Advertisement
Advertisement
raw
[ raw ]
adjective
- uncooked, as articles of food:
a raw carrot.
- not having undergone processes of preparing, dressing, finishing, refining, or manufacture:
raw cotton.
Synonyms: unprepared, makeshift, rough
- unnaturally or painfully exposed, as flesh, by removal of the skin or natural integument.
- painfully open, as a sore or wound.
- crude in quality or character; not tempered or refined by art or taste:
raw humor.
- ignorant, inexperienced, or untrained:
a raw recruit.
Synonyms: undisciplined, unpracticed, unskilled, green
- brutally or grossly frank:
a raw portrayal of human passions.
- brutally harsh or unfair:
a raw deal; receiving raw treatment from his friends.
- disagreeably damp and chilly, as the weather or air:
a raw, foggy day at the beach.
- not diluted, as alcoholic spirits:
raw whiskey.
- unprocessed or unevaluated:
raw data.
noun
- a sore or irritated place, as on the flesh.
- unrefined sugar, oil, etc.
raw
/ rɔː /
adjective
- (of food) not cooked
raw onion
- prenominal in an unfinished, natural, or unrefined state; not treated by manufacturing or other processes
raw materials for making steel
raw brick
- (of an edge of material) unhemmed; liable to fray
- (of the skin, a wound, etc) having the surface exposed or abraded, esp painfully
- ignorant, inexperienced, or immature
a raw recruit
- prenominal not selected or modified
raw statistics
- frank or realistic
a raw picture of the breakdown of a marriage
- (of spirits) undiluted
- coarse, vulgar, or obscene
- recently done; fresh
raw paintwork
- (of the weather) harshly cold and damp
- informal.unfair; unjust (esp in the phrase a raw deal )
noun
- the raw informal.a sensitive point
his criticism touched me on the raw
- in the raw
- without clothes; naked
- in a natural or unmodified state
life in the raw
Discover More
Derived Forms
- ˈrawly, adverb
- ˈrawness, noun
- ˈrawish, adjective
Discover More
Other Words From
- rawish adjective
- rawish·ness noun
- rawly adverb
- rawness noun
- half-raw adjective
- semi·raw adjective
- semi·rawly adverb
- semi·rawness noun
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of raw1
Discover More
Idioms and Phrases
- in the raw,
- in the natural, uncultivated, or unrefined state:
nature in the raw.
- Informal. in the nude; naked:
sunbathing in the raw.
More idioms and phrases containing raw
In addition to the idiom beginning with raw , also see in the altogether (raw) .Discover More
Synonym Study
Discover More
Example Sentences
Rather, they house enough of the raw ingredients to create water when heated.
Some of the elements on a printed circuit board, essentially the brain of a computer, are raw materials whose supply is at risk.
It was less a joke than a vote of confidence that in an age of extreme building — the Eiffel Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge and more — anything was possible if you just had enough raw material and the chutzpah to defy known limitations.
It’s the same reaction that powers all stars, and trying to corral that kind of raw power and turn it into something we can use effectively is a challenge scientists have been struggling with for decades.
This why testimonial link building is seen as a great way to harness this raw strength of positive experiences by customers.
Raw eel seemed to be popular during and after the Middle Ages.
The script would be used as more than just raw material, but would need to be fudged.
The raw materials— tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold—were dubbed “conflict minerals.”
But there was a lot of raw violence in the humor of the time.
But the raw believability of, say, Magnum photography has been done for.
It makes out of the savage raw material which is our basal mental stuff, a citizen.
It had come on to rain, and the raw dampness mingled itself with the dusky uproar of the Strand.
The evening was cold and raw and so dark that it was almost impossible to distinguish people on the badly lighted little platform.
This problem was solved by a native coming along driving a raw-boned horse before a rickety wagon.
The comparison of the cost of production, therefore, with the value of the raw material, shows a very large margin of profit.
Advertisement
Discover More
Related Words
Discover More
More About Raw
What does raw mean?
Raw describes something that hasn’t been cooked, as in The butcher put a pile of raw meat on the table.
Raw can also describe something that hasn’t been processed or refined, as in Raw cotton must be cleaned of plant parts before it can be made into thread or fabric.
Raw also refers to skin that was painfully removed, as in The uncomfortable pants rubbed my knees raw.
As well, raw can refer to someone who lacks experience or training, as in The rookie detective was too raw to be of any help to the veteran investigator.
Raw is rarely used as a noun. It is sometimes used in the idiom in the raw, meaning a natural, unprocessed state or, more informally, referring to something done while naked.
Example: The diners became very ill after eating chicken that was more raw that cooked.
Where does raw come from?
The first records of raw come before 1000. It comes from the Old English hrēaw. It is related to the Greek kréas, meaning “raw flesh.”
Many foods are fine to eat without cooking them. Fruits and vegetables can often be eaten raw, that is, straight off a tree or from the ground. Meat, on the other hand, can be dangerous when eaten raw, because it often contains bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli, which can cause serious food poisoning. While, it’s possible to eat fresh meat raw if certain precautions are taken, it’s highly recommended to properly cook meat to kill any harmful bacteria.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to raw?
- rawish (adjective)
- rawishness (noun)
- rawly (adverb)
- rawness (noun)
What are some synonyms for raw?
What are some words that share a root or word element with raw?
What are some words that often get used in discussing raw?
How is raw used in real life?
Raw is a very common word, usually used to describe uncooked food.
Accidentally liking a bad tweet and accidentally touching raw meat are the same emotional trauma
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) July 7, 2019
I handle raw chicken like it's highly explosive #Salmonella
— Nicholas Hoult (@NicholasHoult) November 1, 2013
At dinner the other night, someone handed me an ear of corn and said try it. The corn was raw. It had not been cooked. It was the most delicious ear of corn I've ever had.
How am I just learning this?
— Hugh Howey (@hughhowey) August 7, 2020
Try using raw!
Is raw used correctly in the following sentence?
The chef thoroughly grilled the beef until it was raw.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse