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.
And hey, did you know that the word “raptor”—which is often used to describe birds of prey—comes from the Latin verb rapio, which means to plunder, rob, ravish, or abduct?
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026
“It’s going to completely ravish natural stands,” said Jenny Kimball, a professor of agronomy and plant genetics at the University of Minnesota.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2022
Le Mans ’66 was never merely a matter of speed and pride; it was also, in retrospect, a contest to ravish the eye.
From The New Yorker • Nov. 8, 2019
This is a movie that tries to ravish your senses so thoroughly you may not notice its sleights of hand.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2016
Someone who can ravish my heart with the flames of love.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
