ravenous

adjective

rav·​en·​ous ˈra-və-nəs 

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.

Synonyms of ravenous

• greedy
• hungry
• voracious
• starving

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

San Francisco real estate agent Butch Haze of Compass has seen tech booms followed by ravenous bursts of homebuying since the first internet gold rush of the late 1990s. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026

The reading drew a ravenous crowd packing the modestly sized Lower East Side storefront so tight that beads of sweat might as well have begun dripping from the walls. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026

If one team gets really ravenous for Rust and offers a significant package, Dubas will pull the trigger. — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 16 June 2026

Singing almost exclusively in Creole, B0YG1RL’s Vinette attacks nearly everything in his wake with ravenous intent. — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026

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 note at raven entry 3.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ravenous

• ravenous appetite

Kids Definition

ravenous

adjective

rav·​en·​ous ˈrav-(ə-)nəs 

: very eager for food or satisfaction

ravenously adverb

ravenousness noun