“Excited” Synonym Guide — Definition, Antonyms & Examples

Thrilled, enthusiastic, and exhilarated – these are terms synonymous with the word‘excited.’ Writing can be boring when you use the same word repeatedly, but what’s the bother when you can easily substitute one word for another?

This article provides some synonym for excited to help give your writing some diversity.

The Definition of Excited

The word ‘excited’ is an English adjective. It is from excite +‎ -ed. Excite is from Middle English exciten, Old French exciter, Latin excitare (“call out, call forth, arouse, wake up, stimulate”), and exciere (“call out, arouse”), from ex (“out”) + ciere (“call, summon”).

The word ‘excited’ describes the state of showing or feeling a heightened energy level. It also represents a feeling of enthusiasm and eagerness.

Sentence Examples

• My brother was excited about his promotion.
• My birthday is tomorrow, and I’m excited.
• The crowd excitedly cheered the singer as he walked to the stage.
• I’m excited to be part of the team.
• My siblings are excited about the holidays.

Synonym for Excited — Exploring words with Similar Meanings

1. Enthusiastic

Enthusiastic is from Greek enthousiastikos, from enthous ‘possessed by a god.’ It denotes a person believing that they are divinely inspired. The term ‘enthusiastic’ describes a state of excitement; with zealous fervor.

• Deborah was enthusiastic about the competition.
• I’ve never seen a more enthusiastic student like Jude.

2. Thrilled

Thrilled is from ‘thrill’ + ‘ed.’ Thrill originated from Old English þȳrlian (“to pierce”), derived from þȳrel (“hole”) (archaic English thirl). Thrilled describes a feeling of being extremely pleased and excited.

• Jacinta was thrilled by her husband’s performance on stage.
• The dancers thrilled the guestS with some new dance steps.

3. Exhilarated

The word is from exhilarate + d. Exhilarate is from Latin exhilarat- ‘made cheerful,’ from the verb exhilarare, from ex- (expressing inducement of a state) + hilaris ‘cheerful.’ Exhilarated is the state of being very happy, excited, or joyful.

• We felt exhilarated by walking around the beach.
• Mary’s new job exhilarated her.

4. Enlivened

The word is from en- “make, put in” + live + –ned, meaning “make lively or cheerful.” To enliven is to give life or spirit to; to revive something or someone. Enlivened is the past participle of the word ‘enliven.’

• The music enlivened Daniel so much that he forgot he had been crying.
• The melodious voice of the singers enlivened the guests.

5. Elevated

Elevated is from elevate + d.Elevate originates from the Latin word elevatus, past participle of elevare (“to raise, lift up”), from e (“out”) + levare (“to make light, to lift”). To be elevated is to be in a cheerful mood; be raised to a higher level.

• Maria was elevated when she found out she was pregnant.
• The news of Julie’s success is the exams elevated her parents.

Other words related to excited are: spirited, lively, eager, stimulated, pleased, arouse, stirred, electrified, and exuberant.

Antonyms for Excited — Exploring Words with Opposite Meanings

1. Apathetic

The word ‘apathetic’ is from apathy +‎ -etic. Apathy is derived from French apathie, Latin apathia and Greek apatheia “freedom from suffering, impassibility, want of sensation.” Being apathetic means being void of feeling and not susceptible to deep emotion.

• Henry couldn’t graduate with his mates because he was apathetic about taking tests and exams.
• I noticed you’ve been so apathetic and depressed; is anything the matter?

2. Disinterested

The word is a past participle of the rare verb disinterest ‘rid of interest or concern,’ from dis- (expressing removal) + interest. ‘Disinterested’ means having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial; lacking interest. 

• Jerry was disinterested in the party.
• I was disinterested in the class; all I needed was a break.

3. Indifferent

The word ‘indifferent’ is from Old French ‘indifferent’ (‘having no partiality for or against) and Latin indifferens. Indifferent means showing no concern or interest.

• Patrick sounded indifferent about the promotion since he was planning to quit.
• I’m indifferent about the postponement of the exam.

To Wrap Up

Learning new vocabulary and exploring terms that help you better communicate and express yourself is always exciting. Synonym for excited include enthusiastic, thrilled, and exhilarated. And the antonyms? Popular ones are apathetic, disinterested, and indifferent. Now you know some new words and how to use them in writing!