Dictionary.com
definitions

rapture

[ rap-cher ]
/ ˈræp tʃər /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rapture ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy.
Often raptures. an utterance or expression of ecstatic delight.
the carrying of a person to another place or sphere of existence.
the Rapture, Theology. the experience, anticipated by some fundamentalist Christians, of meeting Christ midway in the air upon his return to earth.
Archaic. the act of carrying off.

verb (used with object), rap·tured, rap·tur·ing.

to enrapture.

RELATED CONTENT

Some people believe the “Rapture” and the “Apocalypse” will happen this weekend. What do these words mean exactly?Who knows if REM had a specific date in mind when they sang their immortal chorus, “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” But according to Harold Camping, a California-based Christian radio broadcaster, May 21, 2011 will bring about a rapture that will inevitably lead to the end of the world five months later. Before you throw away your …
READ MORE
prepperRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

ecstasy, exaltation, euphoria, elation, exhilaration, contentment, communion, gladness, satisfaction, gaiety, well-being, buoyancy, transport, beatitude, delectation, enchantment, passion, paradise, bliss, inspiration

Nearby words

  1. rapscallion,
  2. rapt,
  3. raptly,
  4. raptor,
  5. raptorial,
  6. rapture of the deep,
  7. raptured,
  8. raptures,
  9. rapturous,
  10. rapturously

Origin of rapture

First recorded in 1590–1600; rapt + -ure
ANTONYMS FOR rapture
1. misery.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR rapture ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsrap·ture·less, adjective
Can be confusedrapture rupture

Synonym study

1. See ecstasy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rapture

British Dictionary definitions for rapture

rapture

/ (ˈræptʃə) /

noun

the state of mind resulting from feelings of high emotion; joyous ecstasy
(often plural) an expression of ecstatic joy
the act of transporting a person from one sphere of existence to another, esp from earth to heaven

verb

(tr) archaic, or literary to entrance; enrapture

Word Origin for rapture

C17: from Medieval Latin raptūra, from Latin raptus rapt 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for rapture
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper