Rapture
What it means
A state of overwhelming joy or delighted absorption.
Reach for it when expressing happiness or wonder at an unusually intense level
She listened in rapture as the choir filled the unfinished hall.
Words to choose between 7
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
Fits when clear pleasure is strong but not overwhelming
Careful Delight is flexible enough for small joys and does not convey total transport.
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everyday
Fits when emotional warmth matters more than degree
Careful Joy is the safer broad word but loses the exceptional intensity.
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warm
Fits when serene, complete happiness is the mood
Careful Bliss is peaceful, whereas rapture can be excited and outwardly expressive.
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professional
Fits when an unusually heightened state is being observed
Careful Euphoria can suggest a temporary clinical or chemically induced condition.
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formal
Fits when success produces a soaring mood
Careful Elation usually follows good news or achievement rather than beauty or contemplation.
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literary
Fits when emotion reaches an almost transcendent extreme
Careful Ecstasy pushes beyond this degree and also carries religious or drug-related associations.
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literary
transport
Fits when older, elevated language for being carried away fits
Careful Transport is archaic in this sense and may confuse readers.
Opposites 3
- misery
- despair
- indifference
Common phrases 3
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in rapture
In rapture, the young astronomer watched the comet emerge from cloud.
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state of rapture
A state of rapture swept through the crowd when the missing dog appeared.
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gaze with rapture
Visitors gaze with rapture at the ceiling's newly uncovered colors.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated