as in ecstasy
a state of overwhelming usually pleasurable emotion
in The Nutcracker Clara gazes in rapture as the Christmas tree grows before her very eyes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to delight
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight)
nature lovers will be raptured by the documentary's breathtaking cinematography
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rapture
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
And from this subtle motion that contained stillness at its core – somewhere inside this dense organism, this single entity – an intense flame burst forth and the women were ignited by rapture.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
Dispensationalism has an offensive reputation among many Jews because the End Times prophecy outlines an event in which Jews suffer mass slaughter while Christian believers are spared because God raptured them.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rapture
Noun
Her ghost of a smile should be parsed as beatific rapture.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
And from this subtle motion that contained stillness at its core – somewhere inside this dense organism, this single entity – an intense flame burst forth and the women were ignited by rapture.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
For a movie about an apocalyptic clash of vampires and gangsters, Sinners has moments of unexpected jubilance, even rapture.
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
Dispensationalism has an offensive reputation among many Jews because the End Times prophecy outlines an event in which Jews suffer mass slaughter while Christian believers are spared because God raptured them.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rapture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapture
Noun
-
In 2024, the FDA rejected MDMA, a psychedelic drug commonly known as ecstasy, for treating PTSD, despite intense political pressure from veterans groups to approve it.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The move removes these products from the Schedule I category, which includes what the government considers to be high-risk and dangerous drugs such as heroin, LSD and ecstasy, to the lower-risk category of Schedule III.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After decades of delighting fans with her brilliant performances in comedies like Private Benjamin, Overboard and The First Wives Club, Hawn is turning to a different medium to spread the power of positivity.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gaga and Doechii, a match made in fashion heaven, and two style students who clearly did their homework for this assignment.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
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Bourbon and pecan pie are a match made in heaven, but this pie takes that combination to a whole new level.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Remember flipping through your cable channels and suddenly becoming entranced by someone hawking must-have knives or jewelry on QVC?—
Amanda Mull,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
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Johnson is entranced by physics.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Since then, the daycare owner and child care educator has spent more than two decades training teachers and caregivers to infuse children with a sense of joy and appreciation for Black culture.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In the face of oppression and cynicism, kindness and joy are revolutionary acts.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Allen has been charged not only with attempting to assassinate a president, but also with transporting a gun and ammunition to commit a felony and firing a gun during a violent crime.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The others on board, including the boat operator, were transported to a hospital for treatment.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Apple TV‘s Pluribus is described as a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.—
Scott Huver,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
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Over the course of his expansive career, the Oscar-winning actor has filled his years with all sorts of twists and turns that have led him to cinematic success and happiness at home with wife Susan and their family.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kenny, however, doesn’t seem too desperate to please on that front.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
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That song’s twangful snarl — wonderfully sung by Clark, a star recording artist in her own right — is a reminder that these insurgents are also preservationists, capable of delivering old-fashioned pleasures to please the purists.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rapture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapture. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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