What does ravishing mean?
Ravishing is an emphatic adjective meaning exceptionally beautiful, attractive, or delightful. It is often applied to people and their appearance, but it can also describe striking scenery, colours, clothing, or compositions. The word carries a sense of overwhelming impact: something ravishing is not merely attractive but so vivid or beautiful that it commands attention. “A ravishing smile,” for example, suggests a smile of exceptional warmth or brilliance, while “ravishing scenery” presents a view that dazzles the observer. In informal speech, the adjective is sometimes intensified with words such as “absolutely,” as in “You look absolutely ravishing.” It is more expressive and less neutral than ordinary terms such as “beautiful” or “attractive,” making it especially suited to enthusiastic description, celebration, and literary description.
adjectiveExtremely beautiful or attractive; strikingly delightful.
- Exceptionally beautiful or attractive
- Delightful or intensely pleasing
"She wore a ravishing scarlet dress that transformed the room."
"The singer looked ravishing in an emerald green gown."
"We spent the afternoon admiring the ravishing view from the clifftop."
Ravishing suggests beauty so striking that it overwhelms the viewer at once.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ravishing come from?
Ravishing was formed from the verb ravish with the suffix -ing. Ravish came into English through Old French ravir, from Latin rapere, meaning “to seize” or “carry off.” Its older English senses included seizing violently and violating, while later senses included captivating or enchanting; the adjective ravishing developed in the context of beauty that captivates or overwhelms the observer.
Related word forms
How ravishing is actually used
Strongly positive and often emphatic or literary. It is commonly used of people, clothing, scenery, and other things perceived as exceptionally beautiful.
Easily confused with ravishing
Ravishing describes dazzling beauty, whereas raving commonly means extremely enthusiastic, delirious, or irrational.