ravine

noun

ra·​vine rə-ˈvēn How to pronounce ravine (audio)
Synonyms of ravine
: a small narrow steep-sided valley that is larger than a gully and smaller than a canyon and that is usually worn by running water

Synonyms of ravine

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Examples of ravine in a Sentence

he urged his horse down into the ravine where there was a thin stream of water flowing
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Police said the vehicle then traveled down a steep embankment and struck a large tree before coming to rest in a ravine. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026 On the way back, a vehicle in the convoy veered off the road and fell into a ravine. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 Six schoolboys were left dangling roughly 900 feet above a ravine after a cable snapped, setting off a high-stakes rescue that demanded nerves of steel. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 This 150-acre Clayton County preserve sits near shopping centers and busy roads, but its trails wind through woodlands, ravines and ponds that feel worlds away from metro Atlanta. — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ravine

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "torrent of water, gully formed by running water," going back to Middle French, "torrent of water," derivative of raviner "to run quickly, flow forcefully (of blood, water)," derivative of Old French ravine "violent force, momentum," going back to Latin rapīna "forcible carrying off of property, seizure and carrying off of a woman" — more at rapine

Note: See note at ravin.

First Known Use

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ravine was in 1687

Rhymes for ravine

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Browse Nearby Words

ravinated
ravine
ravined
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Cite this Entry

“Ravine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravine. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ravine

noun
ra·​vine rə-ˈvēn How to pronounce ravine (audio)
: a small narrow valley with steep sides that is larger than a gully and smaller than a canyon

More from Merriam-Webster on ravine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ravine

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