verb
ravish
To seize and carry away by force, in archaic use.
The old tale tells of raiders who ravished the treasure away.
Etymology
The Old French verb means to seize or carry away. This older physical sense preserves forcible removal of someone or something.
More examples
- The invaders ravished the captives from their homes.
- The poem describes a child ravished from the mother’s arms.
- The soldiers were accused of ravishing goods from the village.
Forms
ravish · ravishes · ravished · ravishing
Similar words
- seize
- Seize is the ordinary verb for taking by force; ravish is archaic and suggests carrying away.
- abduct
- Abduct specifically carries a person away unlawfully; this sense of ravish can also apply to goods.