different between exhilarate vs exhilaration

English

Etymology

From Latin exhilar?re (“to delight, to gladden, to make merry”), from ex- (“out, away”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h?e??s (“out”)) + hilar?re, present infinitive of hilar? (“to cheer, to gladden”), from hilaris (“cheerful, light-hearted, lively”) (from Ancient Greek ?????? (hilarós, “cheerful, merry”), from ????? (hílaos, “gracious, kind, propitious”), from Proto-Indo-European *s?lh?- (“comfort, mercy”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???z?l??e?t/, /??-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /???z?l???e?t/, /??-/
• (General American)
• Hyphenation: ex?hil?a?rate

Verb

exhilarate (third-person singular simple present exhilarates, present participle exhilarating, simple past and past participle exhilarated)

1. (transitive) To cheer, to cheer up, to gladden, to make happy.
2. (transitive) To excite, to thrill.
   • 1932, Dorothy L Sayers, Have his Carcase, Chapter 12.

     Harriet became suddenly conscious that every woman in the room was gazing furtively or with frank interest at Wimsey and herself, and the knowledge exhilarated her.

Synonyms

• (to cheer): enliven, stimulate

Derived terms

• exhilarating
• exhilarant
• exhilaratingly
• exhilaration
• exhilarator
• exhilaratory

Related terms

• hilarious
• hilariously
• hilariousness
• hilarity
• Hilary

Translations

Further reading

• exhilarate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• exhilarate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Latin

Verb

exhilar?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of exhilar?

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

exhilaration (countable and uncountable, plural exhilarations)

1. The act of enlivening the spirits; the act of making glad or cheerful; a gladdening.
2. The state of being enlivened, cheerful or exhilarated.

Related terms

• exhilarate
• hilarious
• Hilary

Translations