Searching for an excited synonym usually means you want to sound more precise about a good feeling. Thrilled and elated describe joy, eager and keen describe looking forward, enthusiastic adds energy and commitment, and pumped or stoked are what you would text a friend.
Excited can also mean agitated, as in a crowd that gets too excited, and that sense needs different words. This page splits the options by feeling and setting, gives you a mild to strong scale, and has a section on job applications, where "I am excited to" appears in almost every letter. For the noun, visit excitement synonyms.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
thrilled, eager, enthusiastic, delighted, elatedPart of speech
Adjective (past participle of excite)Most formal
enthusiastic, eager, delightedMost casual
pumped, stoked, psyched, hypedStrongest
ecstatic, overjoyed, over the moonAntonyms
bored, indifferent, uninterestedWatch out
Excited describes how you feel; exciting describes the thing that causes it.
Excited synonym groups: joy, anticipation and more
| Feeling | Words | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Pure happiness | thrilled, delighted, elated, overjoyed | We were overjoyed at the news. |
| Waiting for something good | eager, keen, raring to go | The kids are raring to go. |
| Energy and commitment | enthusiastic, fired up | The new volunteers are enthusiastic. |
| Lively behavior | animated, bubbly, high-spirited | She got animated talking about the trip. |
| Too worked up | agitated, wound up, hyper | The puppy gets hyper around guests. |
Interested to ecstatic: the strength scale
The chips rise from a mild pull to full joy. Interested is calm curiosity. Keen shows you want it. Eager adds impatience. Thrilled is a strong rush of happiness, and ecstatic is close to the top, almost too happy to sit still.
Choosing the right step shows emotional honesty. If a friend lands a dream job, thrilled fits. If a colleague mentions a new printer, interested is plenty.
Excited in cover letters and work emails
Hiring managers read "I am excited to apply" many times a day. Swaps that still sound warm: I am eager to, I would welcome the chance to, I am keen to (more British), and I am enthusiastic about.
A cover letter opening: "I am so excited about this role." Revised: "I am eager to bring my event planning experience to your team." The second version swaps a feeling for a reason, which is what the reader wants.
In team updates, delighted works for news ("I am delighted to announce"), and looking forward to fits a meeting or project start. Job letter phrases are collected under resume and work words.
Casual ways to say excited
With friends, another word for excited often comes from slang. Pumped and fired up fit sports and big events. Stoked started in surf talk and is common in casual American and Australian speech. Psyched and hyped are relaxed and youthful. Buzzing is popular in British English.
- So excited for the concert becomes so hyped for the concert.
- I am excited about the trip becomes I am stoked about the trip.
- The team is excited for the final becomes the team is fired up for the final.
Excited or exciting, and the prepositions
People feel excited; things are exciting. "The game was exciting and I was excited" is correct. For the thing side, see exciting synonyms.
Prepositions vary by word. You are excited about or for an event, and excited to do something. You are eager for news, keen on an idea (British), thrilled with a gift, and delighted by or with a surprise.
Words that change the feeling
Nervous and anxious share the racing heart but add worry, so they are not true swaps. "Anxious to start" in the sense of eager is common but can read as stressed. Agitated is unpleasant restlessness. Hysterical means out of control. Aroused has a sexual meaning in most modern use, so avoid it here.
Mixed feelings are real. If you are excited and scared before a move, say exactly that, or try nervous with a softer word like jittery.
Opposite of excited
The quiet opposites are calm and indifferent. Bored, uninterested and unenthusiastic suggest a lack of interest, and apathetic means not caring at all. If you are looking ahead with fear rather than joy, dreading it is the word.
- He seemed indifferent to the results.
- I am dreading the dentist on Monday.
Explore more emotion words on the words for feelings hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which words feel stronger than excited?
Thrilled, elated and ecstatic are stronger. Over the moon and on cloud nine are strong and a little playful.
How do I say excited in a cover letter?
Write eager to, keen to or I would welcome the chance to. Follow it with a skill or reason so the feeling has substance.
Is eager the same as excited?
Close. Eager focuses on wanting something to happen soon, while excited focuses on the feeling itself. Eager sounds more professional.
Which slang words mean excited?
Pumped, stoked, psyched, hyped and buzzing are common. They suit texts and social posts, not formal writing.
Is bored the opposite of excited?
Yes, bored and uninterested are the usual antonyms. Calm is a neutral opposite, and dreading fits fear about something coming up.
Should I say excited for or excited about?
Both are fine for events: excited for the weekend, excited about the weekend. Use excited to before a verb: excited to meet you.