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Exult leaped into English in the 16th century as a verb meaning "to leap for joy." George Chapman used it that way in a translation of Homer's Iliad: "To drive his chariot through the waves. From whirl pits every way the whales exulted under him," he interprets. This use of the verb skipped around in English until the 18th century, when it gracefully exited the everyday lexicon, leaving the verb's other meaning—"to be extremely joyful; to rejoice"—to stay the course. Exult springs from Latin saltare ("to leap"), also the source of saltation, a word for leaping as well as dancing. Another etymological cousin of exult is sally, meaning "to leap out" or "to set out," as in "After the storm passed, the hikers sallied forth."
Synonyms
Examples of exult in a Sentence
David Aldridge, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Rafa Hernández-Brito, the Guardians’ Spanish-language broadcaster, exulted.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024
While comedies like the BBC’s Man Like Mobeen were exulted for their authenticity, there is a view that UK drama is the domain of white writers, producers, and directors, and this has damaged representation.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2024
When Lionel Messi and Argentina at last exulted in Qatar a year and a half ago, edging France in a shootout to win an electrifying World Cup final, La Albiceleste finished rewriting a narrative that had followed it to every major tournament for nearly 30 years.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 14 June 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Exult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exult. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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