What does enraptured mean?
Enraptured describes a state of being filled with intense delight or fascination — so absorbed by something that one seems transported beyond ordinary awareness. It is the adjectival form of the verb "enrapture," which means to fill someone with rapture or ecstatic joy. The word is chiefly literary and formal in register, lending a heightened, poetic tone to writing: one might describe an enraptured audience at a concert, an enraptured gaze fixed on a painting, or listeners sitting enraptured through a story. Its connotations are overwhelmingly positive, suggesting wonder and emotional transport rather than mere interest. Etymologically it traces back to the Latin rapere, meaning to seize or carry away, reflecting the old idea that intense joy can metaphorically snatch a person out of themselves. Related words include rapture and rapt, which share this sense of being seized or carried away by emotion.
Filled with intense delight or joy; transported by overwhelming pleasure or fascination.
"The crowd stood enraptured throughout the entire performance."
Typically used in literary or formal contexts; often appears in constructions like 'sat enraptured' or 'listened enraptured'.
Past tense and past participle of enrapture: to fill with intense delight or joy.
"The violinist's playing enraptured everyone in the hall."
When you're enraptured, you've been figuratively 'carried off' by delight — the word descends from the Latin rapere, meaning to seize, the same root behind 'raptor.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enraptured
Enraptured derives from the verb "enrapture," formed in English from the prefix en- plus "rapture." Rapture itself comes from the Latin raptura, meaning a seizing or carrying away, from rapere, to seize. The underlying image is of being carried off or seized by overwhelming emotion, a sense preserved in related words such as rapt and ravish. The adjective has been used since roughly the early modern period to describe people transported by joy or beauty.
Related word forms
How enraptured is actually used
"Enraptured" carries a formal or literary register and is almost always used predicatively or attributively with positive connotation; it suggests a deep, almost transcendent absorption rather than casual enjoyment.
Easily confused with enraptured
"Rapped" is the past tense of the verb meaning to strike sharply or perform rap music, whereas "enraptured" means filled with intense delight.