rhapsody
[ rap-suh-dee ]
/ ˈræp sə di /
noun, plural rhap·so·dies.
Music. an instrumental composition irregular in form and suggestive of improvisation.
an ecstatic expression of feeling or enthusiasm.
an epic poem, or a part of such a poem, as a book of the Iliad, suitable for recitation at one time.
a similar piece of modern literature.
an unusually intense or irregular poem or piece of prose.
Archaic. a miscellaneous collection; jumble.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
tirade, rhetoric, harangue, diatribe, oration, ecstasy, exaltation, euphoria, elation, exhilaration, contentment, communion, setup, poetry, writing, drama, theme, symphony, music, arrangement
Nearby words
- rhanja,
- rhapsodic,
- rhapsodist,
- rhapsodize,
- rhapsodomancy,
- rhapsody in blue,
- rhatany,
- rhathymia,
- rhazes,
- rhd
Origin of rhapsody
1535–45; < Latin rhapsōdia < Greek rhapsōidía recital of epic poetry, equivalent to rhapsōid(ós) rhapsodist + -ia -y3
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for rhapsody
rhapsody
/ (ˈræpsədɪ) /
noun plural -dies
music a composition free in structure and highly emotional in character
an expression of ecstatic enthusiasm
(in ancient Greece) an epic poem or part of an epic recited by a rhapsodist
a literary work composed in an intense or exalted style
rapturous delight or ecstasy
obsolete a medley
Word Origin for rhapsody
C16: via Latin from Greek rhapsōidia, from rhaptein to sew together + ōidē song
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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rhapsody
1540s, "epic poem," from Middle French rhapsodie, from Latin rhapsodia, from Greek rhapsoidia "verse composition, recitation of epic poetry; a book, a lay, a canto," from rhapsodos "reciter of epic poems," literally "one who stitches or strings songs together," from rhaptein "to stitch, sew, weave" (see wrap (v.)) + oide "song" (see ode). Meaning "exalted enthusiastic feeling or expression" is from 1630s. Meaning "sprightly musical composition" is first recorded 1850s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper