Ravenous
//ˈɹævənəs// adj
adj ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Very hungry.
"The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. There is something humiliating about it."
- 2 Greedy, characterized by strong desires.
"Supply-and-demand? One begins to be weary of such work. Leave all to egoism, to ravenous greed of money, of pleasure, of applause: — it is the Gospel of Despair!"
Adjective
- 1 devouring or craving food in great quantities wordnet
- 2 extremely hungry wordnet
Example
More examples"I awoke this morning at the crack of dawn, only to find that the crops had been ruined by ravenous birds."
Etymology
From Middle English ravenous, ravynous, from Old French ravineus.
Related phrases
More for "ravenous"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.