ravenous

[ rav-uh-nuhs ]

/ ˈræv ə nəs /

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See synonyms for: ravenous / ravenousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

extremely hungry; famished; voracious: feeling ravenous after a hard day's work.

extremely rapacious: a ravenous jungle beast.

intensely eager for gratification or satisfaction.

OTHER WORDS FOR ravenous

1 greedy, starved, devouring.

2 predatory.

See synonyms for ravenous on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR ravenous

1 sated.

See antonyms for ravenous on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of ravenous

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French ravineus, equivalent to ravin(er) “to plunder” (See raven²) + -eus-ous

synonym study for ravenous

1. Ravenous, ravening, voracious suggest a greediness for food and usually intense hunger. Ravenous implies extreme hunger, or a famished condition: ravenous wild beasts. Ravening adds the idea of fierceness and savagery, especially as shown in a violent manner of acquiring food: ravening wolves. Voracious implies craving or eating a great deal of food: a voracious child; a voracious appetite. It may also be used figuratively: a voracious reader.

OTHER WORDS FROM ravenous

rav·en·ous·ly, adverbrav·en·ous·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ravenous

ravenous , ravening (see synonym study at the current entry)

Words nearby ravenous

raveling, ravelment, raven, ravening, Ravenna, ravenous, raver, rave-up, Ravi, ravigote, ravin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT RAVENOUS

What does ravenous mean?

Ravenous means extremely hungry, as in After being unable to eat solid foods for a week, Isaac was now ravenous.

Ravenous in this sense is often used figuratively. You might be hungry but not literally starving and still describe yourself as ravenous.

Ravenous also means extremely greedy or predatory. It’s especially used to describe predatory animals, but it’s also used to describe people. Ravenous people may be greedy for riches, fame, or something else that they think will give them satisfaction if they have a lot of it. (Whether they can ever be satisfied is another discussion.)

Example: After a long day hiking up the mountain, the hikers were ravenous, inhaling their dinner in a matter of minutes.

Where does ravenous come from?

The first records of the term ravenous come from around the late 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Old French ravin(er), meaning “to plunder.” Being literally ravenous might cause a person to steal in order to eat.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to ravenous?

ravenously (adverb)
ravenousness (noun)

What are some synonyms for ravenous?

What are some words that share a root or word element with ravenous?

What are some words that often get used in discussing ravenous?

How is ravenous used in real life?

Ravenous is a fairly common word used literally to mean “extremely hungry.” In its figurative sense, it’s used to mean “greedy.”

OMG, it was an invasion of Ruby-crowned Kinglets in Central Park this afternoon! And they looked absolutely ravenous. These were spotted at the Wildflower Meadow and on a handrail above the Harlem Meer. #birdcp pic.twitter.com/wkyg8EzItp

— Above_96th (@Above96th) October 28, 2020

On the Californian turned princess & what she and her husband have announced:
36 — age of Diana upon her death
35 — Harry's age
37 — William's, Kate's age
38 — Meghan's age

That jolt of awareness— "I am the ~same age she was when…" and 3+ decades experience w ravenous press

— Susan A. Kitchens 🗳 Patience! Count ALL the votes (@susankitchens) January 9, 2020

she laughed a laugh that sounded so pure and so sweet it would sooth any ravenous beast

— ͏͏͏͏͏ (@kaitlynamethyst) October 21, 2022

Try using ravenous!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of ravenous?

A. satisfied
B. insatiable
C. rapacious
D. voracious

How to use ravenous in a sentence

As a 4-year-old, Brad Parks was so ravenous for “The Monster at the End of This Book” that his older brother — facing endless requests to read the story — finally recorded a version on an audio cassette.
50 years later, ‘The Monster at the End of This Book’ is still selling — and inspiring authors|Danny Freedman|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
According to Flourish Klink, SM ’10, that term describes a community of people who build their own world—lovingly, and also sometimes critically—around whatever piece of pop culture makes them ravenous for more.
The keys to the fandom|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Each of them has raised their IPO price ranges in recent days in anticipation of ravenous market demand.
The pandemic created the hottest IPO market of all time|Nicolás Rivero|December 8, 2020|Quartz
I’ve never been more ravenous for information than while learning about hunting.
The Beginner's Guide to Hunting|Ian Fohrman|October 30, 2020|Outside Online

For one thing, Shimada says, its ravenous metabolism would need to fundamentally change.
Could an ancient megashark still lurk in the deep seas?|By Riley Black|October 15, 2020|Popular-Science
Still, Sailor Moon fans are always ravenous for new content, especially after such a long time away.
‘Sailor Moon’ Is an Oasis for Superheroes Who Can Save the Universe in Heels|Rich Goldstein|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was like throwing a pack of ravenous dogs a side of raw meat.
The Absurd Case Against Sonia Gandhi|Dilip D’Souza|October 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Many French leaders have been famous for an almost-ravenous sexual appetite.
Vladimir Putin on Group Sex & More Sex Talk by World Leaders|The Daily Beast|September 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was an irresistible feast for ravenous culture warriors on both sides.
Augusta’s Weird Culture War Ends With Membership for Rice, Moore|Michelle Cottle|August 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Franco, the perpetual and ravenous learner, would get straight A's from any of those teachers.
The Yes List||August 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He rushed with ravenous eagerness at every bait which was offered to his cupidity.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
One set of writers described him as the most ravenous of all the plunderers of the poor overtaxed nation.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
They forgot that they were ravenous, that their backs ached and that their hands were scratched and torn.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle|Laura Lee Hope
The foam and the fangs and the flowers,The raving and ravenous rage Of a poet as pinion'd in powersAs a condor confined in a cage!
The Book of Humorous Verse|Various
About midnight he awakened and was aware at once of a ravenous hunger.
The Highgrader|William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for ravenous

ravenous

/ (ˈrævənəs) /

adjective

famished; starving

rapacious; voracious

Derived forms of ravenous

ravenously, adverbravenousness, noun

Word Origin for ravenous

C16: from Old French ravineux, from Latin rapīna plunder, from rapere to seize

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ravenous

OTHER WORDS FOR ravenous

OPPOSITES FOR ravenous

Origin of ravenous

synonym study for ravenous

OTHER WORDS FROM ravenous

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ravenous

Words nearby ravenous

MORE ABOUT RAVENOUS

What does ravenous mean?

Where does ravenous come from?

Did you know … ?

How is ravenous used in real life?

Try using ravenous!

Words related to ravenous

How to use ravenous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ravenous

Derived forms of ravenous

Word Origin for ravenous