noun
rapture
RAPT-shuh
noun
1
A feeling of intense joy or delight, often so strong it feels overwhelming.
"She listened to the symphony in complete rapture."
"The crowd watched the fireworks in rapture."
2
In some Christian belief, an event in which believers are taken up to heaven.
"The novel imagines what life would be like after the Rapture."
How to Use Rapture
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOverwhelming happiness, or (capitalized, in Christian theology) believers being taken up to heaven.
Common mistake
Capitalize "Rapture" only when referring to the specific religious event; lowercase "rapture" is just extreme joy.
Common pairings
in rapture
a look of rapture
Word Forms
raptured past tense, raptures singular
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Etymology
From Latin raptura, "a snatching or carrying off" — the same root that gives us "rapid" and "raptor."