ravish

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

UK /ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/ See IPA manual

Freq #47919

Meanings

1

verb
To fill someone with intense delight; to enchant

The audience was ravished by the singer's stunning performance.
2

verb
To force someone to have sex against their will; to rape

In the old legend, the knight is accused of trying to ravish the maiden.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to fill someone with... transport

2 verb · to force someone to have... rape outrage

More abripe

Word family

Forms ravishedravishesravishingravishingly

Derived forms enravishravishableravisheeravisherravishingravishment

Related forms rape usurp

Simplified etymology

Ravish entered English in the Middle English period from Old French ravir. The source says that the Old French form repere was changed to ravir and places this history in the word family associated with Latin rapere “seize.”

Etymology

From Middle English ravyschen, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ravis-, present participle stem of ravir (“to seize; to take away hastily”), from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere. See also rape.

ravyschen Middle English *rapire la-vul rapere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# ravish

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 47919

## Meanings
1. To fill someone with intense delight; to enchant
2. To force someone to have sex against their will; to rape

## Examples
- The audience was ravished by the singer's stunning performance.
- In the old legend, the knight is accused of trying to ravish the maiden.

## Synonyms
- abripe

## Derived Forms
- enravish
- ravishable
- ravishee
- ravisher
- ravishing
- ravishment

## Related Forms
- rape
- usurp

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ravyschen
- Root: *rapire
- Root: rapere

## Etymology
From Middle English ravyschen, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ravis-, present participle stem of ravir (“to seize; to take away hastily”), from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere. See also rape.

## AI Etymology
Ravish is from Middle English ravyschen, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ravis-, present participle stem of ravir (“to seize; to take away hastily”), from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere. See also rape. Important recorded forms include ravyschen (Middle English), *rapire (la-vul), and rapere (Latin). Current senses include to fill someone with intense delight; to enchant and to force someone to have sex against their will; to rape. The wider family includes derived forms such as enravish, ravishable, ravishee, ravisher, and ravishing and related words such as rape and usurp.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown