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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Steven Spielberg's career has been famously schizoid. On the one hand, he has made films borne aloft by exuberant juvenility (the Indiana Jones pictures, Jurassic Park, and so forth); on the other hand, he has made mature films of serious intent (The Color Purple, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan). And … there is also a third hand: he has combined those two types, most notably in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, in which he transmuted a fascinating science fiction film into near-theology. 
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic, 23 July 2001 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 See More
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic, 23 July 2001 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 See More Recent Examples on the Web The last time the palace drew such throngs was in June, for the queen’s jubilee, and the mood was exuberant and celebratory — especially when the queen stepped out onto the famous balcony and waved at her subjects. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022 Tomljanovic, an Australian who is 29, will face Williams, who turns 41 next month, for the first time on Friday night — in front of what is sure to be another exuberant and partisan full house — in the third round at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Howard Fendrich, ajc, 1 Sep. 2022 Families of victims are not included in such hearings, and the fact that a girl, exuberant and beloved, had died under the tire of the driver never came up. Danyoung Kim, The New Yorker, 2 June 2022 Playing with exuberant and joyful colors and color combinations that catch your eye and bring excitement to the carpet. Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 31 Aug. 2021 Lynnia Shanley’s performance as Andrew’s squealy and ultra-chaste actress girlfriend Deidre is exuberant, but never feels like a real person. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2022 Those runways reflected the exuberant, individual spirit of the streets, where people wore clashing prints, vibrant colors, and unlikely pairings. Emily Farra, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2021 In the Christian Lacroix era, his clothes were puffy and exuberant, fluffy and frantic. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 18 Aug. 2022 Just a single, but a rich, layered, exuberant yet sultry summer single. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 July 2022 See More
Karla Adam, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022 Tomljanovic, an Australian who is 29, will face Williams, who turns 41 next month, for the first time on Friday night — in front of what is sure to be another exuberant and partisan full house — in the third round at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Howard Fendrich, ajc, 1 Sep. 2022 Families of victims are not included in such hearings, and the fact that a girl, exuberant and beloved, had died under the tire of the driver never came up. Danyoung Kim, The New Yorker, 2 June 2022 Playing with exuberant and joyful colors and color combinations that catch your eye and bring excitement to the carpet. Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 31 Aug. 2021 Lynnia Shanley’s performance as Andrew’s squealy and ultra-chaste actress girlfriend Deidre is exuberant, but never feels like a real person. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2022 Those runways reflected the exuberant, individual spirit of the streets, where people wore clashing prints, vibrant colors, and unlikely pairings. Emily Farra, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2021 In the Christian Lacroix era, his clothes were puffy and exuberant, fluffy and frantic. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 18 Aug. 2022 Just a single, but a rich, layered, exuberant yet sultry summer single. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 July 2022 See More 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-bə-rənt
: filled with energy and enthusiasm
The audience applause … rose in an exuberant swell … Lois Lowry, The Giver
Lois Lowry, The Giver 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
Sandy Musprattexuberant
adjective
as in joyful
joyously unrestrained exuberant crowds rushed to greet the returning national champions in collegiate basketball Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- joyful
- effervescent
- vivacious
- buoyant
- lively
- bubbly
- ecstatic
- bouncy
- frolic
- giddy
- frolicsome
- high-spirited
- uninhibited
- outgoing
- boisterous
- lyric
- bold
- raucous
- gay
- gamesome
- carefree
- extroverted
- rowdy
- lighthearted
- crank
- sprightly
- insouciant
- silly
- rapturous
- rollicking
- euphoric
- impudent
- brazen
- saucy
- overexuberant
- extraverted
- happy-go-lucky
- audacious
- brash
- insolent
- impertinent
- light-headed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sullen
- restrained
- subdued
- inhibited
- stoical
- repressed
- phlegmatic
- stoic
- stolid
- constrained
- impassive
- morose
- low-spirited
- dour
- surly
- glum
- depressed
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of exuberant are lavish, lush, luxuriant, prodigal, and profuse. While all these words mean "giving or given out in great abundance," exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.
an exuberant imagination
The synonyms lavish and exuberant are sometimes interchangeable, but lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.
a lavish party
While in some cases nearly identical to exuberant, lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.
a lush green lawn
Although the words luxuriant and exuberant have much in common, luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.
a luxuriant beard
The meanings of prodigal and exuberant largely overlap; however, prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.
prodigal spending
The words profuse and exuberant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.
profuse apologies