3 syllables: Ec, sta, tic. Stress on sta.
ek-STAT-ik
/ɛkˈstætɪk/
Ecstatic is pronounced ek-STAT-ik (/ɛkˈstætɪk/). It has three syllables (Ec-sta-tic), with the stress on "sta". Ecstatic means feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joy, often to an intense, almost trance-like degree. It conveys a high-intensity emotional state and is typically used for moments of great delight or fervent excitement. The term can function as both an adjective and, less commonly, as a noun in formal or literary contexts. (2–4 sentences, 50–80 words).
nounEcstatic means feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joy, often to an intense, almost trance-like degree. It conveys a high-intensity emotional state and is typically used for moments of great delight or fervent excitement. The term can function as both an adjective and, less commonly, as a noun in formal or literary contexts. (2–4 sentences, 50–80 words)
How to Pronounce Ecstatic
"The crowd was ecstatic when the team won the championship."
"She gave an ecstatic smile as she opened the surprise gift."
"They were ecstatic about the news of the engagement."
Say it as eK-STÂ-tik, with primary stress on the second syllable: /ɪkˈstætɪk/. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ in the first syllable, then a bright /æ/ in the stressed second syllable, and finish with /tɪk/. The initial vowel is reduced, the second syllable carries the peak intensity. Audio references: You can compare with dictionaries or video tutorials for US /ɪkˈstætɪk/ or UK /ɪkˈstætɪk/ deliveries and listen for the crisp /kt/ cluster around the middle.
Two frequent errors: (1) unstressed second syllable mispronounced as /ˈɛsta-/, flattening the /æ/ to a schwa; (2) conflating with ‘static’ by misplacing /ɪk/ and reducing the first syllable to /ɪ/. Correct by practicing the clear /æ/ in the stressed syllable and keeping the final /tɪk/ crisp, ensuring the /kt/ cluster lands together rather than as separate sounds.
In US and UK, the primary stress remains on the second syllable, but vowel qualities differ: US /ɪkˈstætɪk/ has a slightly more lax /ɪ/ and a tenser /æ/; UK often features a slightly shorter /ɪ/ and a crisper /t/; Australian tends toward a more centralized first vowel, with a bright /æ/ and clear /tɪk/. Rhoticity is not a factor here; focus on vowel height and consonant crispness.
The word combines a light initial vowel (/ɪ/) with a strong secondary stress and a consonant cluster /kt/ in the middle, which can be challenging for non-native speakers to articulate quickly and cleanly. The key difficulties are maintaining a distinct /æ/ in the stressed syllable and landing the /kt/ sequence without intrusive vowels or vowel deletion. With practice, you’ll place the tongue for /æ/ and put a quick, precise stop on /t/ before /ɪk/.
The word’s second syllable contains /stæ/ where the tongue blade rises to the alveolar ridge for /t/; the preceding /k/ must not slide into /t/—keep /kt/ as a clean cluster. Watch for a slight vowel narrowing in rapid speech, which can turn /æ/ toward a more centralized vowel in some speakers. Practicing with minimal pairs that highlight /æ/ vs /e/ and maintaining clear /kt/ helps fix this consistently.
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Ecstatic comes from the Greek word ekstasis, from ek- ‘out, away’ + histanai ‘to place, to stand.’ The term moved into Latin as ecstaticus, then into late Latin and Old French, carrying the sense of ‘driven out of oneself’ or ‘in a state of ecstasy.’ In English, medieval and early modern usage emphasized religious or transcendental rapture, later broadening to general intense joy. The root ekstasis also parallels related terms like ecstasy and ecstatic, with the modern sense solidifying in the 17th–19th centuries as secular language adopted a heightened emotional register. First known use in English dates to the 16th century, expanding in the 18th–19th centuries into literary and rhetorical contexts describing extreme happiness or fervor.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Ecstatic" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Ecstatic" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Ecstatic"
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