rapture 1 of 2

rapture

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rapture distinct from other similar nouns?

The words ecstasy and transport are common synonyms of rapture. While all three words mean "intense exaltation of mind and feelings," rapture usually implies intense bliss or beatitude.

in speechless rapture

How do ecstasy and rapture relate to one another?

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

When might transport be a better fit than rapture?

In some situations, the words transport and rapture are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rapture
Noun
The rapture once preached and beckoned in churches has been repackaged for secular times: In place of souls ascending to heaven, there are minds preserved digitally—or even bodies kept alive—for eternity. John Kaag, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025 With the rapture so near, who had time for a wife and kids? S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
Dispensationalism has an offensive reputation among many Jews because the End Times prophecy outlines an event in which Jews suffer mass slaughter while Christian believers are spared because God raptured them. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 22 Nov. 2024 Yet Mendes mostly sees a cheap, useful instrument in Deakins—a shortcut to rapture. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 8 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for rapture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapture
Noun
  • Anisimova watched it all from a few feet away, the agony and ecstasy of a cruel game in stark relief.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • And so, her cri de coeur came out as one great, big, fat, satisfying moan of ecstasy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • Jackson had been delighted by the number of young people who had turned out, a perennial goal for august cultural institutions.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
  • Thus far, the administration has managed to fend off initial court challenges, maintain arrests at a steady clip, and generate images of a ruthless crackdown in a liberal bastion that delight the president’s supporters.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Stalter and Dunham are a match made in a very awkward heaven.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 July 2025
  • But Scripture promises that one day, Christ will make all things new—a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13).
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Seven decades after first becoming entranced by country music and Western culture, former Beatles drummer and storied rock frontman Ringo Starr finally made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday evening.
    Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
  • Of note is the incorporation of vocabulary from Ivan’s archaic Norm language, a special touch that entranced me.
    The Know, Denver Post, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • Regardless, drivers have been honking their vehicles’ horns with joy now that Gurnee is the first in the county to end its photo-enforcement program.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • But, by the time her pregnancy reached five weeks and four days, the joy faded, only to be replaced with heartbreak.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • The deputies gave the man first aid and he was transported to an area hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025
  • The body was transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office.
    Erin Clack, People.com, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • Kate Beckinsale is finding heartfelt ways to spread happiness amid her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 10 July 2025
  • The Russian word for happiness—schastye—is etymologically different from the Western notion.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Floodwaters carry away a house Monday in Ruidoso, New Mexico.
    NBC News, NBC news, 10 July 2025
  • County Sheriff Kenny Bernard previously said that three people were swimming at Kimble Point, around 7:21 p.m. local time on Thursday, when their boat was carried away by the current, per CBS affiliate KWCH.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rapture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapture. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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