ecstasy definition - Dictionary

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ecstasy

ec·sta·sy [ ékstəssee ] (plural ec·sta·sies)

noun

Definition:

1. intense delight: a feeling of intense delight

an evening of pure ecstasy

went into ecstasies over the photos

2. intense feeling or activity: a feeling or activity characterized by its extreme intensity

an ecstasy of remorse

3. illegal recreational drug: an illegal drug used as a stimulant and relaxer of inhibitions. C₁₁H₁₅NO₂

4. psychology loss of self-control: a mental state, usually caused by intense religious experience, sexual pleasure, or drugs, in which somebody is so dominated by an emotion that self-control and sometimes consciousness are lost

[14th century. Via French< Greek ekstasis< existanai "displace, drive out (of your mind)" < histanai "put"]

Cultural Note


	The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, a sculpture (1645-1652) by Italian artist Gianlorenzo Bernini. An altarpiece in the Cornaro Chapel in the church of Santa Maria Della Vittoria in Rome, it depicts a vision experienced by the Spanish saint Theresa during which an angel pierced her heart with a golden arrow, causing pain but also intense religious rapture.