Ecstases

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state of intense joy or delight characterized by overwhelming emotion and a sense of elation
2. An experience of transcendental happiness often associated with spiritual or mystical moments
3. A profound feeling of rapture or bliss that transcends ordinary consciousness

Etymology: "Ecstases" is simply the plural of "ecstasis," so the word's story belongs to its singular form. "Ecstasis" comes from Greek "ekstasis," literally "a standing outside" or "displacement," built from "ek" ("out of") and "histanai" ("to stand"). The sense of being moved out of oneself, beside oneself with feeling or thought, grew from that physical image of a person standing apart from their normal place. The Greek word could describe a state of being out of one's mind, whether from astonishment, madness, or divine inspiration. English took the plural form along with the singular, and both retain the older sense of a person displaced from ordinary consciousness, which is why the plural can refer to several such moments of rapture.

Synonyms: raptures, trances, transportations, exaltations, frenzies

Antonyms: depressions, sads, calmnesses