Ravish Meaning, Definition, and Synonyms

Ravish is a verb with two very different meanings. In modern English, it most often means to delight or fascinate someone completely. In a more serious older sense, it can also mean to sexually assault someone.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Pronunciation

AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).

Accent: General American English

IPA: /ˈrævɪʃ/

Easy pronunciation: RAV-ish (approximate spelling).

Stress: Stress on the first syllable.

Used here in the sense of delighting or fascinating completely.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Ravish Meaning

to make someone feel intensely happy, delighted, or captivated

Part of speech: verb

Definition: to delight or fascinate completely

Example: The singer’s performance ravished the audience.

Synonyms for this meaning:

delight — Fits the sense of giving great pleasure or delight.
enchant — Works when something charms someone completely.
enrapture — A strong match for being completely delighted or absorbed.
enthral — A direct synonym in British English spelling.
enthrall — A direct synonym in American English spelling.
transport — Can mean to fill someone with intense delight or emotion.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Other Meanings of Ravish

Meaning 2

to sexually assault someone

Part of speech: verb

Definition: to force someone to have sex against their will

Example: The older legal meaning of ravish is now rare and strongly offensive.

Synonyms for this meaning:

assault — Related to violent sexual attack, but broader and not an exact substitute.
dishonor — Historical or formal usage only; not a precise everyday synonym.
dishonour — British spelling of the same historical term; not a precise everyday synonym.
outrage — Old-fashioned and context-dependent; can suggest sexual violation in historical usage.
rape — The closest modern term for this sense.
violate — Can mean sexual violation in older or formal usage, but it is broader than rape.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Ravish Synonyms

Similar Meaning

delight
enchant
enrapture
enthrall
enthral
transport

force someone to have sex against their will

rape
violate

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Common Mistakes

Using ravish to mean only 'rape' in all contexts; the word also has a stronger older meaning of 'delight completely.'
Assuming ravish is a common modern word for sexual assault; in that sense it is rare, formal, and often historical.
Mixing up ravish with rape when the intended meaning is simply 'captivate' or 'charm.'

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ravish mean?

Ravish usually means to delight or captivate someone completely. It also has a rare older sense meaning to sexually assault someone.

Is ravish a positive word?

Usually yes, when it means to charm or delight. But it can also be a harsh and offensive word in its older sexual-assault sense.

What are common synonyms for ravish?

For the common sense, good synonyms include delight, enchant, enrapture, enthrall, and transport. For the older violent sense, rape and violate are the closest matches.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.