ravish
[rav-ish]
- to fill with strong emotion, especially joy.
- to seize and carry off by force.
- to carry off (a woman) by force.
- to rape (a woman).
Show More
Origin of ravish
1250–1300; Middle English ravishen < Middle French raviss-, long stem of ravir to seize ≪ Latin rapere; see rape1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for ravish on Thesaurus.com1. enrapture, transport, enthrall, delight, captivate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for ravish
Contemporary Examples
Next they wanted to know if Hill had told "the black men to ravish all the white women."
Historical Examples
It was, indeed, filled with all that might dazzle and ravish the sight.
Traditions of the North American Indians, Vol. 3 (of 3)James Athearn Jones
What war could ravish, commerce could bestow, And he returned a friend, who came a foe.
Essay on ManAlexander Pope
I will engage them conversationally and ravish them with erect and quivering adjectives.
Fantazius MallareBen Hecht
The danger that England or France might ravish it away from us came to the fore.
The War With Mexico, Volume II (of 2)Justin H. Smith
The law of rape, until 1849, used these words: "If any man do ravish a woman," &c.
A Defence of VirginiaRobert L. Dabney
ravish
- (often passive) to give great delight to; enrapture
- to rape
- archaic to carry off by force
Show More
Word Origin
C13: from Old French ravir, from Latin 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
Word Origin and History for ravish
v.
c.1300, "to seize (someone) by violence, carry (a person, especially a woman) away," from Old French raviss-, present participle stem of ravir "to seize, take away hastily," from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere "to seize and carry off, carry away suddenly, hurry away" (see rapid). Meaning "to commit rape upon" is recorded from mid-15c. Related: Ravished; ravishing.
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper