different between exuberant vs merry

English

Etymology

From Middle French exubérant, from Latin ex?ber?ns, the present active participle of ex?ber? (“be abundant”). Put together from ex (“out”), and uber (“udder”), and originally would have referred to a cow or she-goat which was making so much milk that it naturally dripped or sprayed from the udder.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???zu?b???nt/

Adjective

exuberant (comparative more exuberant, superlative most exuberant)

1. (of people) Very high-spirited; extremely energetic and enthusiastic.

   Synonyms: buoyant, cheerful, high-spirited

   • 1882, Frank R. Stockton, "The Lady or the Tiger?":

     He was a man of exuberant fancy, and, withal of an authority so irresistible that, at his will, he turned his varied fancies into facts.

   • 1961, Joseph Heller, Catch-22:

     She was a tall, earthy, exuberant girl with long hair and a pretty face.

2. (literary, of things that grow) Abundant, luxuriant.

   Synonyms: profuse, superabundant

   • 1852, The Ark, and Odd Fellows' Western Magazine

     It pencilled each flower with rich and variegated hues, and threw over its exuberant foliage a vesture of emerald green.

   • 1972, Ken Lemmon, "Restoration Work at Studley Royal," Garden History, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 22:

     The County Architect's Department is starting to pleach trees to open up these vistas, now almost hidden by the exuberant growth.

Derived terms

• exuberantly

Related terms

• exuberance

Translations

Further reading

• “exuberant”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “exuberant”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.

Latin

Verb

ex?berant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of ex?ber?

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin ex?ber?ns.

Pronunciation

Adjective

exuberant m (feminine singular exuberanta, masculine plural exuberants, feminine plural exuberantas)

1. exuberant (of a person: very high-spirited)
2. exuberant (abundant)

Related terms

• exuberància

Romanian

Etymology

From French exubérant, from Latin exuberans.

Adjective

exuberant m or n (feminine singular exuberant?, masculine plural exuberan?i, feminine and neuter plural exuberante)

1. exuberant

Declension

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??i/
• (General American) enPR: m?r??, IPA^(key): /?m??i/, /?me??i/
• (Mary–marry–merry distinction)
• (Mary–marry–merry merger)
• Rhymes: -??i
• Hyphenation: mer?ry

Etymology 1

From Middle English mery, merie, mirie, myrie, murie, mur?e, from Old English meri?e, miri?e, myri?e, myre?e, myr?e (“pleasing, agreeable; pleasant, sweet, delightful; melodious”), from Proto-Germanic *murguz (“short, slow”), from Proto-Indo-European *mré??us (“short”). Cognate with Scots mery, mirry (“merry”), Middle Dutch mergelijc (“pleasant, agreeable, joyful”), Norwegian dialectal myrjel (“small object, figurine”), Latin brevis (“short, small, narrow, shallow”), Ancient Greek ?????? (brakhús, “short”). Doublet of brief.

Alternative forms

• merie, merrie, mery (obsolete)

Adjective

merry (comparative merrier, superlative merriest)

1. Jolly and full of high spirits; happy.
2. Festive and full of fun and laughter.
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     If I have the chance, I will make our worshipful Sheriff pay right well for that which he hath done to me. Maybe I may bring him some time into Sherwood Forest and have him to a right merry feast with us.

3. Brisk

4. Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight.
5. (euphemistic) drunk; tipsy

Synonyms

• (jolly): cheerful, content, ecstatic, exultant, gay, happy, jovial, joyful, pleased; see also Thesaurus:happy
• (festive): convivial, gay, jovial
• (brisk): energetic, lively, spirited; see also Thesaurus:active
• (causing laughter): delightful, gladful
• (drunk): lushy, muzzy, squiffy; see also Thesaurus:drunk

Antonyms

• (jolly): miserable, unhappy

Derived terms

• Merry Christmas

Translations

Derived terms

• merrier
• merrily
• merriment
• merriness

Related terms

• mirth

Etymology 2

French merise

Noun

merry (plural merries)

1. An English wild cherry.

Anagrams

• Rymer