Rapt
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 An ecstasy; a trance. obsolete
"the soul then is in rapt"
- 2 Rapidity. obsolete
"[…] like the great exemplary wheeles of heaven, we must observe two Circles: that while we are daily carried about, and whirled on by the swinge and rapt of the one, we may maintain a naturall and proper course, in the slow and sober wheele of the other."
- 1 To transport or ravish. obsolete
"The Bards with furie rapt, the British youth among, Unto the charming Harpe thy future honor song"
- 2 To carry away by force. obsolete
"1819-20, Washington Irving, The Spectre Bridegroom, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., reprinted in 1840, The Works of Washington Irving, Volume 1, page 256, His only daughter had either been rapt away to the grave, or he was to have some wood-demon for a son-in-law, and, perchance, a troop of goblin grandchildren."
- 1 Snatched, taken away; abducted. archaic, not-comparable
"And through the Greeks and Ilians they rapt / The whirring chariot."
- 2 Lifted up into the air; transported into heaven. not-comparable
- 3 Very interested, involved in something, absorbed, transfixed; fascinated or engrossed. comparable
"The children watched in rapt attention as the magician produced object after object from his hat."
- 4 Enthusiastic; ecstatic, elated, happy. comparable
"He was rapt with his exam results."
- 1 giving or marked by complete attention to wordnet
- 2 feeling great rapture or delight wordnet
Example
More examples"The organist played Messiaen, and notes of all colors and aromas rained down upon the rapt audience in the nave of the church."
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin raptus, past participle of rapio (“to seize”).
More for "rapt"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.