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Exciting vs. Excited — What's the Difference?

Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 25, 2024
Exciting describes something that causes excitement, a quality or condition, while excited refers to the feeling or state of being excited, often experienced by a person.
Exciting vs. Excited — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Exciting and Excited

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Key Differences

Exciting and excited, though closely related, differ primarily in their grammatical roles and the perspectives they represent. Exciting is an adjective that describes something that has the ability to arouse excitement, such as an event, idea, or situation deemed stimulating or thrilling. On the other hand, excited is also an adjective, but it describes the emotional state of a person or group of people who are feeling excitement. This word captures the internal sensations and reactions, such as heightened energy, enthusiasm, or eagerness, often in response to something perceived as exciting.
For example, a roller coaster can be described as exciting because of its fast speeds and thrilling loops designed to provoke excitement. Conversely, a person waiting in line for the roller coaster might feel excited, filled with anticipation and eagerness for the experience. The distinction lies in the focus: "exciting" places emphasis on the external stimulus capable of generating excitement, while "excited" focuses on the internal experience or reaction to that stimulus.
In terms of usage, exciting is often applied to describe the potential of activities, events, or objects to elicit positive emotional responses. It speaks to the qualities that make something appealing or stimulating. Excited, however, is used to express the personal experience of excitement, reflecting how individuals or groups feel about an impending or ongoing situation. The excitement can be due to various stimuli, including upcoming events, new experiences, or favorable news.
While both terms share the root concept of excitement, recognizing their distinct uses enhances clarity in communication. Describing something as exciting asserts its general capacity to stir interest or enthusiasm, making it an attribute of the thing itself. In contrast, declaring someone to be excited acknowledges their personal emotional state, offering insight into their feelings and reactions.
Despite their differences, both exciting and excited contribute to the dynamic way in which we discuss and experience emotions, particularly the positive anticipation and arousal associated with engaging experiences and prospects. They are complementary, with the presence of something exciting often being the precursor to the feeling of being excited.
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Comparison Chart

Description

Describes something causing excitement
Describes the feeling of being excited

Focus

External stimulus
Internal emotional state

Usage

Applied to events, ideas, objects
Applied to persons or groups

Example

An exciting movie
The audience was excited

Grammatical Role

Adjective (descriptive)
Adjective (descriptive)

Compare with Definitions

Exciting

Capable of arousing excitement.
The upcoming space mission is an exciting development.

Excited

Feeling or showing excitement.
She was excited about her first day at the new job.

Exciting

Provoking enthusiasm or eagerness.
The idea of traveling the world is exciting to many.

Excited

Enthusiastic about an upcoming event.
He’s excited to meet his favorite author at the book signing.

Exciting

Invoking a sense of anticipation.
The announcement of the new product line was exciting.

Excited

Exhibiting heightened energy or enthusiasm.
The children were visibly excited for the school trip.

Exciting

Stimulating or thrilling.
They found the discovery of ancient artifacts exciting.

Excited

Eagerly anticipating.
Fans were excited for the release of the new album.

Exciting

Full of action or suspense.
The match turned out to be more exciting than anticipated.

Excited

Emotionally stirred up.
The crowd was excited by the speaker’s words.

Exciting

Creating or producing excitement
An exciting adventure story.

Excited

Having great enthusiasm.
He was very excited about his promotion.

Exciting

Present participle of excite

Excited

Being in a state of excitement; emotionally aroused; stirred.

Exciting

Creating or producing excitement

Excited

(Physics) Being at an energy level higher than the ground state.

Exciting

The process of something becoming excited; excitation.

Excited

(physics) Being in a state of higher energy.
The excited electrons give off light when they drop to a lower energy state.

Exciting

Calling or rousing into action; producing excitement; as, exciting events; an exciting story.

Excited

Having an erection; erect.

Exciting

Creating or arousing excitement;
An exciting account of her trip

Excited

Past participle of excite

Exciting

Stimulating interest and discussion;
An exciting novel

Excited

In an aroused state

Excited

Of persons; excessively affected by emotion;
He would become emotional over nothing at all
She was worked up about all the noise

Excited

Marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion;
A crowd of delirious baseball fans
Something frantic in their gaiety
A mad whirl of pleasure

Excited

Of e.g. a molecule; made reactive or more reactive

Common Curiosities

How do I know whether to use exciting or excited?

Use exciting to describe the qualities of something that causes excitement and excited to describe how someone feels about it.

What is the main difference between exciting and excited?

Exciting describes something that stimulates excitement, while excited refers to the emotional state of being excited.

Is it correct to say a movie is excited?

No, a movie would be described as exciting because it has the quality to arouse excitement in viewers.

Can animals be described as excited?

Yes, animals can be described as excited when they show signs of heightened energy or eagerness in response to stimuli.

Can an object be described as excited?

Typically, no. "Excited" is used to describe the feelings of living beings, not objects.

Can a situation be both exciting and excited?

A situation can be exciting, but "excited" would describe the people involved in or reacting to the situation.

Can the term excited be used in a negative context?

While less common, excited can be used in contexts where the arousal is due to nervousness or fear, as long as there is a strong emotional stimulus.

Is there a noun form for both exciting and excited?

Yes, "excitement" is the noun form, referring to the state or condition of being excited or the quality of being exciting.

Do exciting and excited only apply to positive experiences?

Primarily, yes, but context can extend their use to situations with mixed or intense emotions, including anticipation or nervous energy.

How can businesses use the understanding of exciting vs. excited?

Businesses can create exciting products or experiences to elicit excited responses from their customers, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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