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Today it means

exuberant

full of energy and excitement

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Where does the word "exuberant" come from? It comes from Latin exuberans, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

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Where does the word "exuberant" come from? It comes from Latin exuberans, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Exuberant’s story begins in Latin: exuberans meant “overflowing.” Present participle of 'exuberare', to be fruitful: 'ex-' plus 'uber', udder. It reached English by 1500s as exuberant. First used of lush plant growth. Today, exuberant means full of energy and excitement.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient exuberans "overflowing", present participle of 'exuberare', to be fruitful: 'ex-' plus 'uber', udder.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s exuberant "abundant", first used of lush plant growth.

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