Ecstasy
/ˈɛk.stə.si/noun
A state of overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement.
Did you know?In ancient rituals, ecstatic states were often believed to connect individuals directly to the divine, blurring the line between the human and the celestial.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steh₂-
“to stand, be in a place”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐκστάσις (ekstasis)
“a standing outside oneself, displacement, or trance-like state”
Late Latin
Latin
ecstasis
“a state of being out of oneself, a rapture”
Old French
Old French
extase
“ecstasy, rapture, or intense emotional state”
Middle English
Middle English
ecstasye
“state of rapture or intense joy”
Modern English
English
ecstasy
“overwhelming joy or emotional excitement”