exuberant

adjective

ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt How to pronounce exuberant (audio)
Synonyms of exuberant
1
a
: joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic
exuberant praise
an exuberant personality
b
: unrestrained or elaborate especially in style : flamboyant
exuberant architecture
2
: produced in extreme abundance : plentiful
exuberant foliage and vegetation
3
: extreme or excessive in degree, size, or extent
exuberant prosperity
exuberantly adverb

Synonyms of exuberant

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profuse, lavish, prodigal, luxuriant, lush, exuberant mean giving or given out in great abundance.

profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

Examples of exuberant in a Sentence

Here we are at a jousting tournament in medieval England, and as the armored knights charge each other on horseback the exuberant crowd sings along to the old Queen heavy-metal anthem "We Will Rock You." And does the wave! —David Ansen, Newsweek, 14 May 2001
A few years ago, I learned to expect that at the end of a linguistics class that I was teaching, as I consulted with a few students before we vacated the room, the air would suddenly be lacerated by fat bass tracks and streams of exuberant invective. Tupac, as they say, was in the house. The class that was about to begin was an elective called "The Poetry of Tupac Shakur." —John McWhorter, New Republic, 22 Oct. 2001
They're the hardwood wunderkinds who think NEXT is now: the NBA's teen set. And like puppies, they're winningly exuberant (if not housebroken). Well, maybe not so "winning." —ESPN, 25 Dec. 2000
His exuberant personality makes him fun to be around. exuberant crowds rushed to greet the returning national champions in collegiate basketball
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Two forces pulled the stock since the exuberant IPO-week. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 June 2026 An exuberant song-and-dance man, Brooks put everyone from nuns to aliens into musical numbers. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Rios—amiable, practiced, and forcefully exuberant—took a seat across from me in a bright conference room with ergonomic chairs. — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 The warning that exuberant investors might not be quite rational sent temporary shivers through global stock markets. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for exuberant

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin exuberant-, exuberans, present participle of exuberare to be abundant, from ex- + uber fruitful, from uber udder — more at udder

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of exuberant was in the 15th century

Rhymes for exuberant

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Browse Nearby Words

exuberancy
exuberant
exuberantly
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Cite this Entry

“Exuberant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exuberant. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

exuberant

adjective
ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt How to pronounce exuberant (audio)
: joyfully enthusiastic
exuberance
-b(ə-)rən(t)s
noun
exuberantly adverb

Medical Definition

exuberant

adjective
ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt How to pronounce exuberant (audio)
: characterized by extreme proliferation
exuberant granulation tissue
remarkably exuberant metastatic calcification—Sandy Muspratt

More from Merriam-Webster on exuberant

Nglish: Translation of exuberant for Spanish Speakers

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