- Today's Word
Elated
[ee-LAY-ted]
Definition
- (adjective) A a state of extreme happiness, joy, or pride; feeling on top of the world. It refers to an intense feeling of high spirits and exhilaration, often resulting from a success or particularly positive event.
Example
The young artist was elated when she sold her first painting at the gallery, dancing around her studio with pure joy.
Fun Fact
“Elated” comes from the Latin “elatus,” meaning “raised, uplifted, exalted,” which is the past participle of “efferre,” combining “e-” (meaning “out”) and “ferre” (meaning “to carry”). The word’s etymology reflects the common metaphorical association between physical height and positive emotions – when we’re happy, we feel “lifted up” or “on cloud nine.” In medieval times, the concept of elation was actually considered potentially dangerous by some religious authorities, who warned that excessive earthly joy could lead to pride, one of the seven deadly sins. The word gained particular significance during the Romantic period of the late 18th century, when poets and writers began exploring and celebrating intense emotional states. Interestingly, in early psychology, “elation” was studied as part of bipolar disorder research, helping establish the understanding of mood cycles. Today, neuroscientists study elation as a distinct emotional state associated with specific brain chemistry, particularly the release of dopamine and endorphins.
(adjective) Obviously planned or forced rather than arising naturally; lacking authenticity or spontaneity.
The film’s ending felt contrived — a sudden reconciliation between characters who had spent two hours proving they could never forgive each other.
Contrived comes from the verb contrive, rooted in the Old French controver, meaning “to imagine” or “to find out,” itself from the Latin contropare — “to compare” or “to devise.” It entered English in the 14th century originally meaning simply to plan or devise something cleverly. Over time the word acquired its current negative undertone, shifting from neutral ingenuity toward the suggestion of something manipulated or artificially engineered to produce a desired effect.