exuberant

adjective

ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt 

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

• bouncy
• bubbly
• buoyant
• crank [chiefly dialect]
• effervescent
• frolic
• frolicsome
• gamesome
• gay
• high-spirited
• vivacious

Choose the Right Synonym for exuberant

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

Jennifer, when curating her vintage realm, realized that the term has two sides: while some think of exuberant, flamboyant pieces gathered in one disorderly shop, others imagine vintage as high-end, inaccessible to the average customer. —Grace Butler, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

Omar Epps Omar Epps’s exuberant Mars and the centaur Chiron are in Aries. —Lisa Stardust, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025

Forget living vivid and creating exuberant, if Jaguar can channel a little of this magic into its forthcoming electric GT, there is hope for the storied marque yet. —Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 12 Feb. 2025

Paul McCartney said, responding to a female audience member’s shriek midway through his exuberant surprise concert at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday night. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025

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

Kids Definition

exuberant

adjective

ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt 

: joyfully enthusiastic

exuberance

-b(ə-)rən(t)s

noun

exuberantly adverb

Medical Definition

exuberant

adjective

ex·​u·​ber·​ant ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt 

: characterized by extreme proliferation

exuberant granulation tissue

remarkably exuberant metastatic calcification

—Sandy Muspratt