ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ecstasy

n. C / U
C2 Proficiency US //ˈɛkstəsi// UK //ˈɛkstəsi// ec·sta·sy Archaic Slang

n. a feeling of extreme happiness or excitement. It can also refer to a powerful illegal drug that makes people feel very energetic and connected to others.

n. an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement. In a pharmacological context, it refers to MDMA, a synthetic psychoactive drug with stimulant and hallucinogenic properties.


SIMPLE

She was in ecstasy after winning the race.

CONTEXTUAL

The crowd was in a state of pure ecstasy as the band played their final hit song.

COMPLEX

The poet attempted to capture the spiritual ecstasy of the moment, describing a sense of profound unity with the natural world that transcended ordinary human experience.

Synonyms
Origin

From Old French estaise (“ecstasy, rapture”), from Latin ecstasis, from Ancient Greek ἔκστασις (ékstasis), from ἐξίστημι (exístēmi, “I displace”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) and ἵστημι (hístēmi, “I stand”).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the emotional state or the drug; countable when referring to specific mystical or religious experiences.

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