noun

rhapsody

RAP-suh-dee

Rhapsody (noun) means a piece of music with a free, flowing structure, often mixing different moods and sometimes improvised passages. Example: “Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" blends jazz and classical styles.”

noun

A piece of music with a free, flowing structure, often mixing different moods and sometimes improvised passages.

"Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" blends jazz and classical styles."

An outpouring of enthusiastic, almost overexcited praise or feeling.

"He went into a rhapsody about the sunset over the valley."

verb

To speak or write about something with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"She rhapsodized about the restaurant for a full ten minutes."

How to use rhapsody

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a free-flowing musical piece or an over-the-top gushing expression of enthusiasm.

Common pairings

rhapsody in blue go into a rhapsody rhapsodize about

Word forms

rhapsodied past tense, rhapsodies plural, rhapsodies singular

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Gershwin's "_____ in Blue" blends jazz and classical styles.

Etymology

From Greek rhapsōidia, "a part of an epic poem recited aloud," from rhaptein ("to sew, stitch together") plus ōidē ("song") — literally "stitched-together song."

Origin: Greek

Rhymes for rhapsody

body Cody Jody woody brody goody moody doody broody nobody melody bloody

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Frequently asked questions

What does “rhapsody” mean?

The word “rhapsody” means a piece of music with a free, flowing structure, often mixing different moods and sometimes improvised passages. In plain terms, either a free-flowing musical piece or an over-the-top gushing expression of enthusiasm.

How do you pronounce “rhapsody”?

“Rhapsody” is pronounced RAP-suh-dee (/ˈɹæpsədi/ in IPA).

How do you use “rhapsody” in a sentence?

Here is “rhapsody” used in a sentence: “Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" blends jazz and classical styles.”

What part of speech is “rhapsody”?

Depending on how it is used, “rhapsody” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “rhapsody” come from?

The word “rhapsody” comes from Greek. From Greek rhapsōidia, "a part of an epic poem recited aloud," from rhaptein ("to sew, stitch together") plus ōidē ("song") — literally "stitched-together song.".

How many meanings does “rhapsody” have?

“Rhapsody” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a piece of music with a free, flowing structure, often mixing different moods and sometimes improvised passages.