ravish

1
as in to delight
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight) travelers have long been ravished with wonder and awe by the immensity of the Great Pyramid at Giza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to violate
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent invaders guilty of murdering and ravishing villagers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ravish Shakespeare in Love opened on December 11 to ravishing reviews. Liz McNeil, People.com, 16 July 2025 Slim Aarons took images of bronzed, oily bodies and ravishing clifftop meals. Richard Godwin, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2025 Across their first three albums, Durand Jones & The Indications have delved into sounds from decades past to create a fusion of heartbreaking jazz, ravishing soul and electrifying disco. Taylor Mims, Billboard, 23 June 2025 In both his fiction, including the ravishing short-story collection Maggie Brown & Others, and his essays, Orner mulls over his experiences growing up Jewish in Chicago and its North Shore suburbs, a milieu rife with struggle, longing, anger, secrets, lies, and love. Donna Seaman june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for ravish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ravish
Verb
  • It’s left supporters on Capitol Hill delighted, frustrated, or wondering what’s next.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Monteverde’s cloud forest is a haven for nature lovers, with canopy walks and wildlife encounters that will delight young and old alike.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Polish airspace was violated by at least 19 Russian drones overnight, the country's prime minister said, in a torrent of activity that triggered a response from the NATO country's air force, which scrambled and downed several of the drones.
    Will Gretsky, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In a 21-page ruling, Talwani found that ICE holding an 18-year-old migrant arrested on charges of shoplifting without a bond hearing violated his due process rights.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Each new company will be under pressure to cut costs to please Wall Street, reinforcing the very short-term thinking that got Kraft Heinz into trouble in the first place.
    Hank Cardello, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The character became shorthand for difficult-to-please bosses no matter the industry, and Streep earned one of her many Oscar nominations for her performance.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This enrapturing novel follows the fever dream aftermath of an author who wins a national literary award while another author visits a university that’s just experienced a mass shooting.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Last winter, Khamari parted ways with RCA, citing creative differences, and joined forces with independent record label Encore Recordings ahead of his new full-length, the enrapturing To Dry a Tear.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
  • That kind of content always fascinated me, both sides of it, actually, the victimology and the perpetrator’s perspective.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To satisfy this demand, Nebius will supply Microsoft with dedicated capacity from a new data center located in Vineland, New Jersey, starting later this year.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Other tasters agreed these anchovies had a meaty texture, which made each fillet a satisfying several bites.
    Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • However, Labyrinth has since become a beloved cult favorite, continuing to enchant and delight viewers.
    Logan Karlie September 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Then the picture begins to blur before coming back into clear focus to reveal Novak, still enchanting at 92, standing in a room filled with her paintings.
    Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is not enthralled with the way the team has handled his contract status.
    Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Not everyone has been enthralled by this development.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ravish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ravish. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ravish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!