English Reference
noun · verb

rape

n. · v.
US /ˈɹeɪp/ UK /ɹˈeɪp/ rape UK spelling raped, rapes

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    n.the crime of forcing someone to have sex when they do not want to.

    n.the act of non-consensual sexual intercourse or other sexual penetration perpetrated against a person's will.

    Simple

    The victim came forward to report the rape to the police immediately.

    In context

    The prosecution presented DNA evidence to secure a conviction for the aggravated rape that occurred last autumn.

    sexual assault
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    v.to force someone to have sex against their will.

    v.to commit the act of non-consensual sexual penetration upon another person.

    Simple

    He was sent to prison for ten years after he raped a stranger.

    In context

    The defendant was accused of using a weapon to threaten the victim before he raped her in the alleyway.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a plant with bright yellow flowers grown for its seeds, which are used to make oil.

    n.the plant Brassica napus, widely cultivated for its oil-rich seeds used in cooking and industrial applications.

    Simple

    The fields were bright yellow with rape in the early summer.

    In context

    Farmers in this region have increasingly turned to growing rape as a profitable alternative to traditional cereal crops.

    rapeseedcanola
  4. 04 C1 Advanced Literary

    n.the act of taking something away by force or destroying a place.

    n.the act of plundering, despoiling, or seizing property by force.

    Simple

    The book describes the rape of the countryside by greedy developers.

    In context

    Historians often discuss the rape of the city's treasures during the final days of the siege.

    plunderpillagedespoliation

Virginia Giuffre claimed she was raped by Brunel and was disappointed she didn’t see him in court.

Toronto Sun· 15 Aug 2026

A rape scene becomes comic in Kika, from 1993, and another rape is euphemised as a silent movie pastiche in 2002’s Oscar-winning Talk to Her.

The Guardian· 21 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated