ecstasy
[ ek-stuh-see ]
/ ˈɛk stə si /
noun, plural ec·sta·sies.
rapturous delight.
an overpowering emotion or exaltation; a state of sudden, intense feeling.
the frenzy of poetic inspiration.
mental transport or rapture from the contemplation of divine things.
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Origin of ecstasy
Synonym study
2. 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.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ecstasy
British Dictionary definitions for ecstasy
ecstasy
/ (ˈɛkstəsɪ) /
noun plural -sies
(often plural) a state of exalted delight, joy, etc; rapture
intense emotion of any kindan ecstasy of rage
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
archaic a state of prophetic inspiration, esp of poetic rapture
slang 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine; MDMA: a powerful drug that acts as a stimulant and can produce hallucinations
Word Origin for ecstasy
C14: from Old French extasie, via Medieval Latin from Greek ekstasis displacement, trance, from existanai to displace, from ex- out + histanai to cause to stand
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for ecstasy
ecstasy
late 14c., "in a frenzy or stupor, fearful, excited," from Old French estaise "ecstasy, rapture," from Late Latin extasis, from Greek ekstasis "entrancement, astonishment; any displacement," in New Testament "a trance," from existanai "displace, put out of place," also "drive out of one's mind" (existanai phrenon), from ek "out" (see ex-) + histanai "to place, cause to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).
Used by 17c. mystical writers for "a state of rapture that stupefied the body while the soul contemplated divine things," which probably helped the meaning shift to "exalted state of good feeling" (1610s). Slang use for the drug 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine dates from 1985.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for ecstasy
ecstasy
[ ĕk′stə-sē ]
n.
MDMA.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.