Dictionary

ravish en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/ (UK)

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.

Meanings

1. (archaic, literary) To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force.
   • Again, he refers to "such ministers as discharge their ministry amiss; ravishing away the goods of the widows and fatherless; and serve themselves, not others out of those things which they have received. 1862, H. L. Hastings, Pauline Theology, page 61:
   • The French Government had not taken regular possession of it when the war with England broke out; and Bonaparte hastened to sell that Province to the Americans, who had already cast their eyes upon it, with the view both of preventing the English from ravishing it from him, and of procuring funds to carry on the war. 1901, Thomas Henry Dyer, A History of Modern Europe from the Fall of Constantinople: 1789-1815:
   • The Franks ravished it from Muslim hands in the first decade of the sixth century, and the eyes of Islam were swollen with weeping for it; it was one of its griefs. 2015, Alfred J. Andrea, The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Volume I: To 1500:
2. (qualifier:usually passive voice, transitive) To transport with joy or delight; to delight to ecstasy.
   • […] and whilst he is observing how beautifully they are adorned therewith, his heart is ravished with them. 1768, John Gill, An exposition of the book of Solomon's Song:
   • He tore at the pins in her hair to set her waves free so he could fist the fiery curls in his hand and hold her lips tight and still beneath his, relentlessly ravishing her kiss the same way he planned on ravishing her body. 2015, Anna Harrington, Dukes Are Forever:
   • That in things that do ravish with delight, men were not Masters of themselves, nor could they remember Gallateo's Rules; and that in time of Carnival, it was lawful to commit exorbitances. 1669, Trafano Bocalini, translated by Henry Earl of Monmouth, Advertisements from Parnassus: In Two Centuries, translation of original in Italian:
   • Passepartout was ravished to behold this celebrated place, and thought that, with its circular walls and dismantled fort, it looked like an immense coffee-cup and saucer. 1873, Jules Verne, chapter 9, in Around the World in 80 Days, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2012:
   • Sweeter than the muſk of Tatar, the morning breeze from the navel of every flower raviſhed perfume. 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:
3. (dated, transitive) To rape.
   • hee ravished her, and ravished her that was an Amazon, and therefore had gotten a habit of stoutness above the nature of a woman; but having ravished her, he got a childe of her. 1655, Philip Sidney, The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia:
   • When I heard her footsteps I was shaking, hot with desire and now I wish to describe a feeling I then first began to notice in myself. I longed to take possession of the girl, so to speak, abruptly, ravish her in fact, or at least thrust both hands up her dress at once and feel her bottom and sex altogether; but already I knew enough to realise certainly that girls prefer gentle and courteous approaches 1922, Frank Harris, “X”, in My Life and Loves:
   • A tall Bulgarian soldier, six feet high, perceiving that I had fainted away at this sight, attempted to ravish me; the operation brought me to my senses. I cried, I struggled, I bit, I scratched, I would have torn the tall Bulgarian’s eyes out, not knowing that what had happened at my father’s castle was a customary thing. 1759, Voltaire, chapter 8, in Candide, archived from the original on 03 Sep 2010:
   • For loe that Guest would beare her forcibly, / And meant to ravish her, that rather had to dy. 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.x:
   • Their children also shalbe dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses shalbe spoiled, & their wiues rauished. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 13:16:
4. (informal) To have vigorous sexual intercourse with.

Forms

Deriveds

enravish · ravishable · ravishee · ravishment · ravisher · ravishing

Relateds

rape · usurp

Synonyms

abuse · outrage · abduct · r-word · dishonour · grape · defoul · violate · kidnap · oppress · vitiate · ravage · turn out · viole · violate · abripe · constuprate · misuse · rape · defile · pollute · scotch · ravish · outrage · ravage · force

Translations (21)

nl in vervoering brengen (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy) · eo perforti (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · de entzücken (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy) · ru похища́ть (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · de entführen (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · fr ravir (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · de rauben (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · la moechissō (to have vigorous sexual intercourse) · bg отвличам (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · fi kaapata (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · pt arrebatar (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy) · bg очаровам (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy) · nl vervoeren (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy) · eo ravi (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy) · nl ontvoeren (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · nl schaken (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · it rapire (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · ru схвати́ть (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · pt raptar (seize and carry away by violence; snatch by force) · ru восхища́ть (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy) · fr ravir (transport with joy or delight; delight to ecstasy)