entry
exhilarate
/ɪɡˈzɪləreɪt/To make someone feel cheerful, lively, or joyous
From Latin ex- (Out of) + Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek hilarare (To cheer or gladden).
from Proto-Indo-European *selh₂- (“comfort, mercy”). By surface analysis, ex- + Latin hilar(ō) + -ate.
from Ancient Greek ἱλαρός (hilarós, “cheerful, merry”)
from Latin exhilaratus "cheerful, merry," past participle of exhilarare "gladden, cheer,"
Word Ancestry
from Proto-Indo-European *selh₂- (“comfort, mercy”). By surface analysis, ex- + Latin hilar(ō) + -ate.
from Ancient Greek ἱλαρός (hilarós, “cheerful, merry”)
from Latin exhilaratus "cheerful, merry," past participle of exhilarare "gladden, cheer,"
Picture the word arriving in English in the 1530s, carrying a Latin recipe for lifting someone’s spirits: ex-, with its sense of “out” or “thoroughly,” joins hilarō, “to cheer.” The cheerfulness inside hilarō came through Greek ἱλαρός, “merry,” and reaches back, according to Wiktionary, to a reconstructed root meaning “comfort, mercy.” That makes the word’s history feel less like a passing giggle and more like being brought out of gloom into kindness. Its close cousin hilarity keeps the same bright Greek inheritance, while ex- also turns up in words such as exuberant and exclaim. Exhilarate is, quite literally, a word for cheering someone up from the inside out.
The Story
Picture the word arriving in English in the 1530s, carrying a Latin recipe for lifting someone’s spirits: ex-, with its sense of “out” or “thoroughly,” joins hilarō, “to cheer.” The cheerfulness inside hilarō came through Greek ἱλαρός, “merry,” and reaches back, according to Wiktionary, to a reconstructed root meaning “comfort, mercy.” That makes the word’s history feel less like a passing giggle and more like being brought out of gloom into kindness. Its close cousin hilarity keeps the same bright Greek inheritance, while ex- also turns up in words such as exuberant and exclaim. Exhilarate is, quite literally, a word for cheering someone up from the inside out.
Modern Usage
A vulgar, sexual use meaning to arouse or excite.
Kin & Kindred
From 'ex-'·Out of; away from; by extension, thoroughly or intensely.
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'hilarare'·To cheer or gladden; related to Greek words for cheerful and gracious.
Derived Terms
English words from this root