1 ravish | Definition of ravish

ravish

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

Definition of ravish

transitive verb

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

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Other Words from ravish

ravisher noun
ravishment \ ˈra-​vish-​mÉ™nt How to pronounce ravishment (audio) \ noun

Synonyms for ravish

Synonyms

assault, force, rape, violate

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Examples of ravish in a Sentence

tales of Caribbean pirates who abducted fair maidens and ravished them without mercy travelers have long been ravished with wonder and awe by the immensity of the Great Pyramid at Giza

Recent Examples on the Web

My clients’ ravishing daughters started wearing them as everyday dresses or for going to parties, off-the-shoulder and belted, with flat sandals or high heels or boots. Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, "A Century-Old Florentine Atelier Looks to the Future With Its First Resort Collection," 14 June 2019 Jupiter ravished Leda as a swan and carried off Ganymede as an eagle. Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "Review: Getty Villa’s ‘Buried by Vesuvius’ is exquisite and, at times, explicit," 3 July 2019 Set during China’s Three Kingdoms era (A.D. 220-280), this action extravaganza ravishes the retina with only a narrow segment of spectrum. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, "‘Shadow’ Review: Not Everything Is Black and White," 2 May 2019 Valentino Haute Couture also provided Tessa Thompson with a definitive go-big-or-go-home dress in ravishing chartreuse. Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "10 Best Dressed: Week of December 3, 2018," 3 Dec. 2018 Little served only three months in jail after being convicted of assault with the intent to ravish-rape for the crime in December 1976. Kyle Swenson, The Seattle Times, "Elderly prisoner claims he’s America’s deadliest serial killer with 90 victims. Police believe him.," 20 Nov. 2018 On a lightning visit to Venice almost two decades ago, I was swept into the magic of the Hotel Gritti Palace, a 14th-century Venetian Gothic palazzo converted, back in the 1940s, into a ravishing small hotel. Jean Bond Rafferty, Town & Country, "Dispatches from the Renaissance," 17 Dec. 2012 Fans who tune in to be ravished by the show’s psychedelia and then dissect it on Reddit will be satisfied, and skeptics who see Hawley as a mascot for the excesses of peak TV may still do so. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Does Legion Have a Soul?," 4 Apr. 2018 Violence, famine and disease have ravished the country of some 28 million, which was already the Arab world’s poorest before the conflict began. Washington Post, "War leaves Yemen’s Aden hollowed-out shadow of former self," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ravish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ravish

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

History and Etymology for ravish

Middle English ravisshen, from Anglo-French raviss-, stem of ravir, from Vulgar Latin *rapire, alteration of Latin rapere to seize, rob — more at rapid

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More Definitions for ravish

ravish

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

Kids Definition of ravish

1 : to seize and take away by force
2 : to fill with joy or delight
rav·​ish | \ ˈra-vish How to pronounce ravish (audio) \

Legal Definition of ravish

: rape

Other Words from ravish

ravishment noun

History and Etymology for ravish

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on ravish

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with ravish

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ravish

Spanish Central: Translation of ravish

Nglish: Translation of ravish for Spanish Speakers