- To ravish is to take someone by force, to force someone to engage in sexual intercourse or to experience extreme happiness.
- When you kidnap a child by force, this is an example of ravish.
- When a girl is raped, this is an example of ravish.
- When a wonderful play fills someone with intense delight, this is an example of ravish.
transitive verb
- to seize and carry away forcibly
- to rape (a woman)
- to transport with joy or delight; enrapture
Origin: Middle English ravishen from inflectional stem of Old French ravir, to carry away from Vulgar Latin an unverified form rapire, for Classical Latin rapere, to seize: see rape
Related Forms:
- ravisher noun
- ravishment noun
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
transitive verb rav·ished, rav·ish·ing, rav·ish·es
- To seize and carry away by force.
- To force (another) to have sexual intercourse; rape.
- To overwhelm with emotion; enrapture. See Synonyms at enrapture.
Origin: Middle English ravisshen, from Old French ravir, raviss-, from Vulgar Latin *rapīre, from Latin rapere, to seize; see rep- in Indo-European roots.
Related Forms:
- ravˈish·er noun
ravish - Legal Definition
v
To take by force or seize is
the literal meaning of the word. It is generally synonymous with rape. Traditionally, an
indictment for rape demanded inclusion of the word ravished, which implied use
of force and or violence by the man and resistance by the female.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.