Definition of ECSTATIC

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Adjective

Ecstatic has been used in our language since at least 1590, and the noun "ecstasy" is even older, dating from the 1300s. Both derive from the Greek verb existanai ("to put out of place"), which was used in a Greek phrase meaning "to drive someone out of his or her mind." That seems an appropriate history for words that can describe someone who is nearly out of his or her mind with intense emotion. In early use, "ecstatic" was sometimes linked to mystic trances, out-of-body experiences, and temporary madness. Today, however, it most typically implies a state of enthusiastic excitement or intense happiness.

Examples of ecstatic in a Sentence

Adjective A few religious denominations—Pentecostalism, for example—still offer a collective ecstatic experience, as did rock culture at its height. But the ecstatic religions tend to be marginal, and rock has been tamed for commercial consumption … — Barbara Ehrenreich, Civilization, June/July 2000 … in dietary terms we are veritable troglodytes (which, speaking personally, is all right by me). I think this explains a lot, not least my expanding sense of dismay as the waiter bombarded us with ecstatic descriptions of roulades, ratatouilles, empanadas, langostinos … and goodness knows what else. — Bill Bryson, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, 1999 He was ecstatic when he heard that he was going to be a father. a football player who was ecstatic upon receiving a full athletic scholarship to the college of his choice

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Unlike Lewis, Anthony Brown came into the NFL with little fanfare as a 2016 sixth-round pick — though a small segment of Cowboys fans was ecstatic to get Brown, who was viewed as a third-round talent by many, on Day 3. — John Owning, Dallas News, "Film room: Who is the better Cowboys CB — Jourdan Lewis or Anthony Brown?," 6 July 2020 Lena Liberman, 44, who cut Dickson’s hair, and dyed and waxed her eyebrows, was ecstatic to return. — Karen Heller, Washington Post, "The hair salon is now a place of anxiety. And clients can’t wait to return.," 2 July 2020 Yet there’s an ecstatic feeling of new discovery running throughout Harley Quinn, a snarly upending of the Caped Crusader mythos that blends gory parody with brainy satire and a surprisingly sweet depiction of crazy love. — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, "The best TV shows of 2020… so far," 1 July 2020 Like the previous two weekends, coaches were just ecstatic to savor some baseball time with their teams as NASA Pony celebrated its third weekend to its mid-June restart on Saturday. — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, "Oregon St., Michigan and Miami win NASA Pony games Saturday," 28 June 2020 Back in Cincinnati, Langenbrunner and her family were ecstatic. — Sarah Haselhorst, The Enquirer, "Marriage equality swept the nation 5 years ago, local couples remember the monumental day," 27 June 2020 Open your third eye, Emmy voters, and celebrate the ecstatic achievements of Desus & Mero instead! — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, "Emmys 2020: Who should be nominated," 22 June 2020 That brought in my grandmother, ecstatic at being able to shop at a supermarket just around the corner from her apartment. — Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, "The Supermarket Is One of America’s Best Ideas," 17 June 2020 Trish Creach, the executive director of the nearby Camdenton Chamber of Commerce, said the town is ecstatic. — Kevin Bessler, Washington Examiner, "World trapshooting tournament ditches Illinois, heads to Missouri," 17 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Bong, his camera at once ecstatic and controlled, brings the pieces together with the brio of a conductor attacking a great symphony. — Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Thrilling and devastating, ‘Parasite’ is one of the year’s very best movies," 9 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ecstatic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.