ravenous

adjective

rav·​en·​ous ˈra-və-nəs How to pronounce ravenous (audio)
ˈrav-nəs
1
: rapacious
ravenous wolves
2
: very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification
a ravenous appetite
ravenously adverb
ravenousness noun

Did you know?

ravishing or ravenous?

Ravenous and ravishing are not synonyms, and mixing these two words may lead to potentially awkward writing or conversation. Ravenous is commonly used with the meaning “very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification,” and ravishing means “unusually attractive, pleasing, or striking.” If you find yourself hungry and standing in front of a spectacular-looking meal you would say (of the food) “that looks ravishing,” and (of yourself) “I am ravenous.” You may, of course, describe yourself as ravishing, but should be aware that you are commenting on your appearance rather than your hunger.

Choose the Right Synonym for ravenous

voracious, gluttonous, ravenous, rapacious mean excessively greedy.

voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

gluttonous applies to one who delights in eating or acquiring things especially beyond the point of necessity or satiety.

an admiral who was gluttonous for glory

ravenous implies excessive hunger and suggests violent or grasping methods of dealing with food or with whatever satisfies an appetite.

a nation with a ravenous lust for territorial expansion

rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

Examples of ravenous in a Sentence

By the time dinner was ready, we were ravenous. we were ravenous after our canoe paddling, and the chili bubbling over the campfire smelled heavenly
Recent Examples on the Web Related article Firefighters battling ‘monster’ Texas wildfire contend with strong winds and heat as residents grapple with lost homes Since igniting last Monday, the ravenous Smokehouse Creek Fire has incinerated more than 1 million acres of the Texas Panhandle and is still only 15% contained. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The black hole in the quasar is ravenous, consuming an amount of material equivalent to as much as 413 suns each year, according to New Scientist’s Alex Wilkins. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Although he’s promised to lay out a trail of breadcrumbs along the way, small morsels can’t ever fully satiate a ravenous hunger. Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024 Marx became ravenous for research on nature and communal forms of organization. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2024 What happened after the cash stopped? Were California’s grizzlies really ravenous meat eaters? Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024 But as that ravenous Thursday night proved, Anodyne’s pizza is often too good to leave leftovers. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 But fans of the brand — who tend to be teenagers and young women — have welcomed the stores with ravenous excitement. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2023 In the art-house consensus, the danger facing contemporary cinema is its artistic diminution brought about by the market dominance of commercially ravenous franchise films. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ravenous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ravynous, raveynous, from ravyn, raveyn "robbery, rapacity" + -ous -ous — more at ravin

Note: Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, ravynous, etc., may be a derivative of an unattested Middle English verb—see the note at raven entry 3.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ravenous was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near ravenous

Cite this Entry

“Ravenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravenous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ravenous

adjective
rav·​en·​ous ˈrav-(ə-)nəs How to pronounce ravenous (audio)
: very eager for food or satisfaction
ravenously adverb
ravenousness noun

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