excited

Excited is an adjective describing a state of heightened emotional or physiological arousal, often accompanied by enthusiasm or agitation. It is commonly used to indicate anticipation or eagerness, as in I am excited about the game or the crowd was excited by the speech. The term derives from the verb excite and can function as a past participle, as in the students were excited by the demonstration. In everyday use, intensity varies and can range from mild interest to strong exhilaration. It is distinct from related terms such as thrilled or energized, though overlaps occur depending on context.

Etymology and usage: from Latin excitare 'to rouse, wake up,' via Old French exciter into English; the root ex- 'out' and citare 'to set in motion.'

Scientific sense: in physics and chemistry, excited describes an atom or molecule in a higher energy state than its ground state. This occurs after absorption of energy, such as a photon or heat. An excited entity often returns to lower energy by emitting light or other energy, creating fluorescence or phosphorescence. In quantum theory, the distribution of excited states and their lifetimes underpin spectroscopy and the operation of lasers. The term 'excitation' denotes the process that produces the excited state, and 'de-excitation' or 'relaxation' refers to the return to the ground state.

Usage notes: protect against misinterpretation with 'exited'—a common misspelling meaning 'left a place.' The word 'excitable' can describe a tendency to become excited, while 'excitation' is the noun form for the process or energy input.

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