ebullient

adjective

ebul·​lient i-ˈbu̇l-yənt How to pronounce ebullient (audio)
-ˈbəl-
1
2
: characterized by ebullience : having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm
ebullient performers
ebulliently adverb

Did you know?

Someone who is ebullient is bubbling over with enthusiasm, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that ebullient derives from the Latin verb ebullire, which means "to bubble out." When ebullient was first used in the late 1500s its meaning hewed closely to its Latin source: ebullient meant "boiling" or "bubbling," and described things like boiling water and boiling oil. Only later did the word's meaning broaden to encompass emotional agitation as well as the roiling of a boiling liquid.

Examples of ebullient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Star’s promenade to the front door was greeted by two people: Maria Liang, the owner of the studio, at the front desk, and Ma, the ebullient manager known for his effusive and encouraging manner, at the deejay/cashier booth. Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2023 But the ebullient economic environment that helped foster this entrepreneurial spirit has given way to high inflation, rising interest rates and dwindling savings. Sydney Ember, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2023 Six decades out, Niemeyer’s structures retain an ebullient optimism. Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2023 In Mexican culture, when someone is singing or playing a song that tugs hearts or provokes tears, the instinctive reaction is to let out a prideful, ebullient shout called a grito. Thania Garcia, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023 Woods tried to give Perry some of his easygoing, ebullient personality. The Indianapolis Star, 29 Nov. 2022 So are his new teammates, who agreed with Gilmore’s assessment of Barker’s ebullient personality. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 11 Aug. 2022 Their ever-ebullient colleague Roker — known for cracking jokes on air and behind the scenes and making his co-workers laugh — missed his Today show family as well. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 11 Jan. 2023 Right after his speech, Zelenskyy left for home, traveling far from the ebullient environment on Capitol Hill to the stark reality on the ground in Ukraine. Conor Finnegan, ABC News, 22 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ebullient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin ebullient-, ebulliens, present participle of ebullire to bubble out, from e- + bullire to bubble, boil — more at boil

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ebullient was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near ebullient

Cite this Entry

“Ebullient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ebullient. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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