Rhapsody
noun /ˈræpsədi/ — An ecstatic expression of enthusiasm, feeling, or delight.
Definition
An expression of ecstatic enthusiasm or feeling, especially in writing or speech; also a musical composition of irregular, expressive form — music that follows the feeling rather than the form.
Beyond the definition
To go into rhapsodies is to let the emotion spill over its usual containers. The word contains 'rapture': something seized you, carried you, and you let it. Rhapsody is what happens when ordinary registers of communication simply aren't enough.
Origin & history
Greek 'rhapsoidia' — a song sung by a rhapsode (one who stitches songs together), from 'rhaptein' (to stitch) + 'oide' (song). In ancient Greece, rhapsodes performed epic poetry by heart.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She went into rhapsodies about the food — each dish a new paragraph of joy.
The piece was a musical rhapsody — emotional, unpredictable, unmistakably alive.
He didn't often rhapsodise, but when he did, the whole room stopped to listen.
Synonyms
Antonyms
restraint, understatement
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Intense Conductor Expression
A conductor in an orchestra makes an intense, expansive gesture as the music reaches its absolute peak of volume and intensity.
The conductor's expansive, intense body language is a visual expression of rhapsody. Their movement follows the feeling of the music rather than the strict form, capturing an ecstatic enthusiasm that reflects the deep, irregular, and feeling-based nature of the musical composition.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration