(music) a free instrumental composition in one extended movement; typically emotional or exuberant in character
"The orchestra premiered a sweeping rhapsody that captured the wild energy of the storm."
(in ancient Greece) an epic poem adapted for recitation
"The bard performed a rhapsody, weaving together fragments of older epics into a single continuous narrative for the audience."
An ancient Greek epic poem (or part of one) suitable for uninterrupted recitation.
"The scholar carefully restored the missing lines to complete the rhapsody, ensuring it could be performed as a continuous narrative without interruption."
In plain English: A rhapsody is an expressive and emotional piece of music that often tells a story through its melodies.
"The audience broke into an enthusiastic rhapsody when their favorite band finally took the stage."
Usage: Do not use this word to describe modern music or general enthusiasm, as it specifically refers to an ancient Greek epic poem designed for continuous recitation without interruption. In contemporary contexts where you mean a musical piece expressing wild emotion, the correct term is "rhapsody" in its later artistic sense rather than its original literary definition.
The noun is derived from Latin rhapsōdia ("part of an epic poem suitable for uninterrupted recitation"), from Koine Greek ῥαψῳδία (rhapsōidía, "part of an epic poem suitable for uninterrupted recitation; rigmarole"), Ancient Greek ῥαψῳδία (rhapsōidía, "composition or recitation of Epic poetry"), from ῥαψῳδός (rhapsōidós, "composer or performer of Epic poetry") + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns).