ravish

verb

rav·​ish ˈra-vish 

ravished; ravishing; ravishes

transitive verb

1

a

: to seize and take away by violence

b

: to overcome with emotion (such as joy or delight)

ravished by the scenic beauty

c

: rape entry 1 sense 1

2

: plunder, rob

ravisher noun

ravishment

ˈra-vish-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• delight
• enthral
• please
• enrapture
• fascinate
• satisfy
• enchant
• enthrall
• entrance
• transport
• rapture
• carry away

Examples of ravish in a Sentence

invaders guilty of murdering and ravishing villagers

travelers have long been ravished with wonder and awe by the immensity of the Great Pyramid at Giza

Recent Examples on the Web

Actually, a few different moods: The eerie mundanity of Twin Peaks, the ravishing neo-noir of Blue Velvet, the twisted romance of Mulholland Drive, the uproarious spectacle of Wild at Heart. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025

With ravishing Venus charging up your 10th house of authority and career and powerhouse Pluto hovering over your eighth house of intimacy, expect a spicy shake-up in your personal and professional life. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025

But even when the storytelling falters, the film’s pulse beats steady in its ravishing iPhone cinematography, credited to Ko-Chin Chen and Tzu-Hao Kao. —Jessica Kiang, Variety, 15 May 2025

After this, the former’s reputation as a ravishing period drama regular was firmly cemented. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ravisshen "to seize forcefully, plunder, carry away, carry off (a woman) in order to sexually assault her, seize as prey, carry up (into heaven), enrapture, sweep along," borrowed from Anglo-French raviss-, stem of ravir (also continental Old & Middle French), going back to Vulgar Latin *rapīre, re-formation of Latin rapere "to seize and carry off, take away by force, carry off a woman with the intent of sexually assaulting her, carry or sweep along, impel forcibly (to a course of conduct), snatch up, gather quickly" — more at rapid entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for ravish

• lavish

Kids Definition

ravish

verb

rav·​ish ˈrav-ish 

1

: to seize and take away by violence

2

: rape sense 2

3

: to overcome with a feeling and especially a feeling of joy or delight

ravisher noun

Legal Definition

ravish

transitive verb

rav·​ish ˈra-vish 

: rape

ravishment noun

Etymology

Middle English, to seize and take away by violence, from Middle French raviss-, stem of ravir, ultimately from Latin rapere to seize, rob