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
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.
For seven years, Michael Polsky has been trying to build a high-voltage power line from the windswept prairies of Kansas to the ravenous electrical grids of the Midwest and East Coast. Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025 The one 49ers player who was perhaps hardest hit by the ravenous injury bug was running back Christian McCaffrey. Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025 The first four episodes of season 2 crept onto Netflix earlier this month, throwing our favorite heartless teenager (played by Jenna Ortega) headfirst into a new mystery, complete with secret experiments, ravenous zombies, and a spat of unsettling bird murders. Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Berg also interviews Buckley’s bandmates and peers, like guitarist Michael Tighe, drummer Matt Johnson, Aimee Mann, and Ben Harper, and each of them speaks of Buckley’s ravenous and eclectic musical appetite. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ravenous

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

Cite this Entry

“Ravenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravenous. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on ravenous

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