A gambit is something done or said in order to gain an advantage or to produce a desired effect.

// The workers’ opening gambit in the negotiations was to demand a wage hike.

To hector someone is to criticize or question them in a threatening way.

// The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.

Vaunted describes someone or something that is often spoken of or described as very good or great.

// The team’s vaunted defense faltered in the second half of the game.

Deem is a somewhat formal word used when someone comes to think something or to have something as an opinion after some consideration.

// The covered bridge was closed to automobile traffic for the winter because town officials deemed it a hazard to motorists.

Exhilarate means "to cause (someone) to feel very happy and excited." It is usually used in the passive voice as (be) exhilarated.

// She was exhilarated by the prospect of attending her dream school.

Paean is a literary word that refers to a song of joy, praise, or victory. It can also be used as a synonym of tribute for a work that praises or honors its subject.

// Her retirement party featured many paeans for her long years of service to the company.

// Critics considered the movie both a thrilling Western and a paean to the natural beauty of the Rockies.