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

Yet the feeling that the painting’s flickering hues and overlapping parts never quite mesh is what makes the works so exhilarating. —Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Fresh off an exhilarating overtime road win against the Seattle Seahawks and in the midst of a three-game winning streak, the Rams (4-4) appear ready to add some reinforcements. —Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 4 Nov. 2024

The two trade the minimal less-than-a-point-lead in those key battleground states constantly, and Channel 4, partnering with CNN, sees it as ripe soil for an exhilarating live studio show. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024

The track intends to take you on a ride, offering a fresh, exhilarating perspective without sacrificing the essence of the original hit. —Spin Contributor, SPIN, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above