exhilarating

/ɛgˈzɪləreɪɾɪŋ/

/ɛkˈzɪləreɪtɪŋ/

Other forms: exhilaratingly

Something exhilarating is so exciting it makes you a little giddy. "Snowboarding that black-diamond trail was exhilarating!"

Zipping through the snow is certainly exhilarating, but ski bunnies and snowboarders might not choose this fancy adjective first. They might just yell, "Woohoo!" It's always been a fun-loving word; its Latin roots mean "gladden, cheer." A ride on a glass elevator with a cute vampire could be exhilarating, and so could a surprise party, or a ride on an old roller coaster. It can be so refreshing, you can't exhale after something exhilarating happens.

Definitions of exhilarating

1. adjective

   making lively and joyful
   synonyms: elating

   exciting

   creating or arousing excitement
2. adjective

   making lively and cheerful
   “the exhilarating effect of mountain air”

   synonyms: stimulating

   invigorating

   imparting strength and vitality