Rhapsody
/ˈræp.sə.di/noun
A free-form, highly expressive piece of music or writing; an ecstatic outpouring of feeling.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek rhapsōidos, an epic reciter who ‘stitched songs’ together, from rhaptein ‘to stitch’ + aoidē ‘song’—so a rhapsody began as a woven performance, not just a musical mood.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥαψῳδός (rhapsōidos)
“An epic reciter or singer who stitched together verses from traditional poetry.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥάπτειν (rhaptein)
“To stitch, sew, or sew together.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ᾠδή (aoidē)
“A song or ode.”
Late Greek / Latin
Greek/Latin
rhapsodia
“A recited collection or patchwork of verses.”
14th–16th Century
Middle French/English
rhapsodie
“A literary composition made of disconnected parts; later, an exuberant musical piece.”
Modern English
English
rhapsody
“A free-flowing, passionate composition or utterance.”