raving

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹeɪvɪŋ/
• Rhymes: -eɪvɪŋ

Verb

raving

1. present participle and gerund of rave

Noun

raving (plural ravings)

1. (usually in the plural) Wild, incoherent, or irrational talk.
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, Section 3. § 5:

     A production without design would resemble more the ravings of a madman, than the sober efforts of genius and learning.

   • 1828, James Hogg, Mary Burnet:

     Those words appearing to be merely the ravings of superannuation, they were not regarded; but when no other traces of Mary could be found, old Andrew went up to consult this crazy dame once more, but he was not able to bring any such thing to her recollection.

Translations

Incoherent talk

• Bulgarian: бълнуване (bg) n (bǎlnuvane), несвързано говорене (nesvǎrzano govorene)
• French: divagations (fr) f pl, more rarely in the singular form: divagation (fr) f
• Irish: rámhaille
• Polish: brednie f pl

Adjective

raving (comparative more raving, superlative most raving)

1. Talking wildly.
   • 1980 March 3, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “The Whisky Priest”, in Yes, Minister, season 3, episode 20, spoken by Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne):

     Oh, what an extraordinary idea! I have served 11 governments in the past 30 years. If I'd believed in all their policies, [proceeds to describe contradictory policies by different parties], but above all, I would have been a stark-staring raving schizophrenic! (laugh track).

2. Causing excitement or wild praise.

   She was not considered a raving beauty.

Adverb

raving (comparative more raving, superlative most raving)

1. Incoherently

   He went stark, raving mad.

Anagrams

• Garvin, Girvan, grivna