ravish

/ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/

//ˈɹæ.vɪʃ// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"ravish" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ravish” is an uncommon English word, ranked #75,339 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#75,339
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force.

Key facts for ravish
PropertyValue
Headwordravish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#75,339
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ravish” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). ravish lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ravish is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #75,339 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for ravish in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ravyschen, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ravis-, present participle stem of ravir (“to seize; to take away hastily”), from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere. See also rape. The correct English form is ravish, spelled R-A-V-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force.
  2. 2
    To transport with joy or delight; to delight to ecstasy.
  3. 3
    To rape.
  4. 4
    To have vigorous sexual intercourse with.

Etymology

From Middle English ravyschen, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ravis-, present participle stem of ravir (“to seize; to take away hastily”), from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere. See also rape.

Synonyms

abripe

This word in other languages

ravir(Français)entführen(Deutsch)raptar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ravish"?
"ravish" is spelled R-A-V-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/.
What does "ravish" mean?
As a verb, "ravish" means: To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force.
How do you pronounce "ravish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ravish" is /ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "ravish"?
From Middle English ravyschen, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ravis-, present participle stem of ravir (“to seize; to take away hastily”), from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere. See also rape. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “ravish”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-V-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹæ.vɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list