Exultation
noun /ˌeɡ.zʌlˈteɪ.ʃən/ — Triumphant, jubilant joy — joy that has won something
Definition
A feeling of triumphant elation — joy not merely experienced but earned, the specific happiness that follows victory, achievement, or the resolution of something long uncertain.
Beyond the definition
Joy with a reason behind it. Exultation is different from happiness — it is happiness that knows what it has overcome. The feeling has altitude to it, a sense of having risen.
Origin & history
From Latin 'exultatio' (a leaping up) — from 'exultare' (to leap up, to exult) — 'ex-' (out) + 'saltare' (to leap, to dance). The body's response to triumph: to jump, to leap, to bound upward.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The exultation in the dressing room after the final — the particular quality of a joy that knew exactly what it had cost.
There is an exultation available in finishing a difficult book that reading a comfortable one never provides.
Her exultation was quiet — an inward lifting, a private sense of having done the thing she had feared she couldn't.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Exultation” when the meaning fits your context: A feeling of triumphant elation — joy not merely experienced but earned, the specific happiness that follows victory, achievement, or the resolution of something long uncertain.
Synonyms
jubilation, triumph, elation, rejoicing, euphoria
Antonyms
despair, despondency, dejection
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Exultation" mean?
Exultation is noun meaning: Triumphant, jubilant joy — joy that has won something. A feeling of triumphant elation — joy not merely experienced but earned, the specific happiness that follows victory, achievement, or the resolution of something long uncertain.
Where does the word "Exultation" come from?
From Latin 'exultatio' (a leaping up) — from 'exultare' (to leap up, to exult) — 'ex-' (out) + 'saltare' (to leap, to dance). The body's response to triumph: to jump, to leap, to bound upward.