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

Examples 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
Another in that list, swimmer Léon Marchand, has had the local fans in raptures after delivering two golds in the pool. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Aug. 2024 For beauty lovers, few names elicit such awe and rapture as Charlotte Tilbury. Esther Newman, refinery29.com, 29 Jan. 2024
Verb
Yet Mendes mostly sees a cheap, useful instrument in Deakins—a shortcut to rapture. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 8 Dec. 2022 Monk’s story is peppered with supernatural details, talk of evil spirits and unaccountable noises, and even an extremely old nun who may or may not rapture herself to heaven daily. Mike Mariani, Slate Magazine, 22 Mar. 2017 See all Example Sentences for rapture 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapture
Noun
  • Her face is placid and grateful, set in ecstasy or prayer.
    Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Compared to the agony and the ecstasy on display in McQueen’s extraordinary Small Axe compilation, which celebrated the United Kingdom’s diaspora culture while forcing the country to reckon with its institutionally racist past, this might seem like weak tea.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The keyboard’s trademark shallow key travel remains the same, which is a demerit for heavy-handed typists like myself but should delight light-touch Mac users who prefer little to no resistance when typing.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
  • A day care facility in Maine has delighted the internet by revealing which dog breed is the clingiest, and needless to say, anyone who owns a German shorthaired pointer can relate.
    Alyce Collins, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Fernando Valenzuela’s famous windup involved rotating his slender legs and broad, burly chest, eyes gazing to the heavens.
    Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
  • Played by Peter Gallagher in the gregarious, wise, eyebrow-forward mode of Sandy Cohen in The O.C., Peter comes across as a gift from the heavens.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Today’s machines are elaborate video games and the secret to a successful game is immersion—keeping a player in the seat as long as possible entranced by with video clips on giant screens and loads of bonus reels.
    Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024
  • After working on set for so many years, visiting the Mayflower and the surrounding area during Gilmore Girls Fan Fest, which takes place annually each fall, was entrancing for Campbell.
    Rebecca Shinners, Architectural Digest, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • These people, and many other Americans, weren’t interested in the politics of joy that Kamala Harris and the other law school grads were offering.
    David Brooks, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
  • Given Heretic’s clear joy in kicking around ideas, this is frustrating.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Emergency medical staff transported her to a local hospital, where she was given further treatment before returning to Alameda that day.
    Chase Hunter, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • But the United States has not attempted mass arrests of migrants since 1954, when border agents rounded up more than 1 million people living in Texas and California and forcibly transported them to Mexico.
    Stephen Engelberg, ProPublica, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Take this test to find out: Self-Awareness Outcomes Questionnaire Mark Travers, Ph.d, is an American psychologist who writes about psycho-educational topics such as happiness, relationships, personality, and life meaning.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Love and laughter are the path to peace and happiness.
    Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • When the truck tipped over, the workers were carried away by the surging water from the nearby Nolichucky River.
    Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Helene reached its peak as a Category 4 storm, and then dumped massive amounts of water on the mountains bridging eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, that carried away homes, businesses, roads and bridges.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near rapture

Cite this Entry

“Rapture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapture. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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