ebullient

adjective

ebul·​lient i-ˈbu̇l-yənt 

-ˈbəl-

1

: boiling, agitated

2

: characterized by ebullience : having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm

ebullient performers

ebulliently adverb

Did you know?

Someone who is ebullient is bubbling over with enthusiasm, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that ebullient comes from the Latin verb ebullire, which means "to bubble out." When ebullient was first used in the late 1500s its meaning hewed closely to its Latin source: ebullient meant "boiling" or "bubbling," and described things like boiling water and boiling oil instead of someone's bubbly personality. Only later did the word's meaning broaden beyond describing the liveliness of a boiling liquid to encompass emotional liveliness and enthusiasm.

Examples of ebullient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Certain beats from Club Kid, the ebullient new movie written, directed by, and starring Jordan Firstman, keep coming back to me like morning-after flashbacks of an epic night out. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026

Executives, speaking both during recent earnings calls and media appearances, could be described as nothing short of ebullient. —Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

The Blackstone was renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre for a benefactor, the famously ebullient Merle Reskin, a lovable arts lover who died in 2023. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026

Fewer songs would have made the update more lithe and ebullient. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin ebullient-, ebulliens, present participle of ebullire to bubble out, from e- + bullire to bubble, boil — more at boil

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!