ravish

And hey, did you know that the word “raptor”—which is often used to describe birds of prey—comes from the Latin verb rapio, which means to plunder, rob, ravish, or abduct?

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026

“It’s going to completely ravish natural stands,” said Jenny Kimball, a professor of agronomy and plant genetics at the University of Minnesota.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2022

The other half saw “Train,” in which the Hosts attempt to guide the Arrivals in the ways of the land, only to have that used against them as their captors propulsively ravish the Earth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2020

Le Mans ’66 was never merely a matter of speed and pride; it was also, in retrospect, a contest to ravish the eye.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 8, 2019

Someone who can ravish my heart with the flames of love.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

The most glowing review - a five-star write-up in the Telegraph - said Holland "ravishes" and "mesmerises" as Romeo.

From BBC ● May 24, 2024

“Adriana” examines the way war ravishes love and the sacrifices required to maintain equanimity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2023

Virgin Islands for years redirected money intended to help pay insurance claims after large disasters for other needs, raising the vulnerability of residents as Hurricane Irma ravishes the territory.

From Reuters ● Sep. 6, 2017

Countless have already raved about “Carol” as the latest installment of Todd Haynes’ sumptuous revisionist cinema, for good reason: The film flat-out ravishes with pathos—it is moving but not mopey, dreamy while never soporific.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2015

Her very name, with mine joined to it, ravishes my soul, and is more delightful to me than the sweetest music.

From Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 9 by Samuel Richardson

Using a 1939 newspaper account, Moses pictured an 1862 fire that ravished the city in upstate New York.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026

"It has been a month now since I haven't eaten or slept properly. Look at me, I am young, only 32, why should I be so ravished and depressed?" she cried.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026

Or maybe she’s just ravished by the scenery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2022

Readers ravished by “The Overstory” may come away discouraged by the bleakness and sadness of “Bewilderment.”

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2021

And Tessie was a cobra, mesmerized, tamed, ravished by the sound.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

And just like she promises in my summer staple, Bonnie Tyler’s huge choruses and blockbuster anthems will be ravishing us until the end of this endless night.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Akhnaten is revealed in episodes of his life that are not fleshed out but presented as ritual, including the ravishing love duet with his wife, Nefertiti.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

Three years ago, the first sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” was even more visually ravishing to regard, albeit thin in its storytelling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025

It emerged at the same time as Fauvism in painting and lasted a year longer than Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, which dazzled audiences with ravishing, often exotic visions, sets and costumes ablaze in jewel tones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

Isn’t there a kind of ravishing delight in the chase of it?

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr