rhapsodize
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to talk with extravagant enthusiasm.
-
to speak or write rhapsodies.
verb (used with object)
verb
-
to speak or write (something) with extravagant enthusiasm
-
(intr) to recite or write rhapsodies
Etymology
Origin of rhapsodize
First recorded in 1600–10; rhapsod(y) + -ize
Explanation
Use the verb rhapsodize to refer to speaking with extreme enthusiasm — and often at great length, like that friend who tends to rhapsodize about her favorite movie for twenty minutes straight. To correctly pronounce rhapsodize, say "RAP-so-dies." A rhapsody is a conversation or speech that is elaborate and very emotional, so to rhapsodize is to speak that way. Someone with a tendency to rhapsodize gets carried away with the emotion of the topic. That's why when you rhapsodize you don't always notice that listeners stop listening if they don't share the same passion.
Vocabulary lists containing rhapsodize
All the Light We Cannot See
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Home Is Not a Country
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
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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.
She knew how to poke fun at pious men in frilly dickeys, and rhapsodize on the pleasures found in everyday life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
He could rhapsodize about live theater for hours if you let him.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2025
He focuses on a singular truth, when so many others rhapsodize about speaking their personal truth.
From Washington Post • Aug. 23, 2022
Today, I want to rhapsodize a little on the magic of fresh, roasted and pickled chiles.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2022
Madoc is patiently listening to her rhapsodize over the perfection of their garments.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
