Meaning & use
ecstatic
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Filled with intense joy or excitement, far beyond ordinary happiness.
Grammar: Usually follows a linking verb and often takes about or over: she was ecstatic about the news.
Patterns
- ecstatic about something
- ecstatic at something
- ecstatic to do something
The twins were ecstatic when they heard the trip was back on.
He was ecstatic about getting the job after months of searching.
A crowd of ecstatic fans rushed onto the field.
Word forms
| comparative | more ecstatic |
|---|---|
| superlative | most ecstatic |
Common combinations
- absolutely ecstatic
- We were absolutely ecstatic when the baby arrived.
- ecstatic reception
- The band got an ecstatic reception in Madrid.
- ecstatic about
- She is ecstatic about her promotion.
- ecstatic crowd
- The ecstatic crowd sang along to every song.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overjoyed
- Overjoyed stresses delight at a specific event, while ecstatic can also suggest wild, visible excitement.
- elated
- Elated suggests a lifted, triumphant mood, often after success, and is a little calmer than ecstatic.
- thrilled
- Thrilled is more everyday and can describe mild excitement, so it is weaker than ecstatic.
Opposites
Word family
- ecstasy noun
- a state of overwhelming joy
- ecstatically adverb
- in a wildly joyful way
Commonly confused: ecstatic or static?
ecstatic vs static
Static means not moving or changing; it only shares the ending with ecstatic.
Practice
When the lottery numbers matched her ticket, Mara was ______ and could not stop laughing.
Choose one answer.
Ecstatic fits intense, uncontrollable joy. Content and satisfied are too mild, and relieved describes the end of worry, not wild happiness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ecstatic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.