Exulting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The expression of profound joy and delight is often associated with celebrating a significant victory or achievement
2. A state of feeling extremely happy typically manifests during moments of triumph or noteworthy accomplishment
3. The act of expressing great happiness or joy often arises in situations of success or notable achievement

Etymology: "Exulting" is the present participle of "exult," and the verb's original image is strikingly physical: to leap up. It comes from Latin "exsultare," a frequentative (a verb expressing repeated or vigorous action) of "exsilire," meaning "to jump up," built from "ex-" (out, up) and "salire" (to leap). So the joy in the word began as a body moving, a leap rather than a feeling. The jump gradually moved inward. Latin writers used "exsultare" for the bounding of animals and people, and then for the feeling that makes one bound, until the emotion itself became the core sense. The word passed into English through Middle French "exulter," so the leap of happiness arrived in English already carrying the sense of triumph and delight that "exulting" still expresses today.

Synonyms: rejoicing, celebrating, triumphing, delighting, elating

Antonyms: mourn, sorrow, grieve, lament, regret