ecstasy

American  

[ek-stuh-see] / ˈɛk stə si /

noun

plural

ecstasies

1. rapturous delight.

2. an overpowering emotion or exaltation; a state of sudden, intense feeling.

   Synonyms:

   elation, bliss, delight

3. the frenzy of poetic inspiration.

4. mental transport or rapture from the contemplation of divine things.

5. (often initial capital letter) MDMA.

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ecstasy British  

/ ˈɛkstəsɪ /

noun

1. (often plural) a state of exalted delight, joy, etc; rapture

2. intense emotion of any kind

   an ecstasy of rage

3. psychol overpowering emotion characterized by loss of self-control and sometimes a temporary loss of consciousness: often associated with orgasm, religious mysticism, and the use of certain drugs

4. archaic a state of prophetic inspiration, esp of poetic rapture

5. slang 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine; MDMA: a powerful drug that acts as a stimulant and can produce hallucinations

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Related Words

Ecstasy, rapture, transport, exaltation share a sense of being taken or moved out of one's self or one's normal state, and entering a state of intensified or heightened feeling. Ecstasy suggests an intensification of emotion so powerful as to produce a trancelike dissociation from all but the single overpowering feeling: an ecstasy of rage, grief, love. Rapture shares the power of ecstasy but most often refers to an elevated sensation of bliss or delight, either carnal or spiritual: the rapture of first love. Transport, somewhat less extreme than either ecstasy or rapture, implies a strength of feeling that results in expression of some kind: They jumped up and down in a transport of delight. Exaltation refers to a heady sense of personal well-being so powerful that one is lifted above normal emotional levels and above normal people: wild exaltation at having finally broken the record.

Etymology

Origin of ecstasy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English extasie, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin extasis, from Greek ékstasis “displacement, trance,” equivalent to ek- ec- + stásis stasis

Explanation

If you’ve ever been so happy that the rest of the world seemed to disappear, you’ve felt ecstasy — a feeling or state of intensely beautiful bliss. Ecstasy will make you want to write poetry. It happened to John Donne, whose poem “The Ecstasy” is about the feeling of the whole world vanishing when he looks into his lover’s eyes. Sometimes an artist sees a stunning landscape that causes such ecstasy that she has to turn it into a painting. Ecstasy can mean a feeling or it can also be a state of being, so you might say, “I’m in ecstasy because this pumpkin pie tastes so delicious!”

Example Sentences

You have avoided great depths of despair and panic, and even greater heights of self-congratulation and ecstasy.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

But, as Amine Adli wheeled away in ecstasy after scoring Bournemouth's winner in the 95th minute, the reality of Liverpool's problems that were somewhat hidden by their 13-game undefeated sequence were laid bare.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

Traditional Latin prayers sung by men have a heavy, chant-like ominousness; the two female angels who appear in the visions convey an urgent, slightly dissonant ecstasy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

That’s line-cook joy, kitchen–brigade joy — a very specific, slightly masochistic ecstasy that tends to belong to people who’ve burned off their fingerprints on sauté pans.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025

Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• elation
• euphoria
• happiness
• joy
• rapture