rhapsodic
Americanadjective
-
extravagantly enthusiastic; ecstatic.
- Synonyms:
- overjoyed, transported, elated
-
pertaining to, characteristic of, or of the nature or form of rhapsody.
adjective
-
of or like a rhapsody
-
lyrical or romantic
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rhapsodic
From the Greek word rhapsōidikós, dating back to 1750–55. See rhapsody, -ic
Explanation
If your mother becomes rhapsodic describing a delicious meal, she is so delighted with her food that she's practically composing poems in praise of the butternut squash soup. The straightforward meaning of the adjective rhapsodic is "like a rhapsody," but in usage it borrows chiefly from a figurative use of rhapsody, "effusively rapturous or emotional expression." You might come across the phrase "to wax rhapsodic," which is pretty much the same thing as "to gush." People who are in love, for example, tend to wax rhapsodic about the objects of their affection.
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.
Rhapsodic online odes include testimonials about how waking up in a Marriott with another night’s worth of loyalty points makes you feel as if you are doing something good for yourself and your family.
From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2017
Rhapsodic swaths of wind and brass sweep upward in inverted cascades, and the clang of raw, unturned percussion represents the noisy soundscape of a building site.
From New York Times • Feb. 4, 2014
And then there is Danuta Michalowska, an actress who performed with Wojtyla in an underground drama group, the Rhapsodic Theater, during the Nazi Occupation.
From Time Magazine Archive
Originally written for Poland's underground Rhapsodic Theater, the poetry-slam-style high jinks are adorably dated, but they don't hold a candle to transubstantiation.
From Time Magazine Archive
Rhapsodic, -al, rap-sod′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling rhapsody: gushing.—adv.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
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.
