rapture

noun

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rap·ture | \ ˈrap-chər

Definition of rapture

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion

2a : a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion

b : a mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted to a knowledge of divine things

3 often capitalized : the final assumption of Christians into heaven during the end-time according to Christian theology

rapture

verb

raptured; rapturing

Definition of rapture (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: enrapture

Other Words from rapture Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More About rapture

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Other Words from rapture

Noun

rapturous \ ˈrap-chə-rəs

, ˈrap-shrəs \ adjective

rapturously adverb

rapturousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for rapture

Noun

ecstasy, rapture, transport mean intense exaltation of mind and feelings. 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 rapture usually implies intense bliss or beatitude. in speechless rapture 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 of rapture in a Sentence

Noun We listened with rapture as the orchestra played. He listened to the wind in the trees, his eyes closed in rapture. Verb nature lovers will be raptured by the documentary's breathtaking cinematography

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Mavi manages to tap into a kind of familial gentleness that melts away the dread of an impending rapture. — Clarissa Brooks, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2021 Occasionally his uncle would get behind a grill, and Ramirez would hang with him, bathing in the smoke and rapture of barbecue. — Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 3 June 2021 He was also excited by the few twentieth-century composers who sought to evoke feelings of spiritual rapture, among them Ralph Vaughan Williams and Alan Hovhaness, as well as those who evoked images of violent brutality, such as Dmitri Shostakovich. — Walter Simmons, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021 In a bunker off of his tee shot, the American golfer chipped into the hole, sending the watching spectators into a rapture and giving them reason to believe that history could be in the making. — Ben Morse, CNN, 23 May 2021 That’s hardly the rapture expressed for Barack Obama or Bill Clinton early in their administrations. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2021 Parts of the book evince an excitement for the unknown, a thrill not unlike the rapture of Febos’s past. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2021 The sequence in which the bride embraces the ghost conveys romantic rapture with exquisite nuance and breathtaking stillness. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2021 The first novel begins with the rapture of all true Christians from the earth and the chaos that follows. — Matthew Avery Sutton, The New Republic, 14 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb 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 At this time of year, Linnaeus had reached the farthest and most remote part of his journey, an alpine region, where he was driven to rapture by the diversity of flowering plants. — James Prosek, New York Times, 16 May 2017

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