extasy

A child experiences pure extasy upon seeing a rainbow.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A state of overwhelming emotion: "extasy" (more commonly spelled "ecstasy") refers to an intense feeling of joy, delight, or rapture that can overwhelm the senses.
   • A trance-like state: In medical or spiritual contexts, "extasy" describes a state of altered consciousness, often associated with deep meditation or religious experience.
   • A state of creative inspiration: Used to describe a period of heightened imaginative or poetic fervour.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She was in an extasy of happiness upon hearing the good news. (A state of overwhelming joy.)
  • The mystic entered a state of extasy during his meditation. (A trance-like state of spiritual absorption.)
  • The poet wrote in an extasy of inspiration, words flowing freely. (A state of creative fervour.)

Advanced Usage

• "in an extasy of": followed by a noun to describe a specific intense emotion.
  • He was in an extasy of delight at the concert. (Overwhelmed by joy.)
• "to be thrown into extasy": to be suddenly overcome by a powerful emotion.
  • The audience was thrown into extasy by the performance. (Suddenly filled with intense delight.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ecstasy (n): the standard modern spelling of "extasy".
  • Her ecstasy was visible in her radiant smile. (Intense joy.)
• Ecstatic (adj): feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness.
  • The fans were ecstatic after the victory. (Extremely joyful.)
• Ecstatically (adv): in an ecstatic manner.
  • She danced ecstatically at the festival. (With intense joy.)

Synonyms

• Rapture: a feeling of intense pleasure or joy.
• Bliss: perfect happiness; great joy.
• Euphoria: an intense feeling of well-being or elation.
• Transport: a state of being carried away by emotion.

Related Idioms

• "Seventh heaven": a state of extreme happiness or bliss.
  • He was in seventh heaven when he received the award. (Overwhelmed with joy.)
• "On cloud nine": extremely happy.
  • She was on cloud nine after the proposal. (In a state of ecstasy.)

Notes on Spelling

• The word "extasy" is an older or variant spelling of "ecstasy". The modern standard spelling is "ecstasy", but "extasy" appears in historical texts and some dialects. Both refer to the same concepts of intense emotion or altered states.