Definition of RAVENOUS

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

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.

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 Every winter they are still being thrown hard frozen to the ravenous dogs of the Yukon and Kuskokwim valleys ... — Anchorage Daily News, "The Alaska blackfish is in a class of its own," 28 Dec. 2019 But skeptics like Gostin have reason to doubt that Google’s data-ravenous operating style is compatible with the sensitive business of healthcare. — Wired, "AI Could Reinvent Medicine—Or Become a Patient's Nightmare," 19 Sep. 2019 Willamette Valley winemakers in attendance discussed September rains and pressure from mold, mildew and ravenous birds. — Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "‘Just Pressed’ offers first taste of Oregon’s 2019 wine vintage," 14 Dec. 2019 In place of damp meadows, narrow winding roads and ravenous hunger, the setting is a series of abstract backdrops that hint at a windy moor; the obstacles Jane faces on her route are the men of the Joffrey Ballet. — Lauren Warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Joffrey’s cast is terrific in ‘Jane Eyre,’ but bring your crib sheet," 17 Oct. 2019 There's no shame in losing to Jurgen Klopp's ravenous Liverpool outfit, with Newcastle once again causing problems for supposedly-better teams. — SI.com, "Newcastle vs Brighton Preview: Where to Watch, Buy Tickets, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News," 18 Sep. 2019 Everything the megaproducer does requires extra exclamation points, and no single season of his far-flung projects captured his ravenous roidcamp sensibility better than my No. — Darren Franich, EW.com, "The best TV shows of the decade," 5 Dec. 2019 Hundreds of ravenous goats that munched brush that would have fueled the approaching fire. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "5 things to know for October 31: Fires, N. Korea, impeachment, car makers, Facebook," 31 Oct. 2019 And for now, that is what this is: a legend, embryonic in nature, ambitious in tone, and sufficiently vague to allow a ravenous fan base to project its hopes and dreams. — Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, "Gardner Minshew Will Convince You," 24 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ravenous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ravenous.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravenous. Accessed 18 January 2020.