rapture 1 of 2

rapture

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rapture distinct from other similar nouns?

The words ecstasy and transport are common synonyms of rapture. While all three words mean "intense exaltation of mind and feelings," rapture usually implies intense bliss or beatitude.

in speechless rapture

How do ecstasy and rapture relate to one another?

Ecstasy and rapture both suggest a state of trance or near immobility produced by an overpowering emotion; ecstasy may apply to any strong emotion (such as joy, fear, rage, adoration).

religious ecstasy

When might transport be a better fit than rapture?

In some situations, the words transport and rapture are roughly equivalent. However, transport applies to any powerful emotion that lifts one out of oneself and usually provokes vehement expression or frenzied action.

in a transport of rage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rapture
Noun
From Wagner, Schoenberg got the bug for endless thematic development, from one thing leading to the next and the next in the path toward rapture. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024 The clip features Chalamet as Dylan in morning-after mode while staying at a motel in Rhode Island during the Newport Folk Festival, leading up to his infamous electric performance which drew boos and rapture in equal measure. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
Dispensationalism has an offensive reputation among many Jews because the End Times prophecy outlines an event in which Jews suffer mass slaughter while Christian believers are spared because God raptured them. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 22 Nov. 2024 Yet Mendes mostly sees a cheap, useful instrument in Deakins—a shortcut to rapture. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 8 Dec. 2022 See all Example Sentences for rapture 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapture
Noun
  • Those three drugs alone have made up over 93% of seizures in recent years, while ecstasy, fentanyl, heroin, ketamine, LSD and methamphetamine make up the majority of the remaining 7%.
    Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Still, inhalant abuse is less prevalent than party drugs like ecstasy or cocaine.
    Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Before the game went south for Swift, her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs teammates, Kylie and Swift delighted fans when they were spotted out for dinner together in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl.
    Natasha Dye, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
  • In 2020, Modi delighted Trump by inviting him before a cheering crowd of more than 100,000 people to inaugurate the world’s largest cricket stadium in his home state of Gujarat.
    AFP, Fortune Asia, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • In the meantime, enjoy the beauty that is the Great Nebula of Orion in the late winter heavens.
    Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2025
  • The heavens are aligned with your relationships, Sagittarius.
    Kyle Thomas, People.com, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Eventually Faithfull found an interest in performing in plays and, entranced by Buddy Holly and Joan Baez and Simone de Beauvoir, folk music, and arty café intellectualism as well.
    Bill Wyman, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
  • Missoni’s elegant knits have kept me entranced for over 20 years.
    Cora Harrington, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Mbappe celebrated in his usual way in recent months, running back to the centre circle, throwing his hands up in the air in an outpouring of joy and anger and urging his team-mates to push on.
    Mario Cortegana, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
  • The three-pound mixed-breed internet-famous therapy dog dispensed joy simply by existing.
    Maya Salam, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • One river trader, who typically transported his bananas by boat, told Nolte that he was forced to carry them overland in 104-degree heat.
    Alex Cuadros, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Trattoria Norina Nestled in a centuries-old building along a narrow alleyway, Norina offers a quintessential trattoria experience that transports diners back in time.
    Carissa & Dino Tozzi, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Dopamine is also released, creating happiness and satisfaction while lowering levels of stress and anxiety.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
    Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The key to using a mandoline is to pay attention and not get carried away.
    Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 23 Jan. 2025
  • As these binary systems emit gravitational waves, those ripples in spacetime carry away angular momentum.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near rapture

Cite this Entry

“Rapture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapture. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rapture

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