ravish Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb force (someone) to have sex against their will
violate; dishonor; assault; dishonour; outrage; rape.
- The woman was raped on her way home at night
verb hold spellbound
enthrall; delight; enthral; enrapture; enchant; transport.

OE. ravissen, F. ravir, fr. L. rapere to snatch or tear away, to ravish. See Rapacious, Rapid, and -ish.

imperfect & past participle Ravished ; present participle & verbal noun Ravishing

To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force.
These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin Will quicken, and accuse thee. Shak.

This hand shall ravish thy pretended right. Dryden.
To transport with joy or delight; to delight to ecstasy. "Ravished . . . for the joy." Chaucer.
Thou hast ravished my heart. Cant. iv. 9.
To have carnal knowledge of (a woman) by force, and against her consent; to rape. Shak. Syn. -- To transport; entrance; enrapture; delight; violate; deflour; force. sic. "deflour" is given in this dict. as the preferred sp. of "deflower"