Exuberance
What it means
Abundant lively energy and openly expressed happiness.
Reach for it when naming joyful vitality that visibly overflows
The dancers' exuberance carried the audience through the sudden rain.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
|
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
joie de vivre
Fits when delight in life itself deserves cosmopolitan phrasing
Careful The French phrase is conspicuous and too broad for one excited performance.
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everyday
Fits when strong eager interest is the useful point
Careful Enthusiasm can be focused and quiet, with none of exuberance's overflowing vitality.
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everyday
Fits when energetic enjoyment of an activity matters
Careful Zest is directed toward doing something and need not overflow emotionally.
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warm
Fits when cheerful mood should sound natural and social
Careful High spirits may be temporary and can tip into disruptive behavior.
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formal
ebullience
Fits when buoyant high spirits suit elevated prose
Careful Ebullience is rare and can feel clinical or affected beside exuberance.
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literary
Fits when animated personal liveliness is central
Careful Vivacity describes a quality of character and may be less openly joyful.
Opposites 4
- listlessness
- gloom
- restraint
- apathy
Common phrases 3
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youthful exuberance
Youthful exuberance filled the rehearsal without drowning out instruction.
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natural exuberance
Her natural exuberance made the difficult warm-up feel like play.
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sheer exuberance
The mural's sweeping color communicates sheer exuberance.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Sylvanmoon, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated