ex-

out, away; also thoroughly

Forms

ex-
e- — Shortened in Latin before certain consonants.
ef- — Used before f in Latin.
es- — Developed from ex- in French.
s- — In some French borrowings, es- lost its initial e.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *eghs, ‘out.’

Note

The outward sense could extend to carrying an action through completely.

222 / 239

adjective

exuberant

ig-ZOO-ber-unt/ɪɡˈzuːbərənt/

Full of energy and enthusiasm.

The exuberant woman leaps with joy while her companion applauds.

A young woman makes a spontaneous joyful leap, arms lifted and face beaming, while an older woman beside her laughs and claps.

Etymology

exLatinout, away; also thoroughly

+uberLatinbe fruitful or abundant

+antLatindoing or being something

Being fruitful, probably intensified by ex-, gives the original idea of growing luxuriantly or being overabundant. Applied to emotions, this became being full of joy and energy.

In context

Mercatus Center26:21

it's not very proper to show Too Much exuberant Delight in food right but in China you see this absolute joy in eating

Fuchsia Dunlop on the Story of Chinese Food | Conversations with Tyler

More examples

Her exuberant greeting startled the quiet visitors.
The puppy was exuberant after its long nap.
An exuberant mood filled the room.

Forms

exuberant · more exuberant · most exuberant

exuberance noun — abundant energy and enthusiasm

Similar words

enthusiastic: Enthusiastic shows strong interest; exuberant adds abundant energy or outward joy.
elated: Elated means very happy; exuberant emphasizes overflowing expression or vitality.