ravenous

adjective

rav·en·ous | \ ˈra-və-nəs

, ˈrav-nəs\

Definition of ravenous

1 : rapacious ravenous wolves

2 : very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification a ravenous appetite

Other Words from ravenous Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym ravishing or ravenous? More Example Sentences Learn More about ravenous

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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

Now that same shadow cascades onto the tiny, ravenous 1-year-old who has taken up residence in my heart and my kitchen. — Nestor Ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "Will my genes doom my young daughter to a weight problem?," 31 Jan. 2018 Previously, only the GTX 1080 Ti and swanky Titan-class hardware could feed the ravenous displays. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti are loaded with boundary-pushing graphics tech," 20 Aug. 2018 Some of it is more open to interpretation: Is the three-headed dog behind her supposed to be Cerberus, the ravenous creature who guards the underworld in Greek mythology? — Bonnie Stiernberg, Glamour, "Ariana Grande's 'God Is a Woman' Video Is an Incredible Manifesto for Empowering Female Sexuality," 14 July 2018 Its opening scene portrays Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) falling asleep at a party, only to wake up to an empty apartment and a mob of ravenous undead on the streets below. — Jason Zinoman, New York Times, "Review: In ‘The Night Eats the World,’ Zombie Apocalypse Now, Again," 12 July 2018 This is a movie about Gauguin that, in the end, is less about his artistry than his ravenous sensibility, his desire to break through to a new way of seeing. — Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti' chronicles Gauguin’s desire to see a new way," 13 July 2018 Pruitt fed Trump’s ravenous ego, became a confidant, and swung back at critics. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Why Scott Pruitt lasted so long at the EPA, and what finally did him in," 7 July 2018 May: In like ravenous rabbit, out like a roadkill squirrel. — Michael Heaton, cleveland.com, "A smart book about dumb sayings: Minister of Culture," 14 Mar. 2018 Zohr did not change the equation, because most of its production will stay at home to meet ravenous demand. — The Economist, "Egypt is optimistic about new gas discoveries in the Mediterranean," 5 July 2018

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.