Rape

/ɹeɪp/ adv, name, noun, verb, slang

adv, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The act of forcing sex upon another person without their consent or against their will; originally coitus forced by a man on a woman, but now generally any sex act forced by any person upon another person, regardless of gender; by extension, any non-consensual sex act forced on, perpetrated by, or forced to penetrate any being.
  • Grammar: rape is listed as adv, name, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: dishonour, outrage, ravish, violate.
  • Useful contrasts: consensual intercourse, consensual sex, liberate.
  • Usage evidence: Within the rape crisis movement, Greensite's dissent is significant.

How to use "rape"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rape" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rape" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "rape" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "rape" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

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  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "rape" is acting as adv, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "dishonour" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

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Final meaning check

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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The act of forcing sex upon another person without their consent or against their will; originally coitus forced by a man on a woman, but now generally any sex act forced by any person upon another person, regardless of gender; by extension, any non-consensual sex act forced on, perpetrated by, or forced to penetrate any being. countable, uncountable

    "I fled; but he pursued (though more, it seems, Inflamed with lust than rage), and, swifter far, Me overtook, his mother, all dismayed, And, in embraces forcible and foul Engendering with me, of that rape begot These yelling monsters […]"

  2. 2
    One of the six former administrative divisions of Sussex, England. historical

    "It seems to me very clear that the rapes of Sussex were divisions already existing there when the Normans landed."

  3. 3
    Haste; precipitancy; a precipitate course. obsolete
  4. 4
    Synonym of rapeseed, Brassica napus.

    "After the Industrial Revolution, it was discovered that rape also yields oil suitable for lubrication."

  5. 5
    The stalks and husks of grapes from which the must has been expressed in winemaking. countable, uncountable
Show 11 more definitions
  1. 6
    the crime of forcing a person to submit to sexual intercourse against his or her will wordnet
  2. 7
    An experience that is pleasant for one party and unpleasant for the other, particularly when the unwilling partner's suffering is worse than necessary.; Overpowerment; utter defeat. countable, offensive, slang, sometimes, uncountable
  3. 8
    A filter containing the stalks and husks of grapes, used for clarifying wine, vinegar, etc. countable, uncountable
  4. 9
    the act of despoiling a country in warfare wordnet
  5. 10
    An experience that is pleasant for one party and unpleasant for the other, particularly when the unwilling partner's suffering is worse than necessary.; An insult to one's senses so severe that one feels that they cannot ever be the same afterwards. countable, offensive, slang, sometimes, uncountable

    "The ear rape of that concert was so bad I can't even listen to their songs at work anymore."

  6. 11
    Fruit plucked in a bunch. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "a rape of grapes"

  7. 12
    Eurasian plant cultivated for its seed and as a forage crop wordnet
  8. 13
    The taking of something by force; seizure, plunder. archaic, countable, uncountable

    "the Rape of Nanjing"

  9. 14
    The abduction of a woman, especially for sexual purposes. archaic, countable, uncountable

    "Sat. Traytor, if Rome haue law, or we haue power, Thou and thy Faction shall repent this Rape. Bass. Rape call you it my Lord, to cease my owne, My true betrothed Loue, and now my wife?"

  10. 15
    That which is snatched away. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "Where now are all my hopes? O, never more. / Shall they revive! nor death her rapes restore."

  11. 16
    Movement, as in snatching; haste; hurry. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To force sexual intercourse or other sexual activity upon (someone) without their consent. transitive

    "The prosecution case was that the men forced the sisters to strip, threw their clothes over the bridge, then raped them and participated in forcing them to jump into the river to their deaths. As he walked off the bridge, Clemons was alleged to have said: "We threw them off. Let's go.""

  2. 2
    To make haste; to hasten or hurry. intransitive, obsolete, reflexive
  3. 3
    destroy and strip of its possession wordnet
  4. 4
    To seize by force. (Now often with sexual overtones.) intransitive, transitive

    "Dr Ashok's eyes had a tendency to pop whenever he wanted to rape your attention."

  5. 5
    force (someone) to have sex against their will wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    To carry (someone, especially a woman) off against their will, especially for sex; to abduct. transitive

    "Paridell rapeth Hellenore: Malbecco her pursewes: Findes emongst Satyres, whence with him To turne she doth refuse."

  2. 7
    To plunder, to destroy or despoil. transitive

    "I raped your richest roadstead—I plundered Singapore!"

  3. 8
    To subject (another person) to a painful or unfair experience. offensive, slang, sometimes

    "I attended, the mothers went around the circle, introducing themselves. They added a brief statement about their own experiences with vaccine for the reporter’s benefit. Dionne said that she felt “raped” when she was forced to give Tate some vaccinations."

  4. 9
    To subject (another person) to a painful or unfair experience.; To overpower, destroy (someone); to trounce. offensive, slang, sometimes

    "My experienced opponent will rape me at chess."

  5. 10
    To subject (another person) to a painful or unfair experience.; To exploit an advantage, often involving money, where the other person has little choice but to submit. offensive, slang, sometimes

    "Have you seen the prices in that store lately? I got raped for $20 just buying a sandwich."

Adverb
  1. 1
    Quickly; hastily. obsolete
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.

Antonyms

consensual intercourseconsensual sexliberatepreserve

Example

"Within the rape crisis movement, Greensite's dissent is significant."

Common questions

What does "rape" mean?

The act of forcing sex upon another person without their consent or against their will; originally coitus forced by a man on a woman, but now generally any sex act forced by any person upon another person, regardless of gender; by extension, any non-consensual sex act forced on, perpetrated by, or forced to penetrate any being.

What is a synonym for "rape"?

Common synonyms include: dishonour, outrage, ravish, violate, abduct, abduction.

How do you use "rape" in a sentence?

Within the rape crisis movement, Greensite's dissent is significant.

How do you pronounce "rape"?

Pronounced /ɹeɪp/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English rapen, rappen (“to abduct; ravish; seduce; rape; seize; snatch; carry off; transport”), probably from Latin rapiō (verb), possibly through or influenced by Anglo-Norman rap, rape (noun) (compare also ravish). But compare Swedish rappa (“to snatch, seize, carry off”), Low German rapen (“to snatch, seize”), Dutch rapen (“to pick up, gather, collect”); the relationship with Germanic forms is not clear. Cognate with Lithuanian reikėti (“to be in need”). Compare also rap (“seize, snatch”). Further, some senses may be from Etymology 3, an Old Norse word.

Etymology 2

Generally considered to derive from Old English rāp (“rope”), in reference to the ropes used to delineate the courts that ruled each rape. Compare Dutch reep and the parish of Rope, Cheshire. In the 18th century, Edward Lye proposed derivation from Old Norse hreppr (“tract of land”), but this was rejected by the New English Dictionary and is considered "phonologically impossible" by the English Place-Name Society. Others, considering it improbable that the Normans would have adopted a local word, suggest derivation from Old French raper (“take by force”). See Wikipedia for more.

Etymology 3

From Middle English rapen, from Old Norse hrapa (“to fall, rush headlong, hurry, hasten”), from Proto-Germanic *hrapaną (“to fall down”). Cognate with Norwegian rapa (“to slip, fall”), Danish rappe (“to make haste”), German rappeln (“to hasten, hurry”).

Etymology 4

From Middle English rape, from Latin rāpa, from rāpum (“turnip”).

Etymology 5

From Middle English rape, from rape (“grape stalk, rasper”), from Old French raper, rasper (“to rasp, scratch”), from Old Frankish *raspōn (“to scratch”), related to Old High German raspōn (“to scrape”), Old English ġehrespan (“to strip, spoil”).

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