Ebullient

adjective /ɪˈbʊliənt/ — Enthusiastic in a way that bubbles over and infects everyone around you.

Definition

Cheerful and full of energy, overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement.

Beyond the definition

Ebullient is the word for the person who makes a room louder in the best possible way. It's enthusiasm that doesn't need permission — it just rises naturally like boiling water, lifting everything nearby.

Origin & history

From Latin ebullire — to bubble up (e- 'out' + bullire 'to boil'). Originally a literal description of liquid boiling over. The emotional sense captures the same uncontainable energy.

Example sentences

Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.

Her ebullient arrival transformed the office from quiet to energized in minutes.

He was ebullient about the project — his excitement had a way of becoming everyone's excitement.

There's something genuinely rare about ebullient people — they give energy rather than take it.

How to use it

This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.

Choose “Ebullient” when the meaning fits your context: Cheerful and full of energy, overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement.

Synonyms

exuberant, effervescent, enthusiastic, vivacious, buoyant, animated

Antonyms

subdued, lethargic, dull, reserved, withdrawn

Related words

Word in the Wild

See how this word appears in life, language and stories.

Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.

Fictional scene

Joyful Person on Hilltop

Conceptual illustration: An adult stands on a hilltop, arms raised to the sky, their face turned toward the sun. The wind whips their hair, and they are surrounded by a vast, open landscape.

An adult stands on a hilltop with arms raised, their face turned to the sun as the wind whips their hair in an open, vast landscape.

Ebullience is being filled with and overflowing with energy. The subject's unrestrained posture, raised arms, and sun-turned face manifest an energy that cannot be contained by the surroundings, perfectly capturing the spirit of someone who is irrepressibly cheerful and enthusiastic about the open, vast world around them.

Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration

Questions about this word

What does "Ebullient" mean?

Ebullient is adjective meaning: Enthusiastic in a way that bubbles over and infects everyone around you.. Cheerful and full of energy, overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement.

Where does the word "Ebullient" come from?

From Latin ebullire — to bubble up (e- 'out' + bullire 'to boil'). Originally a literal description of liquid boiling over. The emotional sense captures the same uncontainable energy.

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