Thrilled former partner gets referenced (7)
I believe the answer is:
excited
'thrilled' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'former partner gets referenced' is the wordplay.
'former partner' becomes 'ex' (an ex-partner).
'gets' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'referenced' becomes 'cited' ('cite' can be a synonym of 'reference').
'ex'+'cited'='EXCITED'
(Other definitions for excited that I've seen before include "in high spirits" , "in a state of agitation" , "In a stir" , "Aroused; eager" , "Very eager and enthusiastic" .)