Dictionary

ravenous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɹævənəs/

Etymology

From Middle English ravenous, ravynous, from Old French ravineus. By surface analysis, ravin + -ous. As seen at raven and ravin, the word comes from a root referring to predation, not from the root referring to ravens (corvid birds); but folk etymology notes that the latter hypothesis seems plausible because ravens can often seem ravenous (especially as nestlings).

Meanings

1. Very hungry.
   • You must remember no one had eaten a thing for several days. They were ravenous. So for a while there was no conversation at all. There was only the sound of crunching and chewing as the animals attacked the succulent food. 1970, Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, page 58:
   • Biotics possess extraordinary abilities, but they must live with minor inconveniences. The most obvious issue is getting adequate nutrition. Creating biotic mass effects takes such a toll on metabolism that active biotics develop ravenous appetites. The standard Alliance combat ration for a soldier is 3000 calories per day; biotics are given 4500, as well as a canteen of potent energy drink for quick refreshment after hard combat. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Biotics: Life as a Biotic Codex entry:
   • Ravenous, I order one more wine and a selection of cheese and biscuits. 2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 43:
   • The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. There is something humiliating about it. 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
2. Greedy, characterized by strong desires.
   • Tilling my own grave to keep me level Jam another dragon down the hole Digging to the rhythm and the echo of a solitary siren One that pushes me along and leaves me so Desperate and ravenous I'm so weak and powerless Over you 2003, “Weak and Powerless”, performed by A Perfect Circle, United States:
   • Mrs. Michael turned out to be a ravenous, fast-fading woman in a slashed skirt and a low blouse over an unappetising chest. While her husband did things in his shed, where he appeared to live, Pym inexpertly mixed the Yorkshire pudding and fought off her embraces... 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:
   • Supply-and-demand? One begins to be weary of such work. Leave all to egoism, to ravenous greed of money, of pleasure, of applause: — it is the Gospel of Despair! 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. IX, Working Aristocracy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book III (The Modern Worker):

Forms

Deriveds

ravenous hunger · ravenousness · ravenously

Relateds

voracious

Synonyms

starving

Translations (65)

de gefräßig (very hungry) · kls yazid (very hungry) · gd gionach (eager for prey or gratification) · ga gionach (very hungry) · br lontek (very hungry) · grc ὀξύπεινος (very hungry) · ang grǣdiġ (very hungry) · ru изголодавшийся (very hungry) · ka მძარცველური (very hungry) · pl zachłanny (very hungry) · grc πρόσπεινος (very hungry) · bg ла́ком (very hungry) · fi ahne (eager for prey or gratification) · ota اوبور (very hungry) · io devorema (very hungry) · mi warawara (very hungry) · ca voraç (very hungry) · fr avide (eager for prey or gratification) · ca famèlic (very hungry) · pt faminto (very hungry) · mi pakaroa (very hungry) · ia devorante (very hungry) · sh халапљив (very hungry) · ga cíocrach (very hungry) · pt guloso (very hungry) · ro flămând (very hungry) · fi sudennälkäinen (very hungry) · pt voraz (very hungry) · it affamato (very hungry) · sh прождрљив (very hungry) · pt sedento (very hungry) · gd craosach (very hungry) · es ávido de presa (eager for prey or gratification) · pl żarłoczny (very hungry) · pt famélico (very hungry) · uk ненаже́рливий (very hungry) · eo englutema (very hungry) · pt ávido (very hungry) · nl uitgehongerd (very hungry) · es angurriento (very hungry) · gl esfameado (very hungry) · gd gionach (very hungry) · pt ávido (eager for prey or gratification) · la vorax (very hungry) · gl famento (very hungry) · mi whakapakari (very hungry) · it famelico (very hungry) · el λιμασμένος (very hungry) · it vorace (very hungry) · bg грабителски (eager for prey or gratification) · hu farkaséhes (very hungry) · ro vorace (very hungry) · ota قورساقسز (very hungry) · fr vorace (very hungry) · sv svulten (very hungry) · ga aimirneach (very hungry) · fr affamé (very hungry) · hu falánk (very hungry) · sh proždrljiv (very hungry) · oc famelic (very hungry) · de ausgehungert (very hungry) · sh halapljiv (very hungry) · bg хищен (eager for prey or gratification) · cs vyhladovělý (very hungry) · de heißhungrig (very hungry)