raw 1 of 2

adjective

ˈrȯ How to pronounce raw (audio)
Definition of rawnext
1
as in uncooked
not cooked you should wash your hands after handling raw chicken

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining raw sugar is honey-colored because the crystals retain cane juices, minerals, and other impurities that haven't been refined out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inexperienced
lacking in adult experience or maturity recruiters like to say the military turns raw youths into responsible men and women

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions the day of the funeral turned out to be one of those bleak, blustery, raw winter days that was as gloomy as our spirits

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool evenings in those mountains, even during the summer, tend to be a little raw

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin bundle up if you're going sailing, as there's a raw wind out there in the bay

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in rampant
showing no signs of being under control a frightening display of raw anger

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in naked
lacking or shed of clothing a pristine stretch of sand where beachgoers commonly sunbathe raw

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

raw

2 of 2

noun

as in nudity
the state of having no clothes on one's body a secluded swimming hole where we could swim in the raw

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective raw differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of raw are crude, rough, and rude. While all these words mean "lacking in social refinement," raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

turning raw youths into polished performers

When might crude be a better fit than raw?

The words crude and raw can be used in similar contexts, but crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

a crude joke

When could rough be used to replace raw?

The meanings of rough and raw largely overlap; however, rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

rough manners

When is rude a more appropriate choice than raw?

The words rude and raw are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

rude behavior

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of raw
Adjective
Contrary to the impressions many large allocators (pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, etc) have, early deployment investors do not always have to accept raw technology risk. — Rob Day, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Potsherds discarded after an 11th-century feast at Etowah—an Indigenous city just north of what’s now Atlanta—contained traces of cacao, a raw ingredient of chocolate. — ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
Digital generated image of multiple robots working on laptops siting in a raw. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026 They can even be blanched or used raw in salads. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raw
  1. uncooked
  2. natural
  3. inexperienced
  4. turbulent
  5. chilling
  6. biting
  7. rampant
  8. naked
Adjective
  • Toasting rice is the process in which uncooked grains of rice are heated in a small amount of fat, like oil or butter, before adding any liquid.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The spider strainer has multiple other uses, including separating the whites and yolks from uncooked eggs, letting spaetzle dough drip through to create the noodles, skimming stock and broth, or even draining pasta.
    — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 30 July 2026
Definition of uncooked
Adjective
  • The instruments can move with greater flexibility than the human hand, while the system filters out natural hand tremors that could affect delicate movements.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If there isn’t an official audiobook, the PocketBook Q’s natural-sounding Text-to-Speech function will read any text file aloud for you.
    — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of natural
Adjective
  • The Holbrook sisters are undersocialized and inexperienced with the world, and Herzog sees them as figures out of a fable, dreamers who talk incessantly about love and seem connected to the elemental and the ancient.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • When someone with 20 years of expertise is willing to look inexperienced for 20 minutes, everyone else gets permission to learn.
    — Pankaj Prasoon, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • Prototype points toward larger trials To demonstrate the design, the researchers produced a marine buoy that remained stable in a turbulent seawater tank rotated up to 45 degrees.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The report from the Government Accountability Office found delays and holes in how the Secret Service updates its policies regarding threats, and arrives after a few turbulent years for the agency charged with the president’s protection.
    — Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Jaafar Jackson’s transformation into the King of Pop will be the main talking point, and two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo’s chilling turn as family patriarch Joe Jackson lends the film gravity.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The OpenAI version released today does not contain any code snippets, or even the chilling examples of messages the agents left for each other in the months leading up to the attack that its staffers shared at Black Hat.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • The pacing is more frenetic, the narration more biting, the flashbacks more jarring, and the comedowns much harsher.
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026
Definition of biting
Adjective
  • The extremely soapy, enjoyably satirical true-life drama chronicles love, rampant betrayal and a brazen murder plot through three decades of the iconic Gucci fashion house.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The federal government first created tax incentives for companies to implement employee ownership in the 1970s when stagflation was rampant and Washington wanted to generate more retirement assets for working Americans.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of rampant
Adjective
  • By the late 1960s, Kusama had also turned herself into material, staging happenings, body-painting events, naked demonstrations, and antiwar actions.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • At least three other residents were also videotaped, a police report stated, one while naked in the shower, one on the toilet and another in her underpants in front of her wheelchair.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of naked

Phrases Containing raw

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ravishments
raw
rawboned
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Cite this Entry

“Raw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raw. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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