raw Meaning & Definition
What Does Raw Mean?
As an adjective, raw means not cooked. It can also mean being in or nearly in the natural state. As a noun, it means a raw place or state.
Raw: Key Facts
| Part of speech | adjective, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈrȯ/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | crude, bleak and cold |
| Antonyms | cooked, well-done and overdone |
| Plural | raws |
| Comparative / superlative | rawer, rawest |
| Adverb | rawly |
Raw Definition (Adjective)
- not cooked
- being in or nearly in the natural state : not processed or purified
raw fibers / raw sewage
- not diluted or blended
raw spirits
- unprepared or imperfectly prepared for use
- not being in polished, finished, or processed form
raw data / a raw draft of a thesis
- having the surface abraded or chafed
- very irritated
a raw sore throat
- lacking covering : naked
- not protected : susceptible to hurt
raw emotions
- lacking experience or understanding : green
a raw recruit
- marked by absence of refinements
- vulgar, coarse
raw language
- not tempered : unbridled
raw power
- disagreeably damp or cold
a raw winter day
Raw as a Noun
- a raw place or state
Synonyms of Raw
Antonyms of Raw
Raw in a Sentence
There's nothing but raw fish in the freezer.
He ate raw beef for dinner.
I was 100% raw from 2014 until early 2018.
raw cane sugar
raw sewage
a raw wound
a raw beginner
a raw voice
a raw wind
raw emotion
a raw description of the American political arena
raw sex
We did it raw.
raw fibers
raw spirits
raw data
a raw draft of a thesis
a raw sore throat
raw emotions
a raw recruit
raw language
raw power
a raw winter day
you should wash your hands after handling raw chicken
raw sugar is honey-colored because the crystals retain cane juices, minerals, and other impurities that haven't been refined out
recruiters like to say the military turns raw youths into responsible men and women
the day of the funeral turned out to be one of those bleak, blustery, raw winter days that was as gloomy as our spirits
evenings in those mountains, even during the summer, tend to be a little raw
bundle up if you're going sailing, as there's a raw wind out there in the bay
a frightening display of raw anger
a pristine stretch of sand where beachgoers commonly sunbathe raw
a secluded swimming hole where we could swim in the raw
raw fibers / raw sewage
raw data / a raw draft of a thesis
Word Forms & Grammar
raw·er
raw·est
raw·ly adverb
raw·ness noun
raw
rawer
rawest
rawly
rawness
rawnesses
raws
raw (comparative rawer, superlative rawest)
raw (plural raws)
raw (third-person singular simple present raws, present participle rawing, simple past and past participle rawed)
Words That Rhyme With Raw
Origin of Raw
Origin 1: Middle English, from Old English hrēaw; akin to Old High German hrō raw, Latin crudus raw, cruor blood, Greek kreas flesh
Origin 2: From Middle English rawe, raw, rau, from Old English hrēaw (“raw, uncooked”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrau, from Proto-Germanic *hrawaz, *hrēwaz (“raw”), from Proto-Indo-European *krewh₂- (“raw meat, fresh blood”).
Origin 3: Cognate with Scots raw (“raw”), Dutch rauw (“raw”), German roh (“raw”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish rå (“raw”), Faroese ráur (“raw”), Icelandic hrár (“raw”), Latin crūdus (“raw, bloody, uncooked”), Irish cró (“blood”), Lithuanian kraujas (“blood”), Russian кровь (krovʹ, “blood”). Related also to Old English hrēow, hrēoh (“rough, fierce, wild, angry, disturbed, troubled, sad, stormy, tempestuous”). More at ree. Doublet of crude.
First Known Use
before 12th century
1785
Raw Pronunciation
Raw is pronounced /ˈrȯ/ and has 1 syllable.
Raw: Your Questions Answered
Is raw an adjective or a noun?
Raw is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for raw?
You can replace raw with words such as crude, bleak and cold. See the full list of raw synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of raw?
The plural of raw is raws.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of raw?
The comparative form is rawer and the superlative form is rawest.