Idioms are vibrant, expressive phrases that add a spark to our language, transforming ordinary conversations into something lively and engaging. These colorful expressions often carry meanings that go beyond their literal words, making them perfect for capturing the thrill and energy of excitement. For anyone looking to spice up their communication, idioms for excitement are a fantastic way to convey enthusiasm, joy, and anticipation in creative ways. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or simply someone who loves language, these phrases can make your speech more dynamic and relatable. In this blog post, we’ll explore 50 idioms that embody the feeling of excitement, complete with their meanings, example sentences, and alternative ways to express them. Plus, we’ve included a fun exercise to help you practice these idioms and make them a natural part of your vocabulary. Let’s jump into the exhilarating world of idioms for excitement!
Idioms for Excitement
1. Over the moon
Meaning: To be extremely happy or thrilled.
In a Sentence: When she found out she got accepted into her dream university, she was absolutely over the moon with joy.
Other Ways to Say: Ecstatic, Thrilled to bits
2. On cloud nine
Meaning: Feeling extreme happiness or bliss.
In a Sentence: After winning the championship game with a last-second goal, the entire team was on cloud nine for days.
Other Ways to Say: Overjoyed, In seventh heaven
3. Jump for joy
Meaning: To be so excited that you can’t contain your happiness.
In a Sentence: When her best friend surprised her with concert tickets, she couldn’t help but jump for joy in the middle of the room.
Other Ways to Say: Dance with delight, Be over the top
4. Thrilled to bits
Meaning: Extremely excited or delighted.
In a Sentence: He was thrilled to bits when he received an unexpected invitation to the exclusive movie premiere.
Other Ways to Say: Super excited, Absolutely delighted
5. Pumped up
Meaning: Feeling energized and eager to do something.
In a Sentence: The crowd was so pumped up before the concert that they started chanting the band’s name an hour early.
Other Ways to Say: Fired up, Raring to go
6. Bursting with excitement
Meaning: So excited that you can hardly contain it.
In a Sentence: As the day of her big trip to Paris approached, she was bursting with excitement and couldn’t stop talking about it.
Other Ways to Say: Bubbling over, Full of enthusiasm
7. Walking on air
Meaning: Feeling light and happy due to excitement.
In a Sentence: After getting a perfect score on his final exam, he felt like he was walking on air for the rest of the day.
Other Ways to Say: Floating on cloud nine, Elated
8. Like a kid in a candy store
Meaning: Extremely excited and eager, like a child in a fun environment.
In a Sentence: When she walked into the massive bookstore, she felt like a kid in a candy store, eager to explore every aisle.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed with joy, In paradise
9. On top of the world
Meaning: Feeling incredibly happy and successful.
In a Sentence: After landing her dream job as a graphic designer, she felt like she was on top of the world for weeks.
Other Ways to Say: Sky-high, Unbeatable
10. Buzzing with excitement
Meaning: Feeling full of energy and enthusiasm.
In a Sentence: The fans were buzzing with excitement as they waited for their favorite singer to take the stage.
Other Ways to Say: Vibrating with energy, Hyped up
11. In seventh heaven
Meaning: Experiencing pure joy and happiness.
In a Sentence: When he proposed to her under the starry sky, she was in seventh heaven and couldn’t stop smiling.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Blissed out
12. Fired up
Meaning: Extremely enthusiastic and ready for action.
In a Sentence: The team was fired up after the coach’s inspiring speech and ready to dominate the game.
Other Ways to Say: Pumped, Revved up
13. Raring to go
Meaning: Eager and ready to start something.
In a Sentence: After months of training, she was raring to go for her first marathon race.
Other Ways to Say: Eager beaver, Ready to roll
14. On pins and needles
Meaning: Nervously excited or anxious about something.
In a Sentence: Waiting for the college admission results had her on pins and needles for weeks.
Other Ways to Say: On edge, Anxiously excited
15. Chomping at the bit
Meaning: Extremely eager to do something.
In a Sentence: The kids were chomping at the bit to open their presents on Christmas morning.
Other Ways to Say: Itching to start, Can’t wait
16. Like a dog with two tails
Meaning: Extremely happy and excited.
In a Sentence: When he found out he won the science fair, he was like a dog with two tails, grinning from ear to ear.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Thrilled
17. Get a kick out of
Meaning: To find something exciting or enjoyable.
In a Sentence: She gets a real kick out of riding roller coasters at the amusement park every summer.
Other Ways to Say: Love it, Find it thrilling
18. All worked up
Meaning: Extremely excited or agitated about something.
In a Sentence: The fans were all worked up when their team scored the winning goal in overtime.
Other Ways to Say: Hyped, Amped up
19. Have butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: To feel nervous excitement.
In a Sentence: Before her big performance, she had butterflies in her stomach but still nailed the show.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous jitters, Excited anticipation
20. Tickled pink
Meaning: Very pleased or excited.
In a Sentence: She was tickled pink when her friends threw her a surprise birthday party.
Other Ways to Say: Delighted, Overjoyed
21. In a tizzy
Meaning: In a state of nervous excitement or agitation.
In a Sentence: She was in a tizzy trying to get everything ready for the school talent show.
Other Ways to Say: All flustered, Worked up
22. Like a cat on a hot tin roof
Meaning: Restless or jumpy due to excitement or nervousness.
In a Sentence: Waiting for the audition results had him acting like a cat on a hot tin roof all day.
Other Ways to Say: Jumpy, On edge
23. On the edge of your seat
Meaning: Extremely excited or eager to know what happens next.
In a Sentence: The thrilling movie kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very last scene.
Other Ways to Say: Gripped, Totally absorbed
24. Sky’s the limit
Meaning: No limits to what you can achieve when excited or motivated.
In a Sentence: With her new promotion, she felt like the sky’s the limit for her career.
Other Ways to Say: Anything’s possible, No boundaries
25. Heart skips a beat
Meaning: To feel a sudden rush of excitement or nervousness.
In a Sentence: Every time he saw his crush walk by, his heart skipped a beat with excitement.
Other Ways to Say: Pulse races, Get a thrill
26. Bursting at the seams
Meaning: Overwhelmed with excitement or energy.
In a Sentence: The stadium was bursting at the seams with fans cheering for their team.
Other Ways to Say: Overflowing with excitement, Full to the brim
27. Get your hopes up
Meaning: To become excited about something you hope will happen.
In a Sentence: Don’t get your hopes up too much, but we might get front-row seats to the concert.
Other Ways to Say: Get excited, Anticipate eagerly
28. In a frenzy
Meaning: In a state of wild excitement or activity.
In a Sentence: The crowd went into a frenzy when the band played their hit song.
Other Ways to Say: Wild with excitement, In a whirl
29. Can’t sit still
Meaning: Too excited to stay calm or still.
In a Sentence: She couldn’t sit still while waiting for her favorite author’s book signing event.
Other Ways to Say: Fidgety, Restless with excitement
30. High as a kite
Meaning: Extremely excited or euphoric.
In a Sentence: After acing his driving test, he was high as a kite and couldn’t stop smiling.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Elated
31. Light up like a Christmas tree
Meaning: To show visible excitement or happiness.
In a Sentence: Her face lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw her new puppy.
Other Ways to Say: Beam with joy, Glow with excitement
32. On a high
Meaning: Feeling exhilarated or euphoric.
In a Sentence: After finishing the race, the runners were on a high from their achievement.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling great, Riding a wave
33. Swept off your feet
Meaning: Overwhelmed with excitement or emotion.
In a Sentence: She was swept off her feet when her favorite singer dedicated a song to her.
Other Ways to Say: Blown away, Overcome with joy
34. In a whirl
Meaning: In a state of excited confusion or activity.
In a Sentence: Planning the school prom had her in a whirl of excitement and stress.
Other Ways to Say: In a tizzy, Caught up in the moment
35. Giddy with excitement
Meaning: Feeling dizzy or lightheaded from excitement.
In a Sentence: She was giddy with excitement when she got her acceptance letter to the art school.
Other Ways to Say: Dizzy with joy, Over the top
36. Have a blast
Meaning: To have a great time or enjoy something immensely.
In a Sentence: We had a blast at the amusement park, riding every roller coaster twice.
Other Ways to Say: Have a great time, Enjoy to the fullest
37. Beside yourself
Meaning: Overcome with excitement or emotion.
In a Sentence: He was beside himself with joy when his team won the national championship.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, Out of your mind with excitement
38. Get carried away
Meaning: To become overly excited or enthusiastic.
In a Sentence: She got carried away cheering for her team and lost her voice by the end of the game.
Other Ways to Say: Go overboard, Lose control
39. In high spirits
Meaning: Feeling cheerful and excited.
In a Sentence: The group was in high spirits after their successful charity event raised thousands of dollars.
Other Ways to Say: Upbeat, Full of energy
40. Sparkle with excitement
Meaning: To show visible enthusiasm or joy.
In a Sentence: Her eyes sparkled with excitement when she saw the fireworks display.
Other Ways to Say: Glow with joy, Radiate enthusiasm
41. Over the top
Meaning: Extremely enthusiastic or exaggerated in excitement.
In a Sentence: His reaction to winning the raffle was completely over the top, with shouting and dancing.
Other Ways to Say: Exaggerated, Wildly excited
42. Full of beans
Meaning: Full of energy and excitement.
In a Sentence: The kids were full of beans after hearing about the surprise field trip to the zoo.
Other Ways to Say: Lively, Bursting with energy
43. Wired with excitement
Meaning: Extremely energized and eager.
In a Sentence: The team was wired with excitement before the big championship match.
Other Ways to Say: Amped up, Hyped
44. On a roll
Meaning: Experiencing a streak of success or excitement.
In a Sentence: After scoring three goals in a row, he was on a roll and felt unstoppable.
Other Ways to Say: On a streak, Riding high
45. Heart in your mouth
Meaning: Feeling intense excitement or nervousness.
In a Sentence: As the roller coaster climbed the steep track, she had her heart in her mouth.
Other Ways to Say: Pulse-pounding, On edge
46. In the zone
Meaning: Completely focused and excited about what you’re doing.
In a Sentence: During the dance competition, she was in the zone and nailed every move.
Other Ways to Say: Locked in, Totally focused
47. Riding high
Meaning: Feeling successful and excited.
In a Sentence: After getting promoted, he was riding high and full of confidence.
Other Ways to Say: On a high, Feeling great
48. All jazzed up
Meaning: Excited and full of enthusiasm.
In a Sentence: She was all jazzed up about her new role in the school play.
Other Ways to Say: Pumped, Super excited
49. Bounce off the walls
Meaning: To be extremely energetic and excited.
In a Sentence: The kids were bouncing off the walls after eating too much candy at the party.
Other Ways to Say: Hyper, Full of energy
50. Kick up your heels
Meaning: To celebrate or enjoy yourself with excitement.
In a Sentence: After finishing exams, the students kicked up their heels at the school dance.
Other Ways to Say: Let loose, Have a blast
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- When she heard she won the art contest, she was absolutely _______ the moon with happiness.
- The team was _______ up before the big game, ready to give it their all.
- Waiting for the concert tickets to go on sale had her on _______ and needles.
- He was like a _______ in a candy store when he saw the new video game store.
- After getting the lead role in the play, she was _______ with excitement and couldn’t stop talking about it.
- The crowd was _______ with excitement when the fireworks started.
- She felt like she was _______ on air after getting a perfect score on her project.
- Winning the debate competition made him feel like he was on _______ of the world.
- The kids were _______ at the bit to start the treasure hunt at the party.
- Her eyes _______ with excitement when she opened her birthday presents.
- He was _______ high after scoring the winning goal in the soccer match.
- Planning the school festival had everyone in a _______ of excitement.
Answers:
over, pumped, pins, kid, bursting, buzzing, walking, top, chomping, sparkled, riding, whirl
Conclusion
Idioms for excitement are a fantastic way to add energy and flair to your conversations. These expressive phrases capture the thrill, joy, and anticipation of exciting moments, making your speech more vivid and engaging. By incorporating these idioms into your daily interactions—at school, with friends, or at work—you’ll not only sound more dynamic but also connect with others in a fun and relatable way. Practice using these idioms in real-life situations, and they’ll soon become second nature. Keep exploring the world of idioms to make your language as exciting as the moments you’re describing!