ravenous
adjective
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ravishing or ravenous?
Ravenous and ravishing are not synonyms, and mixing these two words may lead to potentially awkward writing or conversation. Ravenous is commonly used with the meaning “very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification,” and ravishing means “unusually attractive, pleasing, or striking.” If you find yourself hungry and standing in front of a spectacular-looking meal you would say (of the food) “that looks ravishing,” and (of yourself) “I am ravenous.” You may, of course, describe yourself as ravishing, but should be aware that you are commenting on your appearance rather than your hunger.
Synonyms
- edacious
- esurient
- gluttonous
- greedy
- hoggish
- piggish
- rapacious
- swinish
- voracious
Example Sentences
Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 Sheep—docile, ravenous and just the right height—easily smoked the field. Amrith Ramkumar, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022 Some argue that wild plants need protection from ravenous, irresponsible humans and that foraging is acceptable only on one’s own land, which cuts out renters, condo owners and anyone else without a sizable yard. Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022 But appeasement is not safe, because authoritarianism is a ravenous monster that is never satisfied. Sarah Schulman, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2022 Over the weekend the singer decided to spice up a Saturday night (July 31) club appearance in Las Vegas by hopping into the DJ booth and hurling individual slices of pizza at her ravenous Katy Club Kats. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 2 Aug. 2022 Three high school students embark on a journey to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking havoc on Salem before midnight on All Hallow's Eve. Jasmine Washington, Seventeen, 27 July 2022 BroadwayCon, instead, is for the ravenous consumer of Broadway theater, media and lore, a breadbasket of fandom that pays the bills and extends Broadway’s popular influence across the country and world. Michael Appler, Variety, 8 July 2022 At literary salons and at the court of Louis XIV, ladies and gentlemen beguiled one another with fantastical tales of talking animals and monster-husbands; of djinns and sorcerers; of sleeping beauties and ravenous ogres. Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 1 July 2022 See More Word History
Middle English ravynous, raveynous, from ravyn, raveyn "robbery, rapacity" + -ous -ous — more at ravin
Note: Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, ravynous, etc., may be a derivative of an unattested Middle English verb—see the note at raven entry 3.
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing ravenous
Kids Definition
ravenous
adjective
ravenous
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- greedy
- hungry
- voracious
- starving
- gluttonous
- starved
- rapacious
- piggish
- insatiable
- hoggish
- edacious
- esurient
- devouring
- swinish
- wolfish
- famished
- gorging
- unquenchable
- gobbling
- gormandizing
- peckish
- malnourished
- gulping
- underfed
- undernourished
- hearty
- unslakable
- empty
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- satisfied
- full
- content
- stuffed
- satiated
- sated
- glutted
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of ravenous are gluttonous, rapacious, and voracious. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," ravenous implies excessive hunger and suggests violent or grasping methods of dealing with food or with whatever satisfies an appetite.
The meanings of gluttonous and ravenous largely overlap; however, gluttonous applies to one who delights in eating or acquiring things especially beyond the point of necessity or satiety.
The words rapacious and ravenous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.
The words voracious and ravenous can be used in similar contexts, but voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.