ravishing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈra-vi-shiŋ How to pronounce ravishing (audio)
Definition of ravishingnext
as in beautiful
very pleasing to look at the hotel offers rooms with a ravishing view of the ocean

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ravishing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ravish
1
as in violating
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent invaders guilty of murdering and ravishing villagers

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pleasing
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight) travelers have long been ravished with wonder and awe by the immensity of the Great Pyramid at Giza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ravishing
Adjective
The vision conceived by museum director and Chief Executive Michael Govan and architect Peter Zumthor is not perfect, and brings with it a modest set of frustrations, but as a whole, the installation registers as ravishing and bracingly fresh. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Monroe went from notable to notorious when, in 1952, journalist Aline Mosby first reported that a pinup calendar—featuring a ravishing blonde nude spread across red velvet—was in fact a photograph of the burgeoning star. — Joshua John Miller, Vanity Fair, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Returning to the Bay Area in this ravishing way after more than 30 years is a reminder that this Phantom hasn’t yet lost its bite. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 Del Toro’s dark, ravishing fantasy set in Francoist Spain — which had taken years to finance and produce, endured a brutal production and emerged from post barely in time — was the last film to screen in competition at that year’s festival. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ravishing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ravishing
  1. beautiful
  2. violating
  3. pleasing
  4. lovely
  5. raping
  6. delighting
  7. gorgeous
  8. assaulting
Adjective
  • The Panthers set up 48 yards from pay dirt and then, a handful of plays later, Young placed a beautiful pass into the hands of a wide-open Tommy Tremble for a touchdown — and also placed the nail in the game’s proverbial coffin.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
  • About half of Faux’s dining room, on my visits, seemed to be occupied by the young and beautiful, perhaps strategizing, over moules bouillabaisse, when to move the party to the bar downstairs.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of beautiful
Verb
  • In the letter, Omar's attorneys accused the Justice Department of violating longstanding agency policy designed to avoid potentially influencing an election.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • He was arrested again a week later after violating a protection order by trying to contact the woman, according to the arrest affidavit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of violating
Verb
  • For his fourth feature, Post Tenebras Lux, Reygadas took a major detour toward the avant-garde and the personal, in a move that garnered him some detractors while pleasing his more hardcore fans.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
  • But a taste for a cheap, crowd-pleasing meal may be something the two leaders share.
    — Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of pleasing
Adjective
  • Amenities and experiences The alfresco pool is lovely, but ongoing construction in the area at the moment is a bit of an eyesore.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Maybe the two can take the nips out on a lovely date to the Wicker 4DX screenings later this month.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of lovely
Verb
  • One woman accused Brand of raping her while she was pinned against a wall at his Los Angeles home in 2012, the Times of London reported.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Andrew Luster, the heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, was released from prison on parole over the weekend, more than 20 years after he was convicted of drugging and raping three women.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of raping
Verb
  • Tse Yang was the finest Chinese restaurant to open in Madrid, and its crispy Peking Duck has been delighting locals for years.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Here, misfits are welcome, and bric-a-brac is part of the appeal; the wonderfully bizarre name and devil-may-care attitude have been confusing (and delighting) first-timers for more than 70 years.
    — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of delighting
Adjective
  • The setting for this multi-generational frolic is a gorgeous Greek island that is nothing like ABBA’s homeland of Sweden.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The interior is spacious and light-filled with floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides and a gorgeous double-sink bathroom that feels like a mini spa.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of gorgeous
Verb
  • Among those arrested were individuals accused of choking their partners and assaulting their children, the sheriff’s office said.
    — Tanya Babbar, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Selma Blair pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer and nurse after a Delta Air Lines incident.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of assaulting

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Cite this Entry

“Ravishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ravishing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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