Exultant
adj.joyful, energeticliterary
What it means
Triumphantly joyful after a victory, breakthrough, or release.
Reach for it when describing happiness whose source is a hard-won success
The exultant team lifted the repaired bell into place together.
Choose between these
7- playful
over the moon
when delighted celebration suits conversation
not when The idiom is clichéd and does not specifically connect happiness to triumph.
- everyday
when overwhelming happiness matters more than its cause
not when Ecstasy can follow any wonderful news, not necessarily achievement.
- everyday
when simply having won is the important fact
not when Victory is a status; the winner may feel relieved rather than exultant.
- warm
when success creates intense but gracious happiness
not when Elated is less victory-focused and avoids exultant's risk of gloating.
- professional
when victory and justified pride are the defining facts
not when Triumphant can describe a result or return without revealing the person's joy.
- formal
when a group celebrates a victory openly
not when Jubilation emphasizes public celebration more than personal triumph.
- literary
when joy is actively and collectively expressed
not when Rejoicing can follow reunion or gratitude without a victory.
Said against
4- defeated
- dejected
- crestfallen
- despairing
It naturally appears in
3- exultant crowd
The exultant crowd applauded both finalists after the result.
- exultant mood
An exultant mood spread through the laboratory after confirmation.
- exultant winner
The exultant winner invited her whole relay team onto the podium.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective, adjective sense meaning joyfully triumphant opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.