Added 8 October 2026

rape

/ˈɹeɪ̯p/ noun

In Latin: raptus, stuprum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rape at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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 or perpetrated by any being. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
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. (Can we clean up this sense?) An insult to one's senses so severe that one feels that they cannot ever be the same afterwards.
The ear rape of that concert was so bad I can't even listen to their songs at work anymore.
Overpowerment; utter defeat.

To force sexual intercourse or other sexual activity upon (someone) without their consent.
To seize by force. (Now often with sexual overtones.)
To carry (someone, especially a woman) off against their will, especially for sex; to abduct.

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.