What does ravenous mean?
Ravenous is an adjective describing someone or something that is extremely hungry, eager to eat, or driven by an insatiable appetite. In its literal sense, it conveys a need for food so intense that the person is ready to eat immediately and in large quantities: “The hungry hikers were ravenous by the time they reached the cabin.” The word also has figurative uses for greed, destructive appetite, or an overwhelming demand. A product may face “ravenous demand,” meaning customers want to buy it in very large numbers. Ravenous is especially vivid because it combines ordinary hunger with a sense of urgency and force. It is a slightly expressive word rather than a neutral technical term, but it is standard in both British and American English and is common in journalism, advertising, and everyday description.
adjectiveExtremely hungry or eager to eat; characterized by ravenous hunger. It can also describe an intense, voracious appetite or a greedy, destructive desire.
- Extremely hungry and eager to eat.
- Having a voracious appetite.
- Greedy or destructive in appetite or desire.
"After the long hike, we were all ravenous and ate the meal in minutes."
"The children came in ravenous after playing outside all afternoon."
"The company faced a ravenous demand for its new service, forcing it to expand rapidly."
Ravenous is the word for hunger that makes a carefully planned snack feel like an emergency.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ravenous come from?
Ravenous entered English in the Middle English period through an Old French form related to Latin words meaning plundering or greedy. The underlying root is associated with the idea of seizing, taking, or ravaging, which also connects the word with English forms such as ravage and rapacious. Its modern sense of extreme hunger developed from the older idea of a greedy or voracious appetite.
Related word forms
How ravenous is actually used
The word is commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts. Figurative uses often describe an appetite or demand that is powerful and difficult to satisfy.
Easily confused with ravenous
Ravenous describes an intense appetite or greedy desire, whereas ravaging describes destructively plundering or ruining something.