ravish

verb

rav·​ish ˈra-vish How to pronounce ravish (audio)
ravished; ravishing; ravishes

transitive verb

1
a
: to seize and take away by violence
b
: to overcome with emotion (such as joy or delight)
ravished by the scenic beauty
2
ravisher noun
ravishment noun

Examples of ravish in a Sentence

invaders guilty of murdering and ravishing villagers travelers have long been ravished with wonder and awe by the immensity of the Great Pyramid at Giza
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trending on Billboard While many benefits take several weeks, if not months, to plan, Concert for Carolina was held less than a month after the worst natural disaster to ever hit North Carolina ravished mountain towns, including Asheville and Boone, and left close to 100 people dead. Melinda Newman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024 Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was ravishing in red while walking in L’Oréal Paris’s Paris Fashion Week runway on Monday. Violet Goldstone, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 The fresh, vegetable-forward menu changes daily, but many of the ravishing desserts tend to stay, including a signature spiced rum chocolate cake. Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2024 Bleating goats, barking dogs, and buck-buck-bucking chickens only add to the land’s rustic charm and ravishing natural beauty. Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ravish 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ravisshen "to seize forcefully, plunder, carry away, carry off (a woman) in order to sexually assault her, seize as prey, carry up (into heaven), enrapture, sweep along," borrowed from Anglo-French raviss-, stem of ravir (also continental Old & Middle French), going back to Vulgar Latin *rapīre, re-formation of Latin rapere "to seize and carry off, take away by force, carry off a woman with the intent of sexually assaulting her, carry or sweep along, impel forcibly (to a course of conduct), snatch up, gather quickly" — more at rapid entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ravish was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ravish

Cite this Entry

“Ravish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravish. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ravish

verb
rav·​ish ˈrav-ish How to pronounce ravish (audio)
1
: to seize and take away by violence
2
3
: to overcome with a feeling and especially a feeling of joy or delight
ravisher noun

Legal Definition

ravish

transitive verb
rav·​ish ˈra-vish How to pronounce ravish (audio)
: rape
ravishment noun
Etymology

Middle English, to seize and take away by violence, from Middle French raviss-, stem of ravir, ultimately from Latin rapere to seize, rob

More from Merriam-Webster on ravish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!