Etymograph

English

ecstatic

Ecstatic comes from Ancient Greek ἐκστατικός ‘inclined to depart from’, from στατικός ‘causing to stand, coming to a standstill, rest’, and ultimately from ἐξίστημι ‘to displace’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐξίστημι1‘to displace’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστατικός1‘causing to stand, coming to a standstill, rest’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκστατικός2ekstatikós‘inclined to depart from’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1649ecstatic2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκστατικός
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English ecstatic
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1649, Henry Hammond: “this ecstatic fit of love and jealousy”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐξίστημιWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκστατικός‘to displace’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστατικόςWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκστατικός‘causing to stand, coming to a standstill, rest’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκστατικόςWiktionary, English ecstaticekstatikós‘inclined to depart from’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1649ecstaticWiktionary, English ecstatic. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1649, Henry Hammond: “this ecstatic fit of love and jealousy”

Equivalent to ecstasy + -tic

Ancient Greek ἐξίστημι ‘to displace’

Ancient Greek ἔκστασις ‘displacement from proper place’

Latin ecstasis ‘ecstasy, trance, rapture’

Old French estaise ‘ecstasy, rapture’

English ecstasy

Every English word from Ancient Greek ἐξίστημι

Today it means

adj Feeling or characterized by ecstasy.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ecstatic”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek ἐκστατικός. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἐξίστημι / ecstatic

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