verb
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(often passive) to give great delight to; enrapture
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to rape
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archaic to carry off by force
Other Word Forms
- ravishedly adverb
- ravisher noun
- ravishment noun
- unravished adjective
Etymology
Origin of ravish
1250–1300; Middle English ravishen < Middle French raviss-, long stem of ravir to seize ≪ Latin rapere; rape 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Adriana” examines the way war ravishes love and the sacrifices required to maintain equanimity.
From Los Angeles Times
But in 2020, as the coronavirus ravishes black America disproportionately, as economic uncertainty wrought by the pandemic strains black pocketbooks, and as police brutality continues to devastate black families, Juneteenth is a day of protest.
From Seattle Times
Yes, these were supposed to be star-crossed adolescent lovers, but after the two kissed, Gheorghiu, subdued and seductive, sang, "your voice ravishes my senses," and we believed her.
From Los Angeles Times
Virgin Islands for years redirected money intended to help pay insurance claims after large disasters for other needs, raising the vulnerability of residents as Hurricane Irma ravishes the territory.
From Reuters
It will be fun to see at later performances whether so much deliberate sweetness cloys or ravishes or both.
From New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
