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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Home Is Not a Country
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
It’s the day after Doncic signed his new extension, and the senior Laker and billionaire, on the last stretch of vacation, is taking a moment to rhapsodize all things Luka.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2025
He could rhapsodize about live theater for hours if you let him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2025
I also wanted to ask about the specific choice of having Elena address her constituents as “my loves” and rhapsodize about “our love.”
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2024
Romantic partners gush about love at first sight; parents rhapsodize about meeting their babies for the first time.
From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2023
Madoc is patiently listening to her rhapsodize over the perfection of their garments.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Visiting international fans have rhapsodized about our hospitality and gushed over culinary miracles like ranch dressing and Philly cheesesteak while trekking to Costco like it is our version of the pyramids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Back in 2005, when Roberts rhapsodized about Indiana farmland and an endless horizon punctuated only by silos and barns, he was substituting a humble, real-life Midwest upbringing for his own.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
King Charles has rhapsodized about the charms of Romania for decades.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2023
Cobb rhapsodized about the “clearing of the air” and the acidic smell of damp oaks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2023
As Marie Louise with unwitting enthusiasm rhapsodized over the shipyard Jake’s interest kindled.
From The Cup of Fury A Novel of Cities and Shipyards by Henry Raleigh
One of those conversations is re-created in “Peter Hujar’s Day,” the title subject rhapsodizing about hustling as a working photographer in New York.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2025
Simpson knew this as early as 1976, when The New York Times ran a story rhapsodizing over his shocking success as Hertz’s pitchman, part of a $12.6 million advertising campaign.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2024
“The chef isn’t pleased with the quality,” he told me before rhapsodizing about the chateaubriand, so I bit.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2023
The head of London’s public transport system is rhapsodizing about a subway station — part of a new line he says will be “the envy of the world” when it opens this month.
From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2022
He went on rhapsodizing until the look in my eyes pulled him up short!
From The Brightener by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
