Idioms are those quirky little phrases that make English so full of personality. They’re like secret codes that add flavor and emotion to what we say, helping us go beyond plain words and straight into vivid expression. When it comes to excitement, idioms become even more fun because they capture that rush of energy, joy, or anticipation in clever and colorful ways. Whether you’re jumping with joy, thrilled to bits, or just feeling the buzz of a fun moment, there’s probably an idiom to describe it.
Learning idioms can make your conversations more engaging and help you sound more natural and expressive. These phrases are used all the time in movies, books, and everyday chat, especially when something exciting happens. From moments of celebration to bursts of energy, idioms help paint a picture of our feelings and make stories more memorable.
In this article, you’ll explore 45 exciting idioms—each with a clear meaning, a sentence that shows it in action, and a few other ways to say the same thing. You’ll also find a quick activity at the end to help you practice and remember them. Let’s dive into the world of thrilling words and electrifying expressions!
Idioms for Excitement
1. Over the moon
Meaning: Extremely happy or thrilled.
In a Sentence: When I got the call that I passed the audition, I was absolutely over the moon.
Other Ways to Say: Ecstatic, On cloud nine
2. On cloud nine
Meaning: Feeling extremely joyful and elated.
In a Sentence: She was on cloud nine after hearing she’d won the art competition.
Other Ways to Say: In high spirits, Walking on air
3. Walking on air
Meaning: Feeling so happy it’s like floating.
In a Sentence: After the concert, I was walking on air the whole night—it was that amazing.
Other Ways to Say: Floating with happiness, Euphoric
4. Jump for joy
Meaning: To show extreme happiness by jumping up and down.
In a Sentence: He literally jumped for joy when his favorite team scored the final goal.
Other Ways to Say: Leap with happiness, Show excitement physically
5. Have butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous excitement.
In a Sentence: I had butterflies in my stomach right before going on stage to perform.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous excitement, Anxious thrill
6. Get a kick out of something
Meaning: To find something very exciting or enjoyable.
In a Sentence: I always get a kick out of going on rollercoasters—they’re so thrilling!
Other Ways to Say: Enjoy greatly, Have fun with
7. Thrilled to bits
Meaning: Extremely excited and pleased.
In a Sentence: My grandma was thrilled to bits when we surprised her with a birthday cake.
Other Ways to Say: Delighted, Very happy
8. Buzzing with excitement
Meaning: Full of excited energy.
In a Sentence: The whole classroom was buzzing with excitement on the day of the field trip.
Other Ways to Say: Energized, Thrilled
9. Beaming with joy
Meaning: To show happiness with a bright, smiling face.
In a Sentence: She was beaming with joy after hearing the good news about her scholarship.
Other Ways to Say: Radiating happiness, Glowing with joy
10. Have a blast
Meaning: To have an incredibly fun time.
In a Sentence: We had a blast at the amusement park and didn’t want the day to end.
Other Ways to Say: Have fun, Enjoy immensely
11. Pumped up
Meaning: Full of energy and ready to do something exciting.
In a Sentence: The team was pumped up before the big game—they couldn’t wait to play.
Other Ways to Say: Hyped, Energized
12. In seventh heaven
Meaning: In a state of extreme happiness.
In a Sentence: She was in seventh heaven when she got to meet her favorite actor in person.
Other Ways to Say: Overjoyed, On top of the world
13. Jump out of your skin
Meaning: To be startled or suddenly excited.
In a Sentence: I almost jumped out of my skin when the fireworks went off unexpectedly.
Other Ways to Say: Shocked with excitement, Surprised energetically
14. Grinning from ear to ear
Meaning: Smiling very widely because of happiness.
In a Sentence: He was grinning from ear to ear after being selected for the school play.
Other Ways to Say: Huge smile, Delighted
15. Ring with laughter
Meaning: A place filled with the sound of excited, joyful laughter.
In a Sentence: The room rang with laughter as everyone shared their funny stories.
Other Ways to Say: Full of fun, Loud laughter
16. Eyes light up
Meaning: A sign of sudden excitement or interest.
In a Sentence: His eyes lit up the moment he saw the surprise gift on the table.
Other Ways to Say: Spark with joy, Light up with excitement
17. Heart skips a beat
Meaning: A strong feeling of excitement or surprise.
In a Sentence: My heart skipped a beat when I saw the final score—we actually won!
Other Ways to Say: Sudden thrill, Surprised joy
18. Like a kid in a candy store
Meaning: Overwhelmed with excitement because of many good choices.
In a Sentence: At the tech expo, I felt like a kid in a candy store—so many cool gadgets!
Other Ways to Say: Overexcited, Enthusiastic
19. Can’t contain your excitement
Meaning: Feeling so excited it’s hard to stay calm.
In a Sentence: She couldn’t contain her excitement when she found out about the trip to Paris.
Other Ways to Say: Overflowing with excitement, About to burst with joy
20. Head over heels
Meaning: Deeply excited or infatuated, often used for love.
In a Sentence: He was head over heels excited to see his favorite band live.
Other Ways to Say: Totally into it, Completely thrilled
21. Giddy with excitement
Meaning: Feeling silly or light-headed because of happiness.
In a Sentence: I was giddy with excitement while getting ready for the big dance.
Other Ways to Say: Light-hearted joy, Cheerfully thrilled
22. Thrills and chills
Meaning: A mix of fear and excitement, often in a fun way.
In a Sentence: That haunted house gave me thrills and chills—I was screaming and laughing at the same time.
Other Ways to Say: Exciting fright, Fun fear
23. On the edge of your seat
Meaning: Very excited or nervous while waiting for something to happen.
In a Sentence: The final minutes of the game had me on the edge of my seat—it was so intense!
Other Ways to Say: Anxious anticipation, Totally absorbed
24. All fired up
Meaning: Filled with excitement or motivation.
In a Sentence: He was all fired up to start his new art project and couldn’t stop talking about it.
Other Ways to Say: Full of energy, Ready to go
25. A real page-turner
Meaning: Something so exciting you can’t stop reading or watching it.
In a Sentence: That mystery book was a real page-turner—I read it in one night.
Other Ways to Say: Gripping, Hard to put down
26. Electrified with joy
Meaning: A sudden and intense burst of happiness.
In a Sentence: The audience was electrified with joy when the magician made the elephant vanish.
Other Ways to Say: Shocked with delight, Instant happiness
27. Happy as a clam
Meaning: Completely happy and content.
In a Sentence: I was happy as a clam lying on the beach with my favorite book.
Other Ways to Say: Totally relaxed, Super cheerful
28. Light up like a Christmas tree
Meaning: To become visibly excited and happy.
In a Sentence: Her face lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the puppy.
Other Ways to Say: Visibly joyful, Bright with excitement
29. Like a dog with two tails
Meaning: Extremely excited and unable to hide it.
In a Sentence: He was like a dog with two tails when he found out he made the team.
Other Ways to Say: Overflowing with joy, Totally thrilled
30. Full of beans
Meaning: Energetic and lively, often due to excitement.
In a Sentence: The kids were full of beans before the party started—they couldn’t sit still!
Other Ways to Say: Bouncy, Hyperactive
31. Bouncing off the walls
Meaning: Overexcited and restless.
In a Sentence: After the birthday cake and candy, they were bouncing off the walls!
Other Ways to Say: Super energetic, Wildly excited
32. Buzz in the air
Meaning: A feeling of excitement shared by many people in a place.
In a Sentence: There was a buzz in the air before the big announcement—it felt electric.
Other Ways to Say: Excitement all around, Thrilling vibe
33. Swept off your feet
Meaning: To be suddenly overwhelmed with excitement or love.
In a Sentence: I was swept off my feet by the amazing performance—it gave me goosebumps.
Other Ways to Say: Blown away, Amazed
34. Pop the champagne
Meaning: To celebrate something exciting.
In a Sentence: We popped the champagne when the website finally launched successfully.
Other Ways to Say: Celebrate, Throw a party
35. Be in high spirits
Meaning: Feeling very cheerful and enthusiastic.
In a Sentence: Despite the rain, everyone at the picnic was in high spirits.
Other Ways to Say: Very happy, Full of cheer
36. Dance with joy
Meaning: To feel so happy that you want to dance.
In a Sentence: She danced with joy when she opened the acceptance letter.
Other Ways to Say: Rejoice, Move with excitement
37. A heart full of joy
Meaning: Feeling deeply happy and fulfilled.
In a Sentence: As he watched his daughter perform, his heart was full of joy.
Other Ways to Say: Deep happiness, Overflowing with emotion
38. Tickle pink
Meaning: To be very pleased or delighted.
In a Sentence: I was tickled pink by the surprise visit from my cousins.
Other Ways to Say: Very amused, Delighted
39. Jump at the chance
Meaning: To eagerly accept an exciting opportunity.
In a Sentence: When they offered me the internship, I jumped at the chance.
Other Ways to Say: Grab the opportunity, Say yes with enthusiasm
40. Burst with joy
Meaning: To feel so joyful it’s hard to keep it inside.
In a Sentence: He burst with joy when he saw the final grade—he passed with flying colors!
Other Ways to Say: Overflow with happiness, Too happy to hide
41. Roar with laughter
Meaning: To laugh loudly due to excitement or amusement.
In a Sentence: The whole room roared with laughter at the comedian’s jokes.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh out loud, Belly laugh
42. High on life
Meaning: Feeling extremely happy for no specific reason.
In a Sentence: She seemed high on life after finishing her final exams.
Other Ways to Say: Joyful for no reason, Naturally excited
43. All smiles
Meaning: Smiling constantly because of happiness or excitement.
In a Sentence: He was all smiles after receiving the award.
Other Ways to Say: Smiling a lot, Radiantly happy
44. Crack up
Meaning: To laugh suddenly and loudly.
In a Sentence: I cracked up when he told me the prank story—it was hilarious.
Other Ways to Say: Burst out laughing, Lose control laughing
45. Can’t wait
Meaning: Feeling very excited about something in the future.
In a Sentence: I can’t wait for summer break—it’s going to be amazing.
Other Ways to Say: Super excited, Looking forward to it
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- When she heard she won the art contest, she was on _______ nine.
- The kids were bouncing off the _______ after the sugar rush.
- I jumped at the _______ to attend the music camp.
- After hearing the great news, I was all _______.
- We had a _______ at the beach—it was the best day ever!
- His face lit up like a _______ tree when he saw the surprise.
- Everyone was buzzing with _______ before the play started.
- The book was a real page-_______—I couldn’t put it down.
- My heart skipped a _______ when I saw the final test score.
- She danced with _______ when she got the lead role.
- I had _______ in my stomach before the performance.
- He was _______ up before the big game started.
Answers:
cloud, walls, chance, smiles, blast, Christmas, excitement, turner, beat, joy, butterflies, pumped
Conclusion
Excitement is one of the most fun emotions to express—and idioms give us amazing ways to show it. Whether you’re bursting with joy, floating on air, or just can’t wait for something thrilling, idioms make those feelings come alive with energy and color.
Keep practicing these idioms, use them in conversations, and look for them in books, shows, and songs. The more you hear and use them, the more naturally they’ll become part of how you communicate. Let your language light up like a Christmas tree—and never stop finding joy in words!
