raptly
Americanadverb
-
with the attention completely engaged; in a way that shows deep absorption in something.
It was a story of courage and hope that kept me reading raptly until the final page.
-
with intense joy or delight; blissfully; ecstatically.
It was a moment to meditate, look raptly at the night sky, and be overcome by the awesomeness of the universe.
Etymology
Origin of raptly
First recorded in 1640–50, for an earlier sense; rapt ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Raptly surveying the room, she added, “All this seems too good to be true.”
From New York Times • Jan. 15, 2014
Raptly gazing at herself on screen, Brigitte Bardot, 27, liked what she saw almost as much as the Paris critics.
From Time Magazine Archive
Raptly scrutinizing his meagre form he chanted a line of verse that seemed apposite: "Build thou more stately mansions, O my soul!"
From Bunker Bean by Wilson, Harry Leon
Raptly gazing at the child's innocent face, Paul softly croons some cradle melody.
From Oswald Langdon or, Pierre and Paul Lanier. A Romance of 1894-1898 by Lee, Carson Jay
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
