skydived for the first time." In this case, the excitement is connected to a thrilling experience.
Example 3: "The exhilarating music lifted everyone’s spirits." Here, exhilaration comes from the effect of music on mood.
A well-known synonym for exhilaration is "euphoria." The difference is that euphoria usually refers to a more intense and sometimes overwhelming feeling of joy, while exhilaration is often lighter and related to a sudden burst of energy.

Substitution

In place of "exhilaration," you could use words like:

Excitement: This can mean a strong feeling of happiness but might not convey the same level of joy or energy.
Delight: This suggests a feeling of great pleasure, but it can be less intense than exhilaration.
Elation: This is similar but often used for a more sustained feeling of joy compared to the quick burst of exhilaration.

The word "exhilaration" comes from the Latin root "exhilarare," which means "to make cheerful."

Prefix: "ex-" means "out" or "from."
Root: "hilarare" means "to cheer" or "to make merry."
There are no suffixes, but the "-ation" ending signifies a state or condition, so exhilaration refers to the state of being cheerful or happy.

This word shows how the concept of bringing joy can be rooted in a bigger feeling of happiness that comes from various experiences.

Can you think of a time when you felt exhilaration? What caused that feeling?
How might someone experience exhilaration in different situations, like at a concert versus during a sports event?
In what ways do you think exhilaration can affect your mood or energy levels for the rest of the day?

Model: gpt-4o-mini