Vocabulary
EXCITING
EXCITING means arousing excitement, a feeling or situation full of joy, exhilaration, or upheaval; creating or arousing uncontrolled emotion; stirring; stimulating, thrilling, etc.
“It’s one of the most exciting matches I’ve ever seen!”
One thing about excitement — it sure isn’t boring. An exciting movie is full of action, and an exciting idea makes you feel very enthusiastic.
“Try to keep the content fresh and exciting to read.”
There are a few types of excitement, but they’re all exciting — they get your attention. If you can’t wait for your birthday, you’re feeling a happy kind of excitement.
“This voyage was the most exciting adventure of their lives.”
If everyone in class is screaming and throwing things, the teacher might ask, “What’s all the excitement about?” A dog that’s jumping, barking, and running in circles when his owner comes home is feeling and causing a lot of excitement.
“They’ve got top players and they’re exciting to watch.”
When something is exciting, it’s full of activity and gets your blood pumping. A close football game is exciting for fans. Being in love is exciting for just about anyone. Learning something new, whether French or juggling, is exciting.
“It was exciting to be young and angry.”
If your heart is racing and you’re thrilled, exhilarated, or jumping up and down with anticipation, something must be exciting. When you have exciting news, you can’t wait to share it.
“You’re going to Africa? How exciting!”
TO EXCITE is to stimulate, animate, or energize. The return of your favorite TV show might excite you, and winning millions of dollars in the lottery will definitely excite you.
“The fireworks which opened the festivities excited anyone present.”
While a new book by a beloved author excites one person, and an extra scoop of ice cream excites another, it might take something like a free trip to Hawaii to excite you.
“I only take on work that excites me, even if it means turning down lots of money.”
If something or someone excites you, they may cause you to feel sexual desire.
“She makes me feel warm, comfortable and a little excited.”
EXCITED is often used to describe how a person feels when they are looking forward eagerly to an enjoyable or special event.
“He was so excited he could hardly sleep.”
If you’re excited you’re enthusiastic and animated, like a kid in a candy store. Or a kid on Christmas morning. Or a kid on the last day of school.
“I’m very excited about the possibility of joining the team.”
Meaning more than just “wildly happy,” excited describes all sorts of excessive emotions and not always the good ones. If you’re excited you might be agitated, nervous, anxious, or worked up about something.
“There’s no point getting excited about it. Relax, we can’t change things.”
Skip a little further out on the excited spectrum and you’re verging on a loss of control: You’re delirious, frantic, mad, or unrestrained. Less like a kid in a candy store than a kid on his tenth cup of espresso.
“Doctor, I’m so excited, guess I need to take something to help me calm down.”
OVEREXCITED means really wound up and hyper prone to overreaction and emotional outbursts; crazy, bonkers, etc.
“Calm down, don’t get overexcited.”
