[Grammar] Exuberate-Proper usage in a sentence.

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melaniemedel

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I have a question on the proper usage of the word exuberate in a sentence. When explaining to a friend why I do not date men that act a certain way, I said "I exuberate enough of that myself." He then proceeded to tell me 1) exuberate was not a word to which I immediately pulled out a dictionary and 2) I did not use the word properly in a sentence. If anyone could shed some light as to whether or not I used this word properly in a sentence I would appreciate it.
 

emsr2d2

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What do you understand the definition of "to exuberate" to be?
 

Gillnetter

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I have a question on the proper usage of the word exuberate in a sentence. When explaining to a friend why I do not date men that act a certain way, I said "I exuberate enough of that myself." He then proceeded to tell me 1) exuberate was not a word to which I immediately pulled out a dictionary and 2) I did not use the word properly in a sentence. If anyone could shed some light as to whether or not I used this word properly in a sentence I would appreciate it.
Exuberate means to be exuberant, happy, gleeful. In Old English it meant to be fruitful. It doesn't work in your sentence.
 

melaniemedel

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What do you understand the definition of "to exuberate" to be?
I understand it to mean having an abundance or overflowing.
 

emsr2d2

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I understand it to mean having an abundance or overflowing.

So your sentence reads "I have an abundance enough of that myself" or "I am overflowing enough of that myself". Do they make sense to you?
 

Tdol

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I understand it to mean having an abundance or overflowing.

Why use an archaic meaning that few will understand? The word may be in a dictionary, but why not use words that people will understand? Language is about communication- if you're talking to a professor of Middle English, then use archaic terms, but if you're talking to an ordinary person, why do this?
 
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