ravenous
[ rav-uh-nuhs ]
/ ˈræv ə nəs /
adjective
SYNONYMS FOR ravenous
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of ravenous
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, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ravenous
ravenous , ravening (see synonym study at the current entry)Words nearby ravenous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for ravenous
ravenous
/ (ˈrævənəs) /
adjective
famished; starving
rapacious; voracious
Derived forms of ravenous
ravenously, adverbravenousness, nounWord Origin for ravenous
C16: from Old French ravineux, from Latin rapīna plunder, from rapere to seize
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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