exhilarating

adjective

ex·​hil·​a·​rat·​ing ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ 

: causing strong feelings of happy excitement and elation : thrilling

an exhilarating experience

… an exhilarating ride that allows participants to catch an aerial view like they've never seen before.

—Kathryn M. Roy

… I would like to convey the sense of flight as it was almost at the very beginning of itself, when everything about it was miraculous and dangerous and exhilarating.

—James Dickey

… an exhilarating career full of deals sealed at three-martini lunches.

—Andrea Cooper

exhilaratingly

ig-ˈzi-lə-ˌrā-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

an exhilaratingly funny performance

Synonyms

• breathtaking
• charged
• electric
• electrifying
• exciting
• exhilarative
• galvanic
• galvanizing
• hair-raising
• heart-stopping
• inspiring
• intoxicating
• kicky
• mind-bending
• mind-blowing
• mind-boggling
• rip-roaring
• rousing
• stimulating
• stirring
• thrilling

Examples of exhilarating in a Sentence

no recording can capture the exhilarating feeling of being at a live rock concert

Recent Examples on the Web

An exhilarating adrenaline rush for the head & heart & immersive, awe-inducing stuntacular of the highest order. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 13 May 2025

Like Blume’s novel, Akil’s adaptation sets its story of a momentous first love against the backdrop of the exhilarating, pivotal, and terrifying period that is senior year of high school. —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 8 May 2025

This exhilarating aspect is challenging your idea of love, connection and transformation. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 6 May 2025

Venus will meet with Mars in an exhilarating trine on May 22, creating a dazzling synergy between your passions and desire for self-discovery. —Staff Author, People.com, 1 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for exhilarating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating