Adjective > Effervescent
Inside the word effervescent, you can almost see the Latin fervescere, “beginning to boil,” and inside that, fervere, “to boil, to glow, or to be hot.”
Fervere also gave us the words fervor, ferment, and fer___cy, meaning “an intense feeling of eagerness or enthusiasm.” Can you recall that one?
definition:
Our word “effervescent” has Latin roots that literally mean “beginning to boil out.”
Effervescent people and things are bubbly, meaning they either literally give off bubbles–or they’re full of energy, excitement, and happiness.
Part of speech:
Adjective: “her effervescent personality,” “his praise was effervescent.”
Other forms:
Effervescently, effervescence.
The verb is “effervesce,” and it’s the intransitive kind: “She effervesced;” “He effervesces with pride;” “He effervesced about his favorite game;” “Bluegrass music effervesces with harmonies.”
how to use it:
When the word “bubbly” is a little too casual, pick the more formal, sophisticated word “effervescent.”
The tone is very positive.
And it’s a semi-common word, so most everyone understands it. If you need a rarer, more emphatic word, pick “ebullient” instead, which means the exact same thing.
You might be literal and talk about effervescent food or beverages. Here’s the Washington Post: “Töst, a dry, effervescent drink made of white tea, cranberry and ginger.”
But most of the time, you’ll use this word figuratively. Talk about effervescent people and personalities; effervescent outlooks and points of view; effervescent songs, stories, and music; effervescent humor and excitement, etc.
Or, say that someone is effervescent with something: “She’s effervescent with energy;” “He’s effervescent with the joy of first love.”
examples:
“Her laugh is so easy and contagious. She is effervescent and finds joy in the smallest places.”
— Cheryle St. Onge, New York Times, 25 June 2020
“Forbes was in a champagne humor; his soul seemed to be effervescent with little bubbles of joy.”
— Rupert Hughes, What Will People Say?, 1914