Ebullient — A Vocabulary Story
The Floating Market
Lan gripped the wooden edge of the longboat as it nosed into the floating market on the Mekong Delta. Around her, traders in conical hats steered narrow vessels stacked with pineapples, dragon fruit, and coils of rice noodles. The morning air smelled of ginger and river water.
Her friend Francisco, visiting from a neighbouring village, was utterly ebullient. He pointed at everything, laughing, calling out questions in mismatched Portuguese and English.
Ebullient means cheerful and full of energy. It also means overflowing with enthusiasm or excitement.
"Slow down," Lan whispered. "You'll tip us in."
"But look!" His ebullient grin stretched wider as a woman tossed him a rambutan. He caught it, beaming.
Their guide, a wiry boatwoman named Sonia, chuckled at his ebullient chatter. "Your cousin has enough energy for the whole river," she told Lan.
They drifted past a vendor frying banana fritters. Francisco bought two, handing one to Lan with an ebullient flourish, as though presenting a royal gift. The batter crackled, sweet and warm.
Then the current shifted. Their boat knocked against a barge of watermelons, and one rolled loose, plopping into the brown water. Francisco's ebullient face fell into pure horror.
"Quick!" Lan shouted, leaning out with the paddle. Together they nudged the melon back. The barge owner clapped, and Francisco's ebullient laughter returned, louder than before, echoing across the water until even the quietest traders looked up and smiled.
Word Definition
ebullient
meaning
cheerful and full of energy; overflowing with enthusiasm or excitement
synonyms
brash · chipper · effervescent · elated · exuberant
antonyms
depressed · indolent · sluggish
example sentence
She sounded ebullient and happy after the good news.