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:
He discovered the restaurant after hearing Ed Begley Jr. rhapsodize about it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
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 focuses on a singular truth, when so many others rhapsodize about speaking their personal truth.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 23, 2022
We are not so quick to rhapsodize about the insurance agent’s life or the plumber’s.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2022
Madoc is patiently listening to her rhapsodize over the perfection of their garments.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
When Eric Schmidt, speaking last week to the University of Arizona’s graduates, rhapsodized about the coming artificial-intelligence revolution, some in the crowed jeered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 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
She smiled broadly as she rhapsodized with mile-a-minute enthusiasm about her work, eyes wide and fingers fluttering over the table, as though she was once again summoning Bach or Paganini.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2025
King Charles has rhapsodized about the charms of Romania for decades.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2023
Well, come out presently when you feel you're rhapsodized enough.
From I'll Leave It To You A Light Comedy In Three Acts by Coward, Noel
So a year or so back, when she began to notice influencers rhapsodizing about planning a “’90s summer” for their own children, she took notice.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
“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 is prone to rhapsodizing about the open road.
From New York Times ● Feb. 9, 2022
Of course Hinpoha had been sworn to secrecy regarding it, but that did not keep her from rhapsodizing about it on general principles and pitching the girls' curiosity still higher.
From The Camp Fire Girls at School Or, The Wohelo Weavers by Frey, Hildegard G. (Hildegard Gertrude)
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.
